I remember cycling past this place so many times on the way to see friends in the old 'Bullring' - the Hulme crescents and often wondered what lay beneath the big grey cladding. The cladding is gone now and the original building is exposed to the world in all it's glory.
Opened in 1901 and called the Grand Junction theatre. Nearby was a sister project called the Hulme Hippodrome and was also owned by an entertainments invester called W.H. Broadhead.
In 1905 the names were exchanged and remained until 1929 when it was bought and made into a cinema called the Junction Picture Theatre. After being sold again in 1950, it became a theatre again and called the Playhouse!
In 1956 the BBC took over and used it as a production venue for radio and television broadcasts. This continued until 1986 when it was bought using local government funding and made into an arts centre called the NIA centre, if memory serves - it was to represent African and West Indian culture. But the name 'Hulme Hippodrome' has stuck.
Parts of the building are still in regular use as a church but many parts are forgotten.
So it seemed appropriate to show an example of what is increasingly vanishing in this country before it is gone forever!
External shot!
From the Cheap seats:
Looking up!
Performer's view. This stage was a bit dodgy.
Looking even further upwards.
Ground level.
Below the stage were the dressing rooms! Lots of loose crap falls on you when other explorers stomp on the stage. Yuk!
Old scripts? Before autocues.
What famous people took a dump here?
A plant room! Notice! These look cool but they contain Mercury - try not to spend too much time near them.
Artistic shot in the dressing rooms.
Higher level dressing room, complete with complimentary roses. Ungrateful gits left them!
Some kind of control panel!
Opened in 1901 and called the Grand Junction theatre. Nearby was a sister project called the Hulme Hippodrome and was also owned by an entertainments invester called W.H. Broadhead.
In 1905 the names were exchanged and remained until 1929 when it was bought and made into a cinema called the Junction Picture Theatre. After being sold again in 1950, it became a theatre again and called the Playhouse!
In 1956 the BBC took over and used it as a production venue for radio and television broadcasts. This continued until 1986 when it was bought using local government funding and made into an arts centre called the NIA centre, if memory serves - it was to represent African and West Indian culture. But the name 'Hulme Hippodrome' has stuck.
Parts of the building are still in regular use as a church but many parts are forgotten.
So it seemed appropriate to show an example of what is increasingly vanishing in this country before it is gone forever!
External shot!
From the Cheap seats:
Looking up!
Performer's view. This stage was a bit dodgy.
Looking even further upwards.
Ground level.
Below the stage were the dressing rooms! Lots of loose crap falls on you when other explorers stomp on the stage. Yuk!
Old scripts? Before autocues.
What famous people took a dump here?
A plant room! Notice! These look cool but they contain Mercury - try not to spend too much time near them.
Artistic shot in the dressing rooms.
Higher level dressing room, complete with complimentary roses. Ungrateful gits left them!
Some kind of control panel!
