Apollo Theatre

The Apollo was orginally built as a 'super-cinema' and called the New Victoria Cine-Variety Theatre, when it opened in 1930. This strikingly art deco cinema was designed, as were all super-cinemas of the period, with facilities for stage shows that would precede the cinema films.

The cinema closed in 1975, then reopened for live entertainment in 1981 under it's present name. The opening show was a Shirley Bassey concert. Other productions included "The Sound of Music" musical with Petula Clark in 1981, "Camelot" with Richard Harris in 1982, "Dash" with Wayne Sleep in 1983 and "Fiddler on the Roof" with Topol also in 1983.

1,262 seats were removed to accomodate a roller-skating track and much of the auditorium was painted black for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Starlight Express" which opened on 27 March 1984 and played for 7,406 performances up to 12 January 2002. After it closed the theatre was refurbished and the interior was once again returned to its former glory and the musical "Bombay Dreams" opened on 19 June 2002.