The Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester, once a glittering venue for stars like Stan Laurel, Harry Houdini, Morecambe and Wise, and Shirley Bassey, now stands as a dilapidated shell, its grandeur masked by decay and graffiti. Built in 1901, this Edwardian music hall has seen many lives: a bingo hall, a church, a squat, and now a target for redevelopment. A local campaign group, Save Hulme Hippodrome, is fighting to restore it as a community asset, but faces obstacles from the current owner.
A Storied Past
The Hulme Hippodrome opened in 1901 as part of the Broadhead Circuit, hosting variety shows. In 1909, Harry Houdini performed his escape acts. Stan Laurel, then Stanley Jefferson, appeared with the Fred Karno troupe in 1910. Gracie Fields led a review in 1915, and George Formby played in the 1920s and 1930s. During the 1940s, it became a repertory theatre before returning to variety. In the 1950s, BBC radio broadcasts featured Bob Monkhouse, Frankie Vaughan, and Morecambe and Wise. A 17-year-old Shirley Bassey sang there in 1954, earning praise from the Manchester Evening News.
Memories from the Audience
Jeff Hill, born nearby in 1946, recalls attending with his family. He saw Bassey and enjoyed comedians like Jimmy James and Gladys Morgan. He remembers a boxing kangaroo act that escaped and was found near Old Trafford. Maggie Ollerenshaw, later an actress known for Open All Hours, sang on stage there as a child, which sparked her career.
Decline and New Incarnations
In 1962, Mecca bought the venue, turning it into a bingo hall. Later, it became a social club, nightclub, and snooker hall before closing in 1988. In 2003, the church of Bishop Gilbert Deya took over, but Deya faced child trafficking charges (later cleared) and died in 2023. Between 2017 and 2018, squatters occupied the building, led by Stefan Hoyle (aka Syd Far-i), who envisioned a community centre. They were evicted in 2018. Hoyle died in 2023 at age 33.
The Fight for the Future
The Save Hulme Hippodrome group, led by Tony Baldwinson, Mike Bath, and Paul Gardner, aims to restore the theatre as a production academy, bike hub, cafe, library, and employment centre. They have support from the Theatres Trust and local politicians. The building, a listed structure, was sold in 2024 to HHM 20 Ltd for £600,000. The campaign fears deterioration may lead to demolition. They calculate 95 apartments could be built on the site, but want community ownership instead.
Joshua McTaggart, CEO of the Theatres Trust, emphasizes the need for community spaces: "We’re forgetting they are cultural assets we should invest in." Hulme councillor Annette Wright calls the Hippodrome "a fabulous building" that must be saved. MP Afzal Khan has written to the chancellor for help with enforcement of repairs.
For now, only pigeons have access. But the memory of Stefan Hoyle lives on in graffiti and a planned mural, alongside Nina Simone, on the building's wall. His father Mark and sister Ellis are working on his unfinished music to raise funds for a sound system in his name.
