Theatre in Bristol, England
The
Bristol Hippodrome
(
grid reference
ST590729
) is a
theatre
located in
The Centre
,
Bristol
,
England
, United Kingdom with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features shows from London's
West End
when they tour the
UK
, as well as regular visits by
Welsh National Opera
and an annual
pantomime
.
History
[
edit
]
The theatre was designed by
Frank Matcham
for
Oswald Stoll
, and opened on 16 December 1912. It has been designated by
English Heritage
as a grade II
listed building
.
[1]
An important feature of the theatre when it opened was a huge water tank at the front of the stage, which could be filled with 100,000 gallons (450,000 litres) of water. Along with the tank was a large protective glass screen which could be raised in order to protect the orchestra and those in the stalls. It also has a dome, which can be opened when necessary; however since air conditioning has been installed it is rarely opened.
The theatre survived
World War II
, but less than three years after it ended, a fire destroyed the stage, though not the auditorium. The theatre reopened about 10 months later.
American musician
Eddie Cochran
played his final show here, in 1960, and was killed in a road accident only hours later, in
Chippenham
, Wiltshire.
The theatre plays host to many top shows, such as
Phantom of the Opera
,
Miss Saigon
,
Cats
,
Les Miserables
,
Blood Brothers
,
Wicked
and
Of Mice and Men
. This is due to the size of its stage, which is one of the largest outside London. In addition to large musicals it is also a venue for comedians such as
Russell Howard
,
Frankie Boyle
,
Ricky Tomlinson
and
Lee Mack
, as well as children's shows such as
Winnie the Pooh
Live
. The Bristol Hippodrome has strong links with many shows that frequently appear there, such as the
Welsh National Opera
.
In 2012, the theatre celebrated its centenary with a show called
Thanks for the Memories
, staged by amateur groups Bristol Light Opera Club and Bristol Musical Youth Productions.
Premieres
[
edit
]
The theatre has staged a number of premieres including:
Gallery
[
edit
]
-
Auditorium from Upper Circle
-
Auditorium Dome, last opened July 2012
-
Detail of Auditorium Left Boxes
-
Stage from Auditorium centre
-
Entrance from St Augustine's Parade
-
Auditorium from Upper Circle Box
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
- Shorney, Jonathan (2019).
Bristol Hippodrome: A Century of Shows
. Redcliffe Press.
ISBN
978-1-911408-56-7
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Venues
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Festivals
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Museums, galleries,
archives and public art
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Parks &
Open Spaces
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Churches
|
- All Saints' Church
- Bristol Cathedral
- Bristol Community Church
- Broadmead Baptist Church
- Buckingham Baptist Chapel
- Chapel of the Three Kings of Cologne
- Christ Church, Clifton Down
- Christ Church with St Ewen
- Church of All Saints
- Church of Holy Trinity, Hotwells
- Church of Holy Trinity, Stapleton
- Church of the Holy Trinity with St Edmund
- Church of St John the Baptist
- City Road Baptist Church
- Cotham Church
- Counterslip Baptist Church
- Clifton Cathedral
- Crofts End Church
- John Wesley's New Room
- Holy Trinity Church, Kingswood
- Holy Trinity Church, Westbury on Trym
- Horfield United Reformed Church
- Hope Chapel
- Lewin's Mead Unitarian meeting house
- Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Apostles
- St Mary Redcliffe
- Redland Chapel
- St. Augustine's Church, Whitchurch
- St Augustine the Less Church
- St George's Church
- St James' Presbyterian
- St James' Priory
- St John the Baptist
- St Luke's Church
- St Mark's Church
- St Mary le Port Church
- St Mary on the Quay
- St Mary's Church, Henbury
- St Matthew's Church
- St Michael on the Mount Without
- St Nicholas
- St Paul's Church
- St Paul's, Clifton
- St Peter and St Paul
- St Peter's Church, Bishopsworth
- St Peter's Church, Castle Park
- St Philip and St Jacob
- St Stephen's Church
- St Thomas the Martyr
- St Werburgh's Church
- Temple Church
- Trinity Centre
- Tyndale Baptist Church
- Whitefield's Tabernacle, Kingswood
- Woodlands Christian Centre
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Pubs
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Former attractions
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London West End
theatres
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UK regional
theatres
|
- Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
- Bristol Hippodrome
- Churchill Theatre, Bromley
- Edinburgh Playhouse
- Grimsby Auditorium
- King's Theatre, Glasgow
- Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone
- Liverpool Empire Theatre
- Manchester Opera House
- Manchester Palace Theatre
- Milton Keynes Theatre
- The Alexandra, Birmingham
- New Theatre Oxford
- New Victoria Theatre, Woking
- New Wimbledon Theatre
- Princess Theatre (Torquay)
- Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
- Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking
- Richmond Theatre
- Stockton Globe
- Sunderland Empire
- Theatre Royal, Brighton
- Theatre Royal, Glasgow
- Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent
- York Grand Opera House
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Broadway theatres
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US regional
theatres
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