Hulme Hippodrome, Manchester
The Hulme Hippodrome, originally known as the Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall, opened in Hulme, Manchester, on 7 October 1901
It and the nearby Playhouse Theatre, built at the same time, were part of the theatrical empire of W. H. Broadhead. The two venues were connected by an arcade, at the centre of which was Broadhead's company headquarters
Hulme Hippodrome was once seen as one of Manchester's finest theatres, with its gilded decorations, velvet seats and huge auditorium
It was one of Manchester’s hottest nightspots, where stars like the Beatles and Laurel and Hardy played to packed houses
The building was remodelled in the 1950s to become a theatre, seating an audience of 3,000
The Hippodrome was last used as a theatre in the 1960s; from the mid-1970s until its closure in 1986 it was used as a bingo hall after audience numbers dwindled
Since then most of the building has remained empty, and it has been placed on Manchester City Council's Buildings at Risk Register
The Hulme Hippodrome Restoration Project started in 2011 and aims to bring the theatre back into use
This is being led by Tony Wright of The Youth Village who plans to transform the old Hulme Hippodrome into a hub for the community, the scheme will cost £20m
Having spoke at length with Tony and having a good poke about, I must say there is a hell of a lot to do!
Again Tony asked me to pass on the message to people who would be interested in volunteering to help out in any way they can
[email protected]
It would be great to see the place returned to it's former glory
I bumped into TBM here as well, it was a decent mooch and I managed to see more than I actually took pics of
I have never seen as many vibrant colours and decorative features in a derp before...
Main Auditorium
Stage
Up to the gods
Seats this way..
Projector Room
Mirrored Bar
Circle Bar
Prince Albert Buffet
Lounge Bar
Dining Room/Dance Hall
Exit
