Hippodrome History

David Fisher presents this lecture which is available to view here:

It is also available on the Regency Society's Youtube channel for as long as the lecturer is happy for it to be available.

Brighton Hippodrome may be on the verge of a new life. New owners have been carrying out urgent repairs and are considering the way forward for the magnificent but derelict Grade II* building. David Fisher, who has worked on the project for a large-scale theatre for seven years and is a director of Brighton Hippodrome CIC, tells the history of the building from 18th-century school-house, to ice skating rink, circus, variety theatre and bingo hall. The work of several architects, including two great theatre specialists, Frank Matcham and Bertie Crewe, is described and illustrated extensively.

David Fisher writes: Apologies for a few tongue-slippages.

Two errors do need correction:

• The first of the two pictures of the Duke Street theatre, from James Winston’s The Theatric Tourist (0:54), is not in that book, a copy of which I now have—the source was misleading. The following picture is correct and a better version is in the book.
• The Prince of Wales (23:30) was, of course, the future Edward VIII, not VII.

David Fisher is a director of Brighton Hippodrome CIC, which is working to save and restore the historic Grade II* listed theatre in Middle Street, and a vice chair of the Regency Society.

You can read more about the Regency Society's use of Youtube here.

images copyright David Fisher