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Ardwick
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===20th Century=== [[File:Ardwick Empire postcard.jpg|thumb|The Ardwick Empire Theatre, 1904]] In 1904, a new [[variety theatre]], the Ardwick Empire, opened on the corner of Hyde Road and Higher Ardwick overlooking Ardwick Green. It was an opulent building designed by the noted theatre architect [[Frank Matcham]] for [[Oswald Stoll]]. It became established as a centre of variety entertainment and billed performers such as [[Fred Karno]], [[Dan Leno]], [[Charlie Chaplin]], [[Buster Keaton]] and [[Harry Lauder]]. Occasional [[Bioscope show]]s proved popular, and in 1930 it became a cinema, but continued to present variety acts on its stage. Stoll also owned another theatre in Manchester, the Manchester Hippodrome on [[Oxford Street, Manchester|Oxford Street]]. When this was demolished in 1935 to make way for a new [[Gaumont Film Company|Gaumont cinema]], Stoll refurbished the Ardwick Empire and renamed it the New Manchester Hippodrome Theatre. Variety stars continued to appear on the stage, including [[Larry Adler]], [[Max Wall]] and [[Joe Loss]], and [[musical theatre]] shows such as ''[[The White Horse Inn (operetta)|The White Horse Inn ]]'' and ''[[The Student Prince]]'' were staged. After 57 of popular entertainment, the New Hippodrome closed in 1961. There was a plan to concert it into a bowling allay, but the building was destroyed by fire in 1964 and subsequently demolished. Today, the site of the former Ardwick Empire remains empty and is used as a car park.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baker |first1=Richard Anthony |title=British Music Hall: An Illustrated History |date=31 May 2014 |publisher=Pen and Sword |isbn=978-1-78383-118-0 |page=71 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=New Manchester Hippodrome Theatre in Manchester, GB - Cinema Treasures |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/38081 |website=cinematreasures.org |access-date=12 October 2021 |archive-date=17 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017190603/http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/38081 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Ardwick Empire Theatre, Higher Ardwick and Hyde Road, Ardwick Green, Manchester |url=http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/ArdwickEmpireTheatreManchester.htm |website=www.arthurlloyd.co.uk |access-date=12 October 2021 |archive-date=16 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816072818/http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/ManchesterTheatres/ArdwickEmpireTheatreManchester.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> <gallery caption="Historic architecture of Ardwick" mode="packed"> File:St Thomas Centre, Ardwick.jpg|The Italianate St Thomas's, Ardwick File:St Benedict’s Church, Gorton.jpeg|The Gothic Revival St Benedict's Church File:Fenton House, Ardwick.jpg|The Regency-style Fenton House on Higher Ardwick File:Former Nicholls Hospital.jpg|Nicholls Hospital on Hyde Road File:Manor Street, Ardwick.jpg|Regency houses on Manor Street </gallery>
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