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Golders Green Hippodrome–I remember it well….

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Hippodrome–the word means a stadium for horses.

The only horse I ever saw on stage at the Golders Green Hippodrome was at the annual Christmas pantomime–two men filling out a horse costume:

Well, at least it’s a job!

The Golders Green Hippodrome is an enormous white edifice standing on the side of Golders Green Bus and Underground station in north London.

It’s in the news because it has just been sold to a megaChurch. 

It has had quite a history.

I’ve always felt a special connection.

It opened on Boxing Day, 1913 as a variety theatre featuring vaudeville acts.

It was vast–and built before TV tolled the death knell of this kind of popular theatre.

 

Thanks to the arrival of the Underground, this part of northwest London was expanding into a prosperous suburb, attractive to commuters, offering easy access to the City and West End. The enormous theatre was built to meet their entertainment needs.

The gallery alone (“the Gods”) held 600 seats.

You got a bird’s eye view of the stage, but still heard every word–and it only cost 6 pence (in old money).

We moved to this part of north London after the war in 1946. My parents were young–both 31 that year, and quick to take advantage of an unusual local facility.

From age 4 onwards I was taken to the Christmas pantomime at the Hippodrome–Dick Whittington, Aladdin or Puss in Boots. I sat in the stalls between Ma and Dad, entranced by the wonder of it. (The principal BOY was always played by a female star in black tights and sequinned top.)

But I also remember the dread I felt that one of those loud people up there would try to coax me up on stage to join them, as seemed to be the custom…

“Can we have a couple of volunteers from the audience, please–come on, don’t be shy!”

Oh NOOOOO! Head down! Don’t catch his eye!

Me, an actor!?

I didn’t make it across the footlights until somewhat later.

The playbill in the fifties was rich and varied, featuring many famous names.

I became a regular in “the Gods”.

Ralph Reader’s GANG SHOW attracted charabancs of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides to the annual jamboree.

I spent many happy hours up high watching seasons of the D’Oyly Carte Opera’s productions of Gilbert and Sullivan.

I marvelled at the vocal dexterity needed to sing the tongue twisting patter songs. My favourite:  I am the very Model of a Modern Major General (Pirates Of Penzance) and I fell for the oh so demure Three Little Maids from School are we from the Mikado.

The Hippodrome would be the last stop on the warm-up tour, before opening on Shaftesbury Avenue or the first stop on a post West End tour–with the original cast.

Ten years on, I saw the legendary Broadway couple the Lunts (Alfred and Lynn) in Frederick Dürrenmatt’s chilling play The Visit.

I saved all the precious programmes for years–and wish I still had them.

Tyrone Power in Bernard Shaw’s The Devils Disciple, Edith Evans in Enid Bagnold’s The Chalk Garden and Zoe’s dad, Sam Wanamaker in The Rainmaker. 

Little did I suspect I’d be sharing a West End stage with her, 40 years later!

Sylvia by A.R. Gurney (1996) Apollo Theatre

We lived close to this vast pleasure dome and it featured often in my childhood–no doubt a subliminal influence drawing me into the theatre.

What a treat to have it sitting almost on my doorstep–ten minutes walk away.

At age 17, a friend persuaded me to audition for the school play.

I got the part: Sir Lucius O’Trigger in The Rivals– a lascivious rogue, with his eye on Lucy, the maid.

A couple of laughs, and suddenly this bashful, blushing, sports-loving introvert knew that without a doubt, he wanted to be An Actor.

Never managed to play The Hippodrome, though–missed my chance, aged four.

 


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