Aston Hippodrome
Encyclopedia
The Aston Hippodrome also known as The Hipp, was a popular theatre
in the Aston
area of Birmingham
, England
.
It was opened to the public on December 7, 1908 after the completion of construction at a cost of £10,000. It was designed by James and Lister Lea
who had also designed the Bartons Arms
public house
in the area.
The theatre was seriously damaged in 1938 by a fire which resulted in a £38,000 refurbishment.
On June 4, 1960, the theatre building ceased performances with the final performance a revue, A to Z of Striptease. The building was renovated into a bingo hall and remained so until its demolition in September 1980. The Drum, an arts centre, is located on the theatre's site.
Performances were held twice daily and amongst these performances were famous acts such as Laurel and Hardy
, George Formby, Gracie Fields
, Larry Grayson
, Morecambe and Wise
and Judy Garland
who performed there in 1951.
The opening chapter of Ron Dawson
's novel, The Last Viking, vividly describes one of the 'strip tease shows' which dominated the Hipp's offerings during the mid to late 1950s. The show was called 'Heatwave' and the scene captures the sad atmosphere of the 'artistic tableaux' which characterised these shows.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in the Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It was opened to the public on December 7, 1908 after the completion of construction at a cost of £10,000. It was designed by James and Lister Lea
James and Lister Lea
James and Lister Lea was an architectural and property consultancy firm active in the England between 1846 and 2001. Established by brothers James Lea and Lister Lea, the partnership was initially focussed only on architecture...
who had also designed the Bartons Arms
Bartons Arms
The Bartons Arms is a pub in the High Street in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham, England.Built in 1901 by noted pub architects partnership James and Lister Lea for Mitchells & Butlers, it is a grade II* listed building, famous for its wall-to-wall Minton-Hollins tiles and its snob screens,...
public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
in the area.
The theatre was seriously damaged in 1938 by a fire which resulted in a £38,000 refurbishment.
On June 4, 1960, the theatre building ceased performances with the final performance a revue, A to Z of Striptease. The building was renovated into a bingo hall and remained so until its demolition in September 1980. The Drum, an arts centre, is located on the theatre's site.
Performances were held twice daily and amongst these performances were famous acts such as Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
, George Formby, Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
, Larry Grayson
Larry Grayson
Larry Grayson , born William Sulley White, was an English stand-up comedian and television presenter of the 1970s and early 80s...
, Morecambe and Wise
Morecambe and Wise
Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, usually referred to as Morecambe and Wise, or Eric and Ernie, were a British comic double act, working in variety, radio, film and most successfully in television. Their partnership lasted from 1941 until Morecambe's death in 1984...
and Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
who performed there in 1951.
The opening chapter of Ron Dawson
Ron Dawson
Dr. Ronald Leslie Dawson, . Special Educational Needs educator, psychologist, researcher and author. Author and co-author of numerous books and articles concerning the education of pupils with SEN...
's novel, The Last Viking, vividly describes one of the 'strip tease shows' which dominated the Hipp's offerings during the mid to late 1950s. The show was called 'Heatwave' and the scene captures the sad atmosphere of the 'artistic tableaux' which characterised these shows.