WELCOME
We’re thrilled to have won in three categories at the Black British Theatre Awards this month for our 2023 production of Choir Boy. And it was fantastic to see Starter for Ten and A Child of Science nominated for Best Musical Production and Best New Play respectively at this year’s UK Theatre Awards. It’s recognition of the incredible creative talent Bristol and our region has to offer, and reflective of the quite staggering reaction from audiences here to these shows.
The audience support for brand-new theatre in Bristol is truly fantastic. And we hope our new season satisfies your want to see more different, vibrant and entertaining live theatre.
Two shows will be directed by Nancy: Amy Jephta’s new play A Good House which opens at the Royal Court Theatre in London before transferring to Bristol; and a new production of Flora Wilson Brown’s The Beautiful Future Is Coming, a fast-paced, wild look at 250 years of climate change through the eyes of three couples.
Following the success of Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder!, our collaboration with Francesca Moody Productions continues with a new production of How To Win Against History Expect a quite fabulous party, created and performed by the mesmerising Seiriol Davies. Plus, Bristol’s own Ad Infinitum perform in the Theatre for the first time with Last Rites, a physical, non-verbal story with a soundtrack that you’ll feel.
Expect more bold, imaginative and thrilling work in the Studio including the hit Edinburgh show, Playfight by Julia Grogan, and Tim X Atack’s new play DELAY, a queer sci-fi heartbreaker. Plus, Bristol Old Vic’s Young Company, which has just turned 30, presents Home Ground
We’re also looking forward to Showstopper!, the stellar improvised musical show, a host of brand-new stand-up comedy and more lovely family productions including The Koala Who Could at Easter.
Have you seen what great value our Subscriptions are? If you buy Standard priced seats, a Theatre or Studio Subscription is flexible and makes multiple visits to Bristol Old Vic even more affordable. See page 16 for more info.
See you on King Street soon.
Nancy Medina Artistic Director
Charlotte Geeves Executive Director
THE SHOWS
WINTER ’24/’25
Ivo Graham: Carousel
The Little Mermaid
Little Red (& other winter tales)
Home Ground
Play On!
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
The Showstoppers’ Kids Show
Buffy Revamped
A Good House
The Mystery of Bristol Old Vic
Bangers
SPRING/SUMMER ’25
…blackbird hour
Romeo and Juliet
Playfight
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
The Koala Who Could
The House Party
The Beautiful Future Is Coming
How To Win Against History
DELAY
Last Rites
Dinosaur World Live
Find out about our Pay What You Choose ticket pricing, Groups 8+ Offer, Theatre and Studio Subscription and more on page 16.
5 DEC –11 JAN THEATRE
“Modernised magic”
The Observer on Bristol Old Vic’s The Nutcracker
“Full of heart”
WhatsOnStage on Bristol
Old Vic’s Robin Hood: Legend of the Forgotten Forest
You don’t have to be big to make a big difference.
Dive into a magical underwater kingdom this Christmas with Bristol Old Vic’s bold and breathtaking re-imagining of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale about love, hope, and how no one is too small to change the world.
Full of joyous original songs, circus and dance, award-winning writer Sonali Bhattacharyya (The Jungle Book, Chichester Festival Theatre; Arabian Nights, Bristol Old Vic; Chasing Hares, Young Vic) and Bristol’s own Olivier Award-winning director Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman, Young Vic/West End/Broadway) make a welcome return to Bristol Old Vic for the next extraordinary chapter in its series of festive family productions.
Design Steph Pyne
Photo Richard Lakos
3-7
6 DEC –12 JAN
THE WESTON STUDIO
“A beautiful and beguiling Christmas show… It really is perfect”
Bristol 24/7 on Belle and Sebastien, a Travelling Light and Bristol Old Vic co-production
‘What
big eyes you have… all the better to see, my dear.’
A red coat moves swiftly through the snow-covered woods, an important gift to deliver.
A pair of red shoes dance their way past her, spinning, leaping, unable to stop.
A flame flickers on Christmas eve, bringing warmth and magic each time a match is struck.
This Christmas, join Little Red in the deep dark woods for music, adventure and overcoming the monsters.
A re-telling of the classic tales Little Red Riding Hood, The Red Shoes and The Little Match Girl, this is a story of absent parents, dance-offs and finding the heart of Christmas.
Design Jesutunumidun Adebanjo
16 – 25 JAN
THEATRE
“Charming, enchanting, laugh-out-loud funny, and chock full of talent”
WhatsOnStage
“Joyful from start to finish”
What’s On Midlands
What does it take for a woman to make it in a man’s world?
Meet Vy, a talented songwriter looking to make it big in the 1940s’ Harlem scene. She quickly learns from her uncle Jester that women will never be taken seriously in a man’s world. But, like many a strong hero, she refuses to accept defeat. Through her gender fluid cunning, she meets club owner The Duke and sensational nightclub singer Lady Liv and is swept up in a syncopated symphony of melodies, mistaken identities and romance. Who will come out on top?
Play On! is set in the jazz scene of New York’s Cotton Club. This stylish retelling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director Michael Buffong (A Kind of People, Royal Court; All My Sons, Talawa and Royal Exchange) fuses the thrilling music of Duke Ellington with street dance choreography. Prepare to be wowed by this musical spectacular that will have your toes tapping and hands clapping along with the timeless soundtrack.
Design Feast Creative
29 JAN – 1 FEB THEATRE
Spontaneous musical comedy at its absolute finest.
With 15 years as an Edinburgh Fringe must-see phenomenon, a BBC Radio 4 series, a critically acclaimed West End run and an Olivier Award to their name, The Showstoppers have delighted audiences across the globe with their ingenious blend of comedy and musical theatre.
A brand-new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance as audience suggestions are transformed on the spot into all-singing, all-dancing productions with hilarious results.
“So polished, it defies belief” The Telegraph
6 – 8 FEB THEATRE
Seventy minutes. Seven seasons. One Spike.
This fast-paced gem brings you the entire 144 episodes of the hit 90s TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as told through the eyes of the one person who knows it inside out… Spike.
Funny, satirical and bursting with 90s popculture references, it’s the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados and those who never enrolled at Sunnydale High alike. Created by comedian Brendan Murphy whose last show, FRIEND (The One with Gunther), won Best Play at the World Wide Comedy Awards.
“If you are even remotely a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this is not to be missed” Broadway Baby
GOOD HO US E A
BY AMY JEPHTA DIRECTED BY NANCY MEDINA
14 FEB –8 MAR THEATRE
stirring production” The Guardian on Choir Boy
‘Once they’ve been here long enough, they’re no longer squatters. Then they’re simply… Neighbours.’
In the quaint suburban community of Stillwater, a mysterious shack springs up from the dust with its inhabitants nowhere to be seen.
As speculation abounds, residents Sihle and Bonolo are recruited by their neighbourhood to be the face of a campaign to demolish the shack in this biting satire on community politics.
A Good House is a thrilling and comedic new work from South African writer Amy Jephta about a couple who discover the limits of good neighbourliness and what is required to fit in.
Following Choir Boy, her multi-award-winning debut production as Artistic Director, Nancy Medina directs this co-production with the Royal Court Theatre in association with The Market Theatre, Johannesburg.
Artwork Guy Sanders Keeper Studio
12 MAR –5 APR THEATRE
“A revelation, a piece of stunning physical theatre”
The Guardian on Corey Campbell’s Freeman
The original play, originally scored –with rap and R&B.
Everything that makes Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy so well loved is here. The rich, feuding families. The intense, forbidden passion. And the flash of violence that tears the young lovers apart, sending them spiralling towards tragedy...
This is unmistakeably Shakespeare’s love story, unaltered in its original text. But it’s not just Shakespeare’s play. There is an important plus one: rap.
This story shines with new, original elements of rap, soul and R&B. Think everyday English as well as the Elizabethan variety. And the poetry of rap rhythms as well as perfect pentameters.
Directed by Corey Campbell, creative director of the Belgrade, the play springs from communities within Coventry, with music elements that reflect collaborations with That’s a Rap and A Class.
5+
An improvised musical show for kids of all ages, from Olivier Award-winning West End improvisers, The Showstoppers.
If your children could create their very own dream musical – where would they start? The Showstoppers’ Kids Show takes your kids’ ideas and turns them into marvellous, musical adventures from scratch, in front of their very noses.
“Seriously slick, professional… unbelievably good” Families Magazine
19 – 22 FEB THE WESTON STUDIO
BRISTOL OLD VIC
Calling all trainee detectives! Join us for The Mystery of Bristol Old Vic, a brand new, boardgame style theatre show where your skills are needed to solve this thrilling murder mystery. 6+
From the award-winning creators of I Believe in Unicorns comes this new brain-teasing interactive adventure.
“A true family experience, brilliant for adults and children alike” Stage to Page SAT 1 FEB THEATRE
Design Steph Pyne
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show has been dazzling audiences around the globe for over seven years, bringing to the stage Eric Carle’s timeless classics.
This production faithfully adapts four stories by Eric Carle: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Busy Spider and of course, the star of the show – The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
“A triumph!” Time Out
ALL AGES
CREATED BY JONATHAN ROCKEFELLER | BASED ON THE BOOKS BY ERIC CARLE
An empowering and chuckle-out-loud story about embracing change –whether we like it or not.
Based on the award-winning book by Rachel Bright & Jim Field, this brand-new adaptation for the stage is directed by Emma Earle (Oi Frog & Friends!), with music and lyrics by Eamonn O’Dwyer (The Lion Inside).
“Instantly hummable songs” The Stage on The Lion Inside
BASED ON THE BOOK BY RACHEL BRIGHT & JIM FIELD, PUBLISHED BY
Winner of the 2024 Olivier Award for Best Family Entertainment, Dinosaur World Live returns!
Grab your compass and cross uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs. Book now before tickets become extinct!
“Great fun. Highly recommended for all ages”
3+
HACHETTE CHILDREN’S GROUP
Illustration Eric Carle
Text © Rachel Bright Illustration © Jim Field. Licensed by Hachette Children’s Group
THE HOUSE PARTY
BY LAURA LOMAS AN ADAPTATION OF MISS JULIE BY AUGUST STRINDBERG DIRECTED
BY HOLLY RACE ROUGHAN
Design Bob King Creative
23 APR –3 MAY
THEATRE
“Bracingly relevant and searingly shocking”
WhatsOnStage
“Fresh, ferociously intense, and visually striking”
The Stage
A wild party. A friendship. And one night that changes everything.
It’s Julie’s 18th birthday, and she’s throwing a party in her father’s extravagant townhouse. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and her long-suffering best friend Christine is trying to pick up the pieces. As the revellers pile into the booze, down in the kitchen Christine and her boyfriend Jon – son of Julie’s cleaner – clear up and dare to dream of the future.
But as the volume goes up and the shots go down, Julie concocts a twisted cocktail of entitlement, desire and destruction.
Directed by Headlong’s Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan with movement from the formidable Frantic Assembly, Laura Lomas’ The House Party spins Strindberg’s Miss Julie into intense, fizzing life for today’s generation; exploring themes of class, power, and privilege with raw intensity.
THE BEAUTIFUL FUTURE IS COMING
BY FLORA WILSON BROWN DIRECTED BY NANCY MEDINA
Photo Karl Magnuson
15 MAY –7 JUN THEATRE
“Delves deep into the human experience”
Broadway World
“A fresh and often very funny look at the impacts of climate change”
The Reviews Hub
‘Can you feel it? Something is hanging in the balance – ready to fall.’
1854. New York. Eunice sits in what will become Central Park and wonders if something is going horribly wrong.
2027. London. Clare falls in love as the streets begin to flood.
2100. Svalbard. Ana hears a baby crying in the seed vault.
The world is ending, sure. But what happens in between?
Flora Wilson Brown’s The Beautiful Future Is Coming is a fresh, fast-paced, and funny play. Covering 250 years of climate crisis, this is a powerful story about holding onto hope and humanity against all odds.
Nancy Medina (Choir Boy – Best Director, Black British Theatre Awards 2024) directs.
19 JUN –12 JUL
A riches-to-rags story in a hilarious, ripped-up musical.
Henry Cyril Paget was one of the world’s wealthiest men, until he lost it all by being too damn fabulous.
The 5th Marquis of Anglesey blew his family’s colossal fortune on diamond frocks, lilac-dyed poodles and putting on simply amazing plays – to which nobody came – causing a very Edwardian scandal. His fabulous flame burned brightly, briefly and extremely cross-dressingly until he died at just 29, after which his outraged family destroyed every record of him ever having had existed. Now Henry’s back to tell his regrettable cautionary tale, with nothing to his name but savage wit, banging belters and a metric tonne of sparkle.
How To Win Against History was the solid gold, diamantestudded hit of Edinburgh Fringe 2016. Now Bristol Old Vic and the Olivier Award-winning producers of Kathy & Stella Solve a Murder!, Fleabag and Baby Reindeer are bringing it back, bigger and more sparkly than ever.
LAST RITES
15 – 19 JUL
THEATRE
“Tremendous”
The Guardian
“A triumph…as real, raw and beautiful as it gets”
The Reviews Hub
“Utterly exceptional”
Everything Theatre
Last Rites combines exciting physical, non-verbal storytelling with dynamic projection and an immersive soundtrack that can be felt and heard.
Travelling from the UK to India, Arjun needs to carry out his father’s funeral rites. But how can he perform an ancient Hindu practice that was never passed on? In life, his father wouldn’t learn sign language, but in death Arjun needs to find a way to say goodbye. He creates his own intimate, final ceremony that brings to life a rich tapestry of shared memories.
Internationally acclaimed theatre makers Ramesh Meyyappan (Wonder Boy) and George Mann (Pink Mist) collaborate for the first time in multi-award-winning theatre company Ad Infinitum’s moving new performance celebrating the transformative power of grief and parenthood.
Last Rites is accessible to Deaf and hearing audiences.
Artwork Martha Hegarty | Photos Mihaela Bodlovic & Camilla Greenwell
WHAT’S ON IN THE STUDIO
15 – 18 JAN THE WESTON STUDIO
Our studs in the grass have planted us here, made this place home. It takes a lot to be a part of a team. A community. A family.
Home Ground is about those three-hour bus rides to an away match, where the victories taste just a little sweeter, the dance-offs in the changing rooms, the nicknames that never die and those perfectly, perfectly timed passes. But what happens when your space, your place, is threatened?
“Impressive”
StageTalk Magazine on BOVYC’s The Roaring Girl
BRISTOL OLD VIC YOUNG COMPANY PRESENTS
4 – 6 FEB THE WESTON STUDIO
‘Teddy told me that in Greek, nostalgia literally means the pain from an old wound. It’s a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone.’
Ivo Graham, who has watched this Mad Men clip approximately 100 times, steps away from the frivolity of his stand-up and invites you onto his own carousel: around and around, backwards and forwards, to the places he aches to go again. A searingly direct, exquisitely soundtracked story of a life: good luck at your next meeting.
“Graham at his absolute best… a beautiful, exquisitely judged confessional” The Times
OFF THE KERB PRESENTS
25 FEB – 1 MAR THE WESTON STUDIO
Smash hit Bangers is back to continue the party with an exhilarating night of original music, lyrical storytelling, and pure UK garage vibes. It’s club night and the tracks are spinning.
Two headliners crossfade between stories of love, sex, and the power of music – set against a backdrop of precarious lives in urban London.
“A joyous party of a play celebrating the rousing power of music” The Guardian
Photo Lee Pullen Photography
4 – 8 MAR THE WESTON STUDIO
Eshe hasn’t left the flat. Loved-ones keep reaching out saying they’re going to “save” her. She’s not saying anything back. Until, in the dark early hours, she focuses on the letter in front of her.
…blackbird hour is a visceral and moving exploration of a queer Black woman’s call to arms for loving oneself when love has made itself scarce, from acclaimed playwright babirye bukilwa. Finalist for the Bruntwood Prize, Women’s Prize for Playwriting, and the Alfred Fagon Award.
“Stunning”
The Stage on babirye bukilwa’s …cake
VITAL XPOSURE IN ASSOCIATION WITH BUSH THEATRE PRESENTS
…blackbird hour
14 – 29 MAR THE WESTON STUDIO
Three friends grow up under an ancient tree. They’re filthy, brutal and full of hope.
By turns hysterical and poignant, the Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Playfight is a “stunningly accomplished” ( The Observer) and searing probe of their inner lives as they hunt for love. Proper, ugly love. As their roots sink deeper, the branches stretch higher... so they decide to climb.
Written by Julia Grogan, Playfight won the ETPEP Award 2020 and was shortlisted for the Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award. Directed by Emma Callander.
“A marvellous jewel of a play” The Times
GRACE DICKSON PRODUCTIONS AND THEATRE UNCUT IN ASSOCIATION WITH BRISTOL OLD VIC PRESENT
19 JUN – 5 JUL THE WESTON STUDIO
Lin, an astronaut, exchanges voice messages with his lover as he speeds towards a distant planet.
But days for the astronaut will be years for the lover left behind. A heart-wrenching yet hopeful drama about saying what you mean, and saying goodbye.
By Timothy X Atack (winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting). Directed by Tanuja Amarasuriya (winner of the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award).
“A compassionate, generous and well observed piece”
The Stage on Tanuja Amarasuriya’s OUT OF SORTS
PLAYFIGHT
THE MORE YOU SEE, THE MORE
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BRISTOL NEW TIX
New to Bristol Old Vic? There are 100 free tickets for first-time bookers to Preview performances of The Little Mermaid, A Good House, The Beautiful Future Is Coming and How To Win Against History. All you need to do is set up a new account and enter promo code BOVNEWTIX100 at checkout to claim your free tickets*!
*Available on any seat and in any price band on Preview performances. Maximum 2 free tickets per new account.
QUESTIONS? Call the Box Office on 0117 987 7877 or email tickets@bristololdvic.org.uk
ACCESS & RESPEC
Bristol Old Vic is working to be an inclusive, anti-racist space where our team members and our city’s communities feel welcome and respected – a joyful place where everyone can belong. Please therefore continue to be respectful and kind when you visit Bristol Old Vic. Find out more at bristololdvic.org.uk/our-respect-charter. It’s our top priority that everyone feels welcome and comfortable when visiting Bristol Old Vic.
For general access information, including booking access tickets, disabled parking, washroom facilities, the lift, wheelchair spaces and more, please visit bristololdvic.org.uk/access. If you have any questions, please email access@bristololdvic.org.uk or call 0117 987 7877. More accessible performances to be announced soon. Check bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on.
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