A friend of mine got access to take some pictures, pretty amazing and a bit sad. The building is quite unprepossessing from the outside.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildrosegray/


A splendid music hall, built in 1901 which has survived intact, built alongside the Hulme Playhouse (1902) by the same architect; the two were connected by an arcade which was flanked by the Broadhead Circuit offices. In 1950, together with the Playhouse, it was purchased by the James Brennan circuit and extensively renovated and redecorated throughout.

Nothing is visible of the original exterior which is now concealed behind a twentieth century rendered ground floor with metal cladding above. It opened as the Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall, seating 3,000 and concentrating on melodrama, whilst the adjacent Hulme Hippodrome-later-Playhouse (now Nia Centre) presented music hall. In 1905, the names of the two theatres were changed so that the larger became the Hulme Hippodrome catering for patrons with a taste for music hall.

Internally the magnificent auditorium, which has two galleries and a proscenium arch in original state, is a riot of gilded Rococo plasterwork. The basic design is very like the Playhouse next door, but apart from this and other, now demolished, theatres designed by J J Alley for the Broadhead Circuit, the concept is quite unlike any contemporary theatre or music hall. The upper of the two balconies has eight straight rows spanning directly between the side walls; the lower one has nine straight rows in the centre, with side arms of four straight rows parallel with the side walls, diminishing to two. The ends are divided off to form a stage box on either side of the proscenium. Above each box is a further box, reached by a little staircase at the side of the balcony. The box and balcony fronts are decorated with delicate Rococo plasterwork. The balconies are supported by iron columns with foliated capitals (some of them Gothic!). At the sides the columns are carried up from the balcony fronts to support the main ceiling which is decorated with festoons at the sides and panelled at the centre. The proscenium is surprisingly formal, being flanked by giant fluted Ionic columns with an enriched straight entablature over, and a large central cartouche supported by putti.

The building was last used for theatre in the 1960s, then bingo from the mid 1970s until its closure in 1986 with the Floral Hall transformed to snooker club and lounge bar. The theatre stood empty, somewhat obscured by housing development in the area. Since 1999 an evangelist group have used the foyer, but the auditorium and Floral Hall remain unused and empty.

A fine and important theatre, it also features on Manchester City Council's Buildings at Risk Register.

Thanks for sharing that, I hadn't heard of the Hulme Hippodrome. I have now found a website with some stunning pictures of the theatre interior in its prime:

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/HulmeHippodromeTheatreManchester.htm

Who knew?!

As a small boy I went to the theatre to watch the BBC make radio shows and light entertainment programmes.

What a lovely interior it was although as a kid I didn't really appreciate it.

A friend of mine got access to take some pictures, pretty amazing and a bit sad. The building is quite unprepossessing from the outside.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildrosegray/

Wow! Another hidden gem, I had no idea this place existed!

Best regards,
Slip

there's two of them, side by side;

The Hippodrome

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/HulmeHippodromeTheatreManchester.htm

The Playhouse

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/HulmePlayhouseTheatreManchester.htm

The Playhouse

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/HulmePlayhouseTheatreManchester.htm

Cheers Nerd! I love this bit...

Anthony Booth's first stage appearance (at school) was as Portia in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice". Since then he has progressed to male parts! Before joining this company he has played in repertory in Blackpool, St. Anne's, Bury and Castleford. He is married to the company's assistant stage manager Gale Howard and they have a daughter Cherie, aged six months.

Who'd have known then!

Best regards,
Slip

As a schoolboy c1958, I was in a 'beat-group' (rock-band) and entered a talent competition.

We got through to the final 12 which was held at Hulme Hippodrome.

It was a 'Carrol Leviss Discoveries' talent competition. Carrol Leviss was a Canadian Radio/TV impresario and the top talent spotter at that time.

There was a really good 'Skiffle-Group' called 'The Quarrymen' in the line-up who incidentally came in third.

Unfortunately we didn't place. Tbh, I didn't even notice it's fine interior!

There was a really good 'Skiffle-Group' called 'The Quarrymen' in the line-up who incidentally came in third.

They really should have changed their name. Who knows, they might have become famous..........

:D

Best,
Slip

They really should have changed their name. Who knows, they might have become famous..........

:D

Best,
Slip

There's always a long and winding road to success though :runaway:

Does anyone know of any examples of disused facillities like these theatres being brought back into active use while preserving their features? Hulme has gone through so many changes in the last 50 years that it would be a shame if some examples of its earlier environment weren't preserved and used.

Having some kind of use for these buildings would also help re-enliven what seems to have become a rather lifeless area of late.

Does anyone know of any examples of disused facillities like these theatres being brought back into active use while preserving their features? Hulme has gone through so many changes in the last 50 years that it would be a shame if some examples of its earlier environment weren't preserved and used.

Having some kind of use for these buildings would also help re-enliven what seems to have become a rather lifeless area of late.

one good example of a theatre brought back into use from dereliction is the Tyne Theatre in Newcastle

http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Newcastle/TyneTheatreNewcastle.htm

That is, however, in the city centre. It is much more difficult to get a maintain a theatre in an inner suburb. The best example of one that flourishes is the Glasgow Citizens in the Gorbals; but I don't think that it ever stopped being a theatre.

A similarly fine unused theatre is the Victoria Salford

http://www.laughingaudience.co.uk/victoria-theatre-salford.html

it is, I suppose, possible that the extension of the city center west and southwards (e.g. in the new Birley Fields campus for MMU) could lead to the Hulme theatres once again becoming viable.

Its disgusting that a building like this has been left in this state , the people who own it need fucking shooting . Greedy bastards

Some of that wiring looks quite modern, so I assume the building is safe etc. Who does own it anyway?

I think when the MMU comes to hulme there might be demand to turn into a student union concert venue as the one on Oxford Road is very small.

Having denied all knowledge of these buildings I am told by a friend that I danced my little red socks off in one of them on a couple of occasions in the 90s. They were used (apparently) to host some of the One Tree Island(?) club nights. I remember very little of those days and I am not sure which one it was - the one that is the Nia Centre I assume.

Of course when the buildings were built they would have had a massive local audience. Hulme's population exceeded 100,000 according to the 1901 census (so may have been larger). That is an amazing figure, especially bearing in mind that it was a little over 1,000 in 1801. Today we would expect about 10,000 people to live in an area the size of Hulme.

One of the interesting things about the Kevin Cummins photography book for me is the use of these urban theatres in the late 1970s. The Clash gig in Collyhurst and The Ramones playing Belle Vue, for example.

Some of that wiring looks quite modern, so I assume the building is safe etc. Who does own it anyway?

I think when the MMU comes to hulme there might be demand to turn into a student union concert venue as the one on Oxford Road is very small.

The Theatres Trust: http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/resources/theatres/show/1835-hulme-hippodrome seem to think the Hippodrome is owned by Gilbert Deya Ministries who run the church in there at the moment.

To say Gilbert Deya has a colourful history would be a gross understatement! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Deya

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1460167_encore-plans-for-new-curtain-call-for-hulme-hippodrome

http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/res/55.$plit/C_71_article_1460167_image_list_image_list_item_0_image.jpg?29%2F09%2F2011%2006%3A40%3A44%3A725



Tony Wright who is leading the plans to transform the old Hulme Hippodrome into a hub for the community - but the scheme will cost £20m1/3 PLAY SLIDESHOW

It was one of Manchester’s hottest nightspots, where stars like the Beatles and Laurel and Hardy played to packed houses.

But the Hulme Hippodrome was turned into a bingo hall after audience numbers dwindled and then fell into disrepair when it closed its doors for good.

Now there are plans to restore the huge Grade-II listed building, which contains an ornate three-tier theatre, ballroom and restaurant.

Youth Village, a not-for-profit enterprise, have unveiled proposals to turn the building into an arts centre and hub for community groups across Manchester.

But work to replace the roof, restore the theatre and carry out repairs around the building, which is off Old Birley Street, could cost more than £20m.

Tony Wright, operations manager for Youth Village, said: "This is a hidden gem in the middle of Hulme – people don’t even know it exists but it’s a monument to the area's past.

"We want to restore that legacy and reclaim what was there for current generations.

"We want this to be a gateway between the Hulme community and the wider environment, including eduction provision like Manchester Metropolitan University.

"People could drop in for advice and there would be facilities for music and the arts."

Opened as a music hall on October 10, 1901, Hulme Hippodrome was once seen as one of Manchester's finest theatres, with its gilded decorations, velvet seats and huge auditorium.

Tunnels are even believed to have been built from the theatre to the nearby Junction Pub and into the city centre for performers to use.

The building was remodelled in the 1950s to become a theatre, seating an audience of 3,000.

It became a bingo hall in the 1970s before it was closed down in 1986. Church group Deya Ministries have held services in the foyer area since buying the building in 1999.

They have leased the building to Youth Village, who work on community development and engagement projects, for a peppercorn rent and will continue to use it while work goes on in the rest of the building.

To find out more about the project, volunteer or donate, contact Tony Wright at tony@theyouthvillage.org .

Wow I didn't realise it was so beautiful inside... Shame it couldn't become a specialist music venue of some sort, like band on the wall. Or a new home for the library theatre perhaps? A terrible shame to see it go to rack & ruin.

Does anyone know of any examples of disused facillities like these theatres being brought back into active use while preserving their features? Hulme has gone through so many changes in the last 50 years that it would be a shame if some examples of its earlier environment weren't preserved and used.

Having some kind of use for these buildings would also help re-enliven what seems to have become a rather lifeless area of late.

The former Edinburgh Empire was closed in 1963 and used as a bingo hall. It was reopened as the Edinburgh Festival Theatre in 1994.

Wow I didn't realise it was so beautiful inside... Shame it couldn't become a specialist music venue of some sort, like band on the wall. Or a new home for the library theatre perhaps? A terrible shame to see it go to rack & ruin.

Already sorted with the new development at First St.

Already sorted with the new development at First St.

I know just thought that perhaps this could be a better alternative.

Hulme used to have a reputation as quite a leftfield kinda area and with MMU now moving next door it would be such a crying shame to see this building go to ruin.

I'm going in the hippodrome some time next week if anyone has anything in particular you'd like me to photograph or ask about whilst I'm there...

Hi guys, my article about the hippodrome along with photos from Andrew Brooks can be found here: http://hayleyflynn.tumblr.com/post/12893417475/skyliner-11

Thanks Hayley, very interesting. Love that so much of the original detail is intact, if a little tatty.

thanks for that Sky; well done and fascinating.

Awesome, great work. Let's hope it can be saved and re-used.

And some more photos, from another friend of a board member...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/62798373@N08/sets/72157628131785979/with/6395545459/

Taken today.

Just so you know, I've taken this article down temporarily as I've pitched it to some papers and so will republish once I hear if I've succeeded or not!