1977
Paul Gregg invests £25,000 to buy his first provincial playhouse. The New Theatre in Oxford and renames it to be Apollo Theatre Oxford.
1978
Apollo Leisure begins trading.
1979
Apollo acquires other theatres in Manchester, Glasgow and Coventry.
1980
The New Victoria Theatre one of the UK's best preserved 1930's super cinemas becomes The Apollo Victoria Theatre as the company makes its first purchase in London.
1981
The Phoenix & Cambridge Theatres in London become part of Apollo Leisure but are resold later.
1982
Apollo Leisure enters into a joint venture to manage the Futurist Theatre in Scarborough.
The Theater Production arm of Apollo Leisure stages its first musical and drama productions.
And enters a JV with Barry Clayman Concerts Ltd
The company now employs 450 staff.
1984
Apollo Leisure acquires the freeholds of the Bristol Hippodrome from stoll Moss and the Edinburgh Playhouse plus a 90% interest in the Hutchinson Leisure Group which brings bingo halls, cinemas, social clubs and hotels under the Apollo banner.
Starlight Express begins its record breaking run at the Apollo Victoria, London.
1985
Major refurbishments of the Apollo Victoria Theatre, London and the Bristol Hippodrome.
1986
The Liverpool Empire and the Edinburgh Playhouse become part of the expanding Apollo Leisure Group.
1988
Apollo Leisure takes over operations of the Dominion Theatre in London from the Rank Organization and The Point Dublin.
The Unit 4 Cinema group becomes part of Apollo Leisure.
1990
Apollo Theatrical productions brings the Royal Shakespeare Company's adaption of A Clockwork Orange to the Royalty Theatre in London and produces a revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song & Dance at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
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1991
Apollo Leisure acquires Manchester Theatres Ltd, owners and operators of both the Palace and Opera House.
A new multi-purpose venue is opened in Oxford called the Old Fire Station.
The first management contract and full partnership with a local authority results in the two theatres in Torbay coming under the Apollo name. One, the Festival Theatre, Paignton is later converted into a miltiplex cinema and the other, the Princess Theatre, is acquired as a 60-year lease.
1992
Legendry rock venue the Hammersmith Odeon becomes part of Apollo and is renamed the Labatt's Apollo in a major sponsorship deal with the Canadian brewery firm of the same name.
The Edinburgh Playhouse under goes a major refurbishment prior to the extended run of Les Miserables.
The Company invests in a seven screen multiplex in Blackburn and takes over management of the Beck Theatre in Middlesex and the Tameside Hippodrome in Ashton-Under-Lyne.
Nederlander Dominion Ltd, of which Apollo Leisure had a financial interest, acquires the Dominion Theatre but retain Apollo Leisure as venue management.
Apollo Leisure acquires The Tatton Group adding both Tatton Cinemas and the Davenport Theatre in Stockport to the company portfolio.
1993
Apollo Leisure enters into an operating agreement with the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon and takes over Leamington Spa Cinema.
1994
The group takes over running of the derelict Lyceum Theatre in London.
1996
The group's flagship restoration and development project, the Lyceum Theatre in Strand, which re-opened as a theatre wuth 'Jesus Christ Superstar' on 19 November 1996.
2000
Apollo sold to SFX (USA).
2002
Apollo cinema Ltd and Apollo Bingo Ltd formed.
2007
Apollo Resorts and Leisure forms to develop leisure in the UK.
2010
Apollo Genting London JV. Apollo Resorts and Leisure (Scarborough) Open Air Theatre opened.
2011
Apollo Resorts and Casino Ltd win first ever New Casino Licence in Hull.
Present
Apollo Leisure employs 6000 staff within 60 units across the UK.
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Paul has over 40 years experience in the entertainment and leisure sector. Having established Apollo Leisure in 1976, Paul grew it to become the UK's largest theatre owner and privately owned entertainment company in Western Europe.
During this time he operated famous venues in the theatre and music industry including the Liverpool Empire, Edinburgh Playhouse, The Point in Dublin, Sheffield Arena, Hammersmith Apollo, Bristol Hippodrome and Cardiff National Indoor Arena; in London- The Apollo Victoria Theatre (Wicked), The Lyceum in the Strand (The Lion king), Hammersmith Apollo and the Dominion Theatre (We Will Rock You).
Paul brought to the provinces West End famous theatre productions such as Les Miserables, Cats, Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera. After selling Apollo Leisure to SFX entertainment (later Clear Channel) in 1999 he became Chairman of Clear Channel Europe responsible for entertainment, theatrical, live music and sport. He later became a Director and shareholder of Everton FC for six years.
Through its history, Apollo has leveraged its expertise in venue and entertainment management, in many cases in partnership with local authorities, managing entire government-sponsored property developments of theatre, sports and leisure facilities.
Paul has a real passion for quality, entertainment and fun; a full understanding and appreciation of the key commercial drivers and opportunities; a commitment to delivering value for money; mass-market consumer propositions and a huge appetite for effective joint ventures and partnerships.
He continues to focus his energy on identifying significant and new market opportunities to combine his unique knowledge, experience and partnerships to deliver new and exciting propositions.
Experience record:
The Point, Dublin
Having first seen the area of ‘The Point’ in Dublin as a derelict site Paul designed and developed it into Dublin’s major entertainment venue presenting a number of major events. These included musicals, concerts, conferences and major television events such as The Eurovision Song Contest, The MTV awards and the home of the worldwide production of Riverdance. 20 years on, The Point remains Ireland’s entertainment centre and was critical to the major docks regeneration project in the heart of the city.
The Lyceum Theatre, London
Having seen the success of Disney’s Lion King in the US, Paul bought The Lyceum Theatre in London and led a £15 million regeneration of one of London's major West End theatres. The theatre had been closed for several years and was reopened to host The Royal Opera House productions and then played a number of major musicals. It is still the most successful theatre in The West end hosting the Disney production of The Lion King.
Similar restoration and redevelopment schemes were delivered for Apollo Victoria, the Dominion, Liverpool Empire, Edinburgh Playhouse and the NIA in Cardiff.
The Apollo West End cinema, London
Paul launched The Apollo West End in Lower Regent Street to deliver new standards in cinema experience. It is now established as the number one multiplex in the heart of the West End, setting the highest benchmark for movie audiences with premium seating, and high quality sound and projection.
Winning the first 2005 casino licence in Hull was the first of several applications to company have made under the New Casino Act – which awarded the new style casino operations in the UK.
The company are consultants in three middle-east destinations including Qatar, Egypt and Dubai.
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