The Hippodrome

The Hippodrome is a theatre built between 1911 and 1912 by Frank Matcham, which opened on December 16, 1912, and was altered in 1964. It is constructed of limestone ashlar, and its roof is not visible. The building has three storeys and features a six-window range. The façade is parapeted in two sections. The right-hand entrance section from 1912 includes a shallow lobby with Ionic columns at the corners. Above this lobby are distyle-in-antis attached Ionic columns supporting an entablature, with metal casements and three flanking second-floor wreaths separated by raised panels. The mid-20th century right-hand section has a shop front and two-storey recesses with metal casements.

Inside, the theatre is richly decorated in red and gold, featuring a lobby and a staircase leading to a domed landing with stained-glass windows at both ends. The theatre itself has a proscenium arch with a moulded surround adorned with leaf motifs, and a panelled surround that includes a small ground-level balcony and a semicircular arch. The raking stalls are divided by female terms with wings, and the side boxes have a lower tier of banded brown marble, with an upper tier supported by four fluted Ionic columns and triglyphs, along with bowed balconies in between. The Dress Circle features a swagged rail, and the gallery is decorated with triglyphs, all beneath a domed ceiling. The Hippodrome remains largely unaltered and is a notable example of its period.