Express & Star

Dudley Hippodrome bombshell: Final curtain call for historic venue

From Laurel and Hardy to Ken Dodd and Morecambe and Wise - some of the biggest stars of entertainment graced the Dudley Hippodrome stage when the town had a theatre to contend with some of the best in the country.

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But after years of neglect which has seen the once-famous venue continue to decline, the final curtain is about to fall.

Over the last few years it was hoped the historic building would make a return as a theatre as passionate campaign groups entered into discussions about rescuing the venue. But, it now appears the long-running battle to provide the town with a theatre it can be proud of once again has been brought to an abrupt end.

There was talk of a Dudley holy trinity of the Hippodrome, zoo and Black Country Living Museum being formed to boost tourism in the town. As recently as last month, bullish leaders of the Friends of Dudley Hippodrome group declared they could have the venue up and running again by next year. If that sounded optimistic at the time those aspirations have now been all but snuffed out.

Despite apparently being on the verge of an agreement with the Friends group about securing its future, proposals have now emerged to demolish the building - and replace it with open public space.

A bright, sweeping open public space is being planned in place of Dudley Hippodrome, which will open up views of the town's castle

The scheme has certainly come out of the blue, with interested parties having been given a guided tour of the building just a few weeks ago, leaving heritage and community groups in Dudley baffled.

Council bosses insist their plan will see the removal of a 'dilapidated' building and a 'modern public exhibition and events open space' put in its place.

But the plan has already attracted fierce criticism and comes hot on the heels of the announcement that Dudley Museum and Art Gallery is due to close.

West Midlands MEP and UKIP councillor Bill Etheridge said: "The Labour controlling group seem intent in wiping out our heritage as shown by the potential closure of Dudley Museum and Art Gallery and now the people's Hippodrome is on their hit list. Shame on them."

The interior of the Dudley Hippodrome taken in 1957
How the inside of the theatre looked more recently

Fellow UKIP councillor Roger Scott-Dow said Dudley would be losing its 'jewel in the crown'.

He said: "The council should have worked far closer with the Friends group and other interested parties. A revitalised Hippodrome could act as a further much-needed catalyst for further regeneration."

'Black Country' Gaz Sawyers, founder of the Black Country Festival, said the proposals to bulldoze the Hippodrome had left him 'dismayed'.

"I don't understand why the council would want to destroy something and put nothing in its place, just a piece of huge open land," he said.

"It's come out of the blue and will come as a shock to a lot of people. In future years people aren't going to remember the Hippodrome was ever located there, which is an awful shame for the area.

Dudley Hippodrome in October 1970

"If I had any power in what was put there, I'd want to see something that represented the musical heritage of Dudley, which used to be a thriving place for concerts and music shows.

"It's devastating to just destroy this historical building, it makes no sense at all."

Just a few months ago, comedy great Ken Dodd joined campaigners in calling for the Hippodrome to be saved.

Bob Hope, right, at the theatre in 1957

However, Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the opposition Conservative group in Dudley, said he could understand the council's thinking.

He said: "I think it's regrettable by the council that the news has broken in this manner and been dripped out to the public, but as far as I'm aware the controlling group of the Hippodrome have been left with no choice but to demolish it.

"Not only is the Hippodrome derelict and defunct, so is the martial arts building next door and JB's nightclub next to that.

"That road is the gateway to the borough, so the controlling group need to show a huge amount of ambition in attracting the right proposition that will be built there - it needs to be a worthwhile project."

While council chiefs have come under fire over the plans, they are right about one thing - the building is in a dilapidated state. The dormant, run-down building that currently stands on Castle Hill is a far cry from the glory years when the great and the good of showbiz would regularly top the bill in Dudley.

Built shortly after the end of the Second World War in 1938 on the site of the Dudley Opera House, which had been destroyed by fire the previous year, the Hippodrome became a popular variety theatre until 1964. In the intervening years the likes of Judy Garland and Geroge Formby appeared there along with rising stars such as Bruce Forsyth, while in 1947 legendary comedy double act Laurel and Hardy performed. It was later run as a bingo hall by Gala Bingo, closing in 2009.

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