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Bristol Hippodrome

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 Misérables, 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.

British premiere of starring Vivian Blaine as Miss Adelaide and Sam Levene as Nathan Detroit, reprising their original Broadway performances; the musical opened May 19, 1953 for an eight performance run before opening at the London Coliseum May 28, 1953 and running for 555 performances.

Guys and Dolls

European premiere in 1961

The Music Man

European premiere of in 1962

Sail Away

British premiere of in 1975

Jeeves

World premiere of in 1982

Windy City

World premiere of by the English National Ballet in 2002

The Nutcracker

World premiere of in 2004

Mary Poppins

The theatre has staged a number of premieres including:

Auditorium from Upper Circle

Auditorium from Upper Circle

Auditorium Dome, last opened July 2012

Auditorium Dome, last opened July 2012

Detail of Auditorium Left Boxes

Detail of Auditorium Left Boxes

Stage from Auditorium centre

Stage from Auditorium centre

Entrance from St Augustine's Parade

Entrance from St Augustine's Parade

Auditorium from Upper Circle Box

Auditorium from Upper Circle Box

Shorney, Jonathan (2019). Bristol Hippodrome: A Century of Shows. Redcliffe Press.  978-1-911408-56-7.

ISBN

Theatre site

University of Bristol

Bristol theatre archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection

Arthur Lloyd Music Hall and Theatre History Website

Bristol Hippodrome