Royal Hippodrome Theatre
| Theatre Royal and Opera House | |
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| Address | Seaside Road Eastbourne, East Sussex  United Kingdom
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| Coordinates | 50°46′08″N 0°17′32″E / 50.7689°N 0.2922°E |
| Owner | Eastbourne Borough Council |
| Designation | Grade II listed |
| Type | Variety theatre |
| Capacity | 630 on 3 levels |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2 August 1883 |
| Rebuilt | 1990 proscenium arch and boxes refurbished |
| Architect | Charles J. Phipps |
| Website | |
| www.royalhippodrome.com | |
The Royal Hippodrome Theatre is a theatre in Eastbourne which dates back to 1883 making it the oldest theatre in the town. It was designed and built for the theatre manager and impresario George Beaumont Loveday by the eminent theatre architect C J Phipps. The venue has been host to one of the longest running summer seasons in the country for several years, opening in March and closing in November.
The Royal Hippodrome Theatre opened on Thursday 2 August 1883. At the time Eastbourne was emerging as a highly fashionable destination, encouraged by regular visits from the Prince of Wales.
Its original name "Theatre Royal and Opera House" survived for about 20 years but from around 1904 it became The Royal Hippodrome Theatre. The reason for the name change is unclear, but it seems to mirror a change in style and use. In the early days plays and light opera (including the touring company of the D'Oyly Carte) were presented but these gradually gave way to music hall and variety shows. Music hall programmes had been staged in the Bourne Inn in nearby Pevensey Road until around 1900, and it is true that the Royal Hippodrome Theatre was, and still is at the unfashionable end of town.
The music hall star Vesta Tilley appeared on a bill here in May 1903. The theatre also attracted several other star names during the music hall era including Harry Houdini, Marie Lloyd, Albert Chevalier, Little Tich, Charlie Chaplin, Gracie Fields, Harry Lauder, George Robey, Flanagan & Allen and Max Miller.
Although the foyer was substantially remodelled during the 1930s, the auditorium remains much as it was in 1883. From 1933 summer repertory variety flourished with the Eastbourne Players (a stock company) – there was a resident orchestra of 13 under the baton of Mr Alfred Brocklebank and a permanent theatre staff of 40.
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