Great Yarmouth Hippodrome (Established 1903)
Dates
- Existence: Established 1903
Biography
The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome was built by the showman George Gilbert in 1903 and designed by architect Ralph Scott Cockrill. It is one of only two purpose-built permanent circuses in England still in operation, and one of only three in the world with a circus floor that sinks into a pool.
Since its opening, the Hippodrome has operated as a circus venue, presenting other type of shows from time to time uninterrupted, except for the Second World War years, when it was requisitioned by the government and used by the RAF for shooting practice. Between the 1950s and 1960s the Hippodrome presented Billy Russell's Circus Spectacular, which included three televised circus shows in 1962, broadcasted by the BBC.
The current owner, 1960s pop start Peter Jay (b.1944), from ‘Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers’, bought the building in 1979 to stop it from being turned into a Bingo. In 1981 Peter presented the first circus show after restoring its iconic water feature and over the years added elements form his past career to the shows departing from the more traditional circus spectacle and creating a new identity with a strong pop music flair.
The Hippodrome produced four shows a year and Peter’s sons Jack and Ben eventually joined the family business. Jack is the current Ringmaster and Producer and Ben the Manager and they continue producing four shows a year at Halloween, Christmas, Easter and Summer showcasing international troupes of circus performers.
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Christopher Palmer Collection
Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.
Circus Friends Association Collection
This collection consists of a large library of books and journals, as well as archival material including posters, programmes, photographs, films, handbills, research material, scrapbooks, original artwork and many other items of ephemera relating to British, Irish and European circuses
Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus and Liverpool Stadium Programmes, c1900 - 2004
Great Yarmouth Hippodrome and Liverpool Stadium circus programmes including Billy Russell, Peter Jay, Jasmine Smart and Sally Chipperfield among others.
Programmes, c1800 - 2019
A collection of mainly British and international circus programmes and some variety and music hall programmes containing circus acts.