The most important unused theatre in the UK
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Job titles at the time of contact |
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Tim Anscombe, producer and production manager Sara Aspley, Director of Commercial Services, Royal Shakespeare Company Sir Alan Ayckbourn, playwright and director Michael Attenborough, director David Benedictus, writer and theatre director Anne Bickmore, Founder, ABC Fund Christopher Biggins, actor and television presenter Kevin Bishop, actor Ted Bottle, theatre historian, Editor, Old Theatres Magazine Billy Bragg, musician Philip Martin Brown, actor Martin Burton, Founder and Director, Zippos Circus Julian Caddy, Managing Director, Brighton Fringe Brian Capron, actor Andrew Cheeseman, events producer Nigel Cole, film director [Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham] Norman Cook, musician (Fatboy Slim) Gordon Craig, Samuel Beckett scholar Richard Crane, playwright Julie Christie, actress Dame Judi Dench, actress Ivor Dembina, comedian Ken Dodd, comedian* Ivan Douglas, Costume Department Administrator, Royal Shakespeare Company Keith Drinkel, actor Janette Eddisford, Principal, Academy of Creative Training Murray Edwards, Executive Director, Wakefield Theatre Royal Fenella Fielding, actress Max Finbow, Managing Director, David Ian Productions Kevin Fitzmaurice, Producer, Royal Shakespeare Company Tim Flavin, actor Mark Fox, Advertising Manager, Really Useful Theatre Group Mark Graham, production manager, Royal Shakespeare Company Colin Granger, co-founder, Komedia Stephen Grant, comedian and presenter Frank Gray, Director, Screen Archive South East, University of Brighton |
Dame Beryl Grey, ballerina* Raymond Gubbay, impressario** Liz Hall, Executive Director, Carousel Mark Hammill, actor Pam Harcourt, Tiller Girl Professor Gavin Henderson, Principal, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama* Mark Hewitt, Artistic Director, Lewes Live Literature Roy Hudd, comedian, actor and broadcaster Helen Hughes, Head of Dye, Royal Shakespeare Company Sir Nicholas Hytner, Director, National Theatre Shirley Jaffe, actress* Peter James, novelist Gareth Johnson, theatrical producer and manager Davy Jones, Green Party PPC for Brighton Kemptown Barb Jungr, singer-songwriter Dillie Keane, actress, singer, comedienne Dame Penelope Keith, actress Josie Kidd, actress Rosalie Kirkman, Tiller Girl, Queen Ratling 2014* Marina Kobler, co-founder, Komedia Mike Leigh, film and stage director David Lavender, co-founder, Komedia Richard Linford, theatre producer, artist manager Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion Alistair McArthur, Head of Costume, Royal Shakespeare Company Joseph McGann, actor Sir Brian McMaster, former Director, Edinburgh International Festival Simon Marsden, Technical Director, Royal Shakespeare Company Claire Martin OBE, singer and broadcaster Sheila Mathews, actress and singer* Clarie Middleton, Chief Executive, Hackney Empire Sarah Miles, actress Clarence Mitchell, Conservative PPC for Brighton Pavilion Bruce Montague, actor and writer Henry Naylor, comedy writer, director and performer |
Graham Norton, television presenter and host Dara Ó Briain, comedian and television presenter Professor Robert Orledge, music scholar Toby Park, Director, Spymonkey Theatre Company Christine Payne, General Secretary, Equity Mick Perrin, comedy promoter Nigel Pittman, former Executive Director London, Arts Council England Peter Polycarpou, actor Rebecca Preston, Development Director, Royal Shakespeare Company Rupert Rhymes, President, Frank Matcham Society Jessica Rutherford, former Head of Museums and Director of the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Jack Shepherd, actor Keith Shepherd, chairman, Brighton Theatre Group Michael Simkins, actor Malcolm Sinclair, President, Equity Anthony Slide, cinema historian Dr Robert Snell, author, psychotherapist Don Stacey, circus historian John Stalker, theatrical producer Gavin Stamp, architectural historian Joe Stilgoe, singer, songwriter Karen Street, musician, composer Count Arthur Strong, actor and raconteur Gerry Tebbutt, musical theatre teacher Josephine Tewson, actress Horace Trubridge, Assistant General Secretary, Musicians Union Chris Turner, actor/songwriter/composer Lalla Ward, actress Dave Webster, National Organiser Live Performance, Musicians Union Sir Arnold Wesker, playwright** Barbara Whatley, actress* Dave Willetts, actor Faynia Williams, theatre director, BBC producer Tom Emlyn Williams, tenor David Wood, children's dramatist Johnny Worthy, actor, director, Equity trustee Mark Wynter, singer and actor* Paul Zenon, magician *appeared at the Hippodrome |
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I would like to add my voice to your list of supporters who are trying to prevent the redevelopment of this grand building. Brighton is a wonderful touring date in the theatre, and it seems tragic to turn the Hippodrome into something else entirely instead of restoring it to its former glory and original beauty. Frank Matcham must be spinning in his grave!
Please, please. please. do not take the easy way out and allow this strikingly original and glorious theatre to become another soulless multiplex cinema. In the summer of 1964 I appeared on the bill there for several weeks along with the brilliantly accomplished magician David Nixon and skiffle king Lonnie Donegan.
'I hope they do not pull the Hippodrome down and replace it with a block of flats.'
—Judy Cornwell, who made her debut as a dancer at the Hippodrome at the age of 15 and took the lead in Cinderella when the lead actress fell ill. [Quoted in The Argus 23 April 2016]. |
Photo copyright Andrew Higgins
Thank you for your efforts to save the Brighton Hippodrome, a magnificent Grade II* listed building. There are few enough of them left and, as you probably know, Blackpool Grand is one of them. We saved that in the 70s. We were deeply saddened when we heard of the death of Sir Ken Dodd. He first appeared at the Hippodrome in the week of 23-28 April 1956 and returned annually for the next three years. How we wish he could have done one more turn on the Hippodrome stage. Don't forget: Once it's gone, it's gone. |
I do hope your campaign is successful.
Plans for the cinema conversion come close to heritage destruction of a Grade II* listed building and there will be little chance of this wonderful theatre ever being used again for live performance. I was astonished to hear that yet another multi-screened cinema was being proposed for Brighton. We have two which are never full plus the Duke of York. I protest and hope the project will be abandoned especially now that the new budget has announced support for theatres in the regions. |
Brighton Hippodrome