Hippodrome (Oldham)

• Theatre ID
  279
• Built / Converted
  1875
• Dates of use
  • 1868 - 1919
• Current state
  Demolished
• Current use
  demolished (previously converted to amusement arcade)
• Address
  Union Street, Oldham, Greater Manchester, England

Details

The first building on this site was the Adelphi Music Hall, opened in 1868 and designed by a local barber who had premises on Manchester Street. It comprised of stalls, circle and private boxes. In the mid 1870s a wall collapsed, which was found to be caused by a road excavation. The Adelphi Music Hall and Entertainment Company floated 4000 shares at £1 to rebuild and enlarge the venue. The remnants of the structure were demolished in March 1875. The ‘New Adelphi’ opened in August 1875 as a variety building of some grandeur: private boxes, centre boxes, pit, side balcony and upper balcony. In 1880 it had a short-lived run as a drama theatre, but it reverted to variety. It ran with popularity under a succession of owners, as its many names reflect, until 1919. It was then converted to the Victory Cinema. The rendered façe, altered at ground floor level, stands intact in Union Street. The foyer now houses an amusement arcade; the cinema is not used as a public area.

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• Other names
  New Adelphi Music Hall, New Adelphi Temperance Theatre of Varieties, Adelphi, Princes Theatre, Gaiety Theatre of Varieties, Also: Gaiety, Hippodrome, Victory Cinema, Continental
• Events
  • 1868 - 1919 Use:
  • 1868 Design/Construction: as Adelphi Music Hall
    • Ashton - Architect
  • 1875 Alteration: rebuilt after partial collapse
    • T Crossley - Architect
  • 1880 Alteration: new proscenium installed
    • R Owen - Architect
  • 1920 Alteration: converted to cinema
    • Roberts & Taylor - Architect
  • 1970 Alteration: converted to bingo
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1978 Alteration: foyer converted to amusement arcade
    • Unknown - Architect
  • 1868 Design/Construction:
    • Joseph Travis - Consultant: Scenery
  • 1875 Design/Construction:
    • W Hey - Consultant: Mechanical Effects And Stage Fittings
    • M Chadwick - Consultant: Gas Arrangements
    • T H Heath - Consultant: Scene Drop ‘view Of Venice’
  • 1880 Design/Construction:
    • Lionel Hawkes - Consultant: Act Drop
  • 1868 Owner/Management: Oldham Philharmonic Society
  • 1870 - 1879 Owner/Management: Adelphi Music Hall & Entertainment Co Ltd, owners
  • 1878 Owner/Management: Messrs Marcus & Webber, lessees
  • 1881 Owner/Management: E Priestly, lessee
  • 1884 Owner/Management: Henry Pemberton, lessee
  • 1889 Owner/Management: Messrs Ball & Heywood, lessees
  • 1899 Owner/Management: Oldham Theatres Ltd, lessees
  • 1911 Owner/Management: Oldham Theatre of Varieties Co
  • 1978 Owner/Management: Slotworld
  • 2006 - 0 Demolition:
• Listings
  • Grade Not listed