Hippodrome Casino Leicester Square London

Coordinates: 51°30′41″N0°07′43″W / 51.5114°N 0.1286°W

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The Hippodrome is a building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, London. The name was used for many different theatres and music halls, of which the London Hippodrome is one of only a few survivors. Hippodrome is an archaic word referring to places that host horse races and other forms of equestrian entertainment.

History[edit]

The Hippodrome Casino is the UK’s largest international-style casino, and its busiest. With four floors of gaming including the PokerStars LIVE deck, an award winning restaurant, 325-seat cabaret and music room, six bars and an indoor smoking terrace, we are the West End’s largest and most successful entertainment venue. The Hippodrome Casino is an established cornerstone of West End life. The biggest & busiest casino in the UK, we are also London’s most popular entertainment venue, welcoming millions of visitors since opening in 2012. Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 7JH Role Resigned Director. The Hippodrome Casino. The Hippodrome Casino. The Hippodrome Casino Address. Leicester Square. London & Partners is registered in England under no.

Hippodrome[edit]

The London Hippodrome was opened in 1900. It was designed by Frank Matcham for Moss Empires chaired by Edward Moss and built for £250,000 as a hippodrome for circus and variety performances. The venue gave its first show on 15 January 1900,^[1] a music hall revue entitled 'Giddy Ostend' with Little Tich. The conductor was Georges Jacobi.^[2]

Entry to the venue was through a bar, dressed as a ship's saloon. The performance space featured both a proscenium stage and an arena that sank into a 230 ft, 100,000 gallon water tank (about 400 tons, when full) for aquatic spectacles. The tank featured eight central fountains, and a circle of fountains around the side. Entrances at the side of the auditorium could also be flooded, and used for the entry of boats.^[3] Shows included equestrian acts, elephants and polar bears, and acrobats would dive from a minstrels' gallery above a sliding roof, in the centre of the proscenium arch. The auditorium featured cantilevered galleries, removing the columns that often obstructed views in London theatres, the whole was covered by a painted glass retractable roof, that could be illuminated at night.^[3] The building included the headquarters of Moss Empires.^[4]

Hippodrome Casino Leicester Square London England

Theatre 1909–1951[edit]

In 1909, it was reconstructed by Matcham as a music-hall and variety theatre with 1340 seats in stalls, mezzanine, gallery, and upper gallery levels. It was here that Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake received its English première by the Ballets Russes in 1910. The Albert de Courville revues were performed here from December 1912.

The Hippodrome hosted the first official jazz gig in the United Kingdom, by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, in 1919.^[5]

Its reputation was for revue and musical comedy, among them The Five O'Clock Girl, the West End production of Vincent Youmans' hit Broadway musical Hit The Deck (1928) and also Mr. Cinders, both in 1929; Ivor Novello's Perchance to Dream in 1945 with Margaret Rutherford; and the revue High Spirits in 1953 with Cyril Ritchard and Diana Churchill. Julie Andrews made her stage debut here at the age of 12. From 1949 to 1951 it was the London equivalent of the Folies Bergère.

The Talk of the Town[edit]

The original interior was demolished in 1958, and Bernard Delfont had the Hippodrome converted into the nightclub The Talk of the Town. It featured appearances by many of the popular artistes of the time,^[6] including Diana Ross & The Supremes, Judy Garland,^[7]Eartha Kitt, Shirley Bassey,^[8]The Temptations,^[9]Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Sammy Davis Jr., Lena Horne, Sergio Franchi, Sophie Tucker, Engelbert Humperdinck, Val Doonican, Lonnie Donegan, The Carpenters, John Denver, Ella Fitzgerald, Liza Minnelli, Tom Jones, The Jackson 5, Lulu, Danny La Rue, Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Paul Anka, Anne Murray, Sandie Shaw, Johnnie Ray, Matt Monro, The Andrews Sisters, Frankie Vaughan, Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Dionne Warwick, Raphael, The Seekers, Stevie Wonder, Sacha Distel and Neil Sedaka. In February 1964, Ethel Merman made her only British appearance in a season of cabaret. Dusty Springfield recorded a TV special at the venue, broadcast 15 February 1968 on BBC2Show of the Week: Live at the Talk of the Town.^[10]The Seekers' final concert was recorded for the album The Seekers Live at The Talk of the Town in July 1968. Tony Bennett set his 1972 series for Thames Television, Tony Bennett at the Talk of the Town, there. This form of entertainment, in its turn, fell out of public favour, and the venue closed in 1982.

In 2009, the Hippodrome was named by the Brecon Jazz Festival as one of 12 venues which had made the most important contributions to jazz music in the United Kingdom.^[5]

The musical drama End of the Rainbow, nominated for a number of Olivier Awards in 2011 during its London run and Tony Awards in 2012 while on Broadway, is set at the Talk of The Town during a Judy Garland engagement there near the end of her life.

The London Hippodrome[edit]

Renovated yet again, the building was reopened as a nightclub/restaurant called The London Hippodrome by nightclub tycoon Peter Stringfellow in 1983. Some years later, Stringfellow sold it to a chain company called European Leisure. Under the stewardship of David Chipping the club went on to win many BEDA and DI awards, regularly attracting crowds in excess of 2,000. Following its sale to Luminar the club soon went out of fashion; it was not until April 2004 that the Hippodrome regained its standing, when it was transformed into Cirque at the Hippodrome. The interior was taken back to hues of reds and golds, and burlesque was the theme. Cirque at the Hippodrome won the BEDA award for best UK nightclub in 2004.

It was revealed in October 2005 that the club had lost its public drinks licence and would no longer be able to serve alcohol, as the local police did not want what they called 'vertical drinking' (the majority of patrons standing rather than sitting) in Leicester Square. The police also shut down most of the venues in the local area. Following this, in December 2005, the club was eventually forced to close, following reports of violence involving rival gangs after they had left the building of the Hippodrome, which reflected on its closure later in Westminster licensing court.

The Hippodrome Events Space & Theatre[edit]

In January 2006, entrepreneur Charmaine Haig took over the lease of the Hippodrome building on a short term before a casino licence application could be secured for future use. Haig initially maintained and managed the empty venue on her own, and then changed the venue's name back to the London Hippodrome from its previous name of Cirque.

Shortly afterward, Haig's in-house events company, Hip Events, began running private events in the venue, but once again using the space to its full capacity as a variety venue with album launches, dance shows, gala dinners, awards ceremonies and Leicester Square film premiere after parties.

In 2008, Haig and her business partner acquired a theatre licence for the venue and subsequently turned the venue back into a theatre. The adult cabaret show La Clique was found at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2008; by the beginning of October 2008, the show previewed at the London Hippodrome with great success, and stayed running until the end of Haig's Hippodrome lease in June 2009. During this time, the show La Clique at the Hippodrome won an Olivier Award in 2009, in the 'Best Entertainment' category.

The Hippodrome Casino[edit]

In 2009, the lease on the Hippodrome was acquired by Leicester-born father and son entrepreneurs Jimmy and Simon Thomas, who began an extensive restoration programme taking the Hippodrome back to Matcham's original designs for use as a casino and entertainment venue. During the planning stage, the adjacent Cranbourn Mansions building became available and plans were redrafted to incorporate this former gentlemen's apartment block into the design, doubling the eventual floorspace and linked using a new structure sited within the existing light well between the two buildings.

Investment in the building reportedly came to over £40 million, the funds being raised by the Thomas family from the sale of a number of bingo halls prior to the UK smoking ban, which made it illegal to smoke within an enclosed workplace, on 1 July 2007.

The Hippodrome Casino was opened on 13 July 2012 by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, who described it as 'yet another ringing endorsement of London as a great place to invest'.

The venue on opening included four floors of gaming, including a Gold Room casino sited in the original basement^[11] with access directly into Chinatown to the rear of the building, Heliot restaurant, six bars, a smoking terrace and The Matcham Room cabaret theatre. The restoration and construction of the casino was followed on the blog of LBC presenter Steve Allen.^[12]

In January 2013 the casino was awarded Best Land-based Casino at the Totally Gaming Awards, which also gave Jimmy Thomas a Life Achievement award for his contribution to the gaming and entertainment industries.

The Matcham Room at the Hippodrome Casino is currently the home of nationally renowned Boom & Bang Circus^[13] (created and produced by Bioux 'Boom' Hayes and Kitty Bang Bang) and Soho Burlesque featuring co producer Miss Polly Rae (Hurly Burly Show by William Baker) and London's burlesque elite. It is also the London residency of the internationally renowned The Definitive Rat Pack

On 4 March 2013, Simon Thomas announced the opening of Pokerstars LIVE, a collaboration between the Hippodrome and Pokerstars, the world's largest online poker website.

See also[edit]

Hippodrome Casino Leicester Square London Live

References[edit]

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1. ^London Hippodrome (Special feature, September 2003, Arthur Lloyd) accessed 18 October 2007.
2. ^Silk Programme for the Hippodrome (1900) – Victoria and Albert Museum Collection
3. ^ ^abTheatre Programme for 30 July 1900, see Arthur Lloyd site.
4. ^Hip events (History section)Archived 28 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine accessed 18 October 2007.
5. ^ ^ab'Buckingham Palace hits right note with jazz fans'Archived 26 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, London Evening Standard (3 August 2009).
6. ^Performers at The Talk of the Town.
7. ^'Judy wows 'em with songs to remember, Diana Ross and the Supremes, James Green (fan site)'. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. accessed 18 October 2007^{[dead link]}
8. ^Shirley Bassey Live at Talk of the Town (#38 1970).
9. ^1970, Live at London's Talk of the Town (Temptations album).
10. ^http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/9201b12c34cd4072bb7b16ca5e24cb3b
11. ^'Basement Waterproofing – Hippodrome Casino'. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
12. ^Allen, Steve. 'Sneak Peek: A Look At The New London Hippodrome'. Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
13. ^'In Pictures: Boom & Bang'. Retrieved 1 September 2014.

External links[edit]

Fourth Wall Live and The Hippodrome Casino London are thrilled to announce a series of over 40 shows at the Hippodrome Casino this winter. The season runs from 18 November every week for 5 weeks and will include two shows nightly at 7.00pm and 9.00pm. The series will feature stars from the world of musical theatre, comedy and magic with all tickets priced £20. Audiences will be safely socially distanced following the most up-to-date safety guidelines. There will be 130 tickets on sale per show and tickets go on sale soon. Sign up at

www.fw-live.com for advance presale and further announcements.

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NOVEMBER 2020
WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Aaron Sidwell & American Idiot Reunion
THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Vula Malinga Live & Acoustic
THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – Melanie La Barrie
FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Sarah O’Connor in Concert
FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – Comedian Shappi Khorsandi
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – Joe McElderry Live in London
WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Yury Revich – A night of classical violin
THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Maria Coyne
THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – The Angels, Tracked, Traced and Unlaced. Straight from Kinky Boots – featuring Tom Scanlon, Jed Berry, Daniel Downing, Louise Clark-Clare, Chris Parkinson and Jemal Felix.
FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Dianne Pilkington & Chris Hamilton
FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – A Night of Magic & Music with Simon Lipkin featuring Preston Nyman, Harry De Cruz and Jamie Muscato
SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Clive Rowe
SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – Magical Bones – Magic from Britain’s Got talent Finalist

DECEMBER 2020
WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – Matt Cardle – LIVE
THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Trevor Dion Nicholas does Disney on Broadway
THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – A Night with the UK tour cast of Rock of Ages
FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Jodie Jacobs & Friends in Concert
FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Comedian Stephen K Amos
SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Wendi Peters
WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Courtney Stapleton & Eloise Davies
WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Ryan Molloy
THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Kim Ismay & Friends in Concert
THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Myra DuBois Live in London
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Julie Atherton in Concert
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Sooz Kempner & Richard Thomas: Wrong Songs for Christmas
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Jenna Russell in Concert
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Anna-Jane Casey in Concert
MONDAY 14 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Danielle Steers: Unplugged
MONDAY 14 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – A Night with Sabrina Aloueche & Andrew Derbyshire
WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – The Barricade Boys at Christmas
THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – Knights of Music featuring Oliver Ormson, Liam Doyle & Sandy Grigelis
FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Oliver Tompsett Live in London
FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Funny Gals featuring Vikki Stone & Natasha Barnes
SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – The Two Aladdins – Dean John-Wilson and Matthew Croke
SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Declan Bennett – LIVE

Fourth Wall Live Fourth Wall Live is an exciting new venture between hit concert producers Club 11 London and producers DLAP Entertainment. Club 11 London and DLAP have previously collaborated on Chita Rivera at Cadogan Hall and are thrilled to be bringing live entertainment back into one of London’s most iconic venues. Club 11 London previously produced Jeremy Jordan, Tituss Burgess, Matthew Morrison, Michael Ball, Cynthia Erivo, and Shoshana Bean at the Hippodrome Casino.

The Hippodrome Casino is an over 18’s venue only. If you are lucky enough to look under 25 you must bring photo ID.

Hippodrome Casino Leicester Square London Address

LISTINGS
18 NOVEMBER – 19 DECEMBER 2020
Fourth Wall Live and The Hippodrome Casino London present
LIVE IN LONDON
At the Hippodrome Casino London
Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
All tickets £20
www.fw-live.com