Brighton Hippodrome, Grade II* listed theatre in Brighton and Hove, England.
Brighton Hippodrome is a Grade II* listed former theatre in central Brighton, England, known for its circular auditorium with a domed ceiling and richly decorated interior. The building is Edwardian in style and was designed to host large audiences across multiple performance formats.
The building opened in 1901 and was originally designed to host both circus acts and theatrical performances in the same space. Over the following century it changed hands and uses several times, eventually operating as a bingo hall before closing in the early 2000s.
The building stands on one of Brighton's busiest shopping streets, and its ornate facade still draws attention from passersby. For many local residents, it represents a shared memory of an era when live variety entertainment was a regular part of town life.
The building is on Middle Street in central Brighton and easy to reach on foot from the train station or the seafront. It is currently closed to the public, so visitors can only view it from the outside, but the facade is worth a look on its own.
Beneath the stage floor there was a hydraulic system that could flood the performance area to create a shallow water tank in just a few minutes. This made the venue one of only a handful of theatres in Britain equipped to stage regular aquatic shows.
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