WHAT’S ON APR ’23 – MAR ’24 bristololdvic.org.uk
I’m thrilled to be here and working alongside Charlotte to lead Bristol Old Vic into an even brighter future. We, alongside the whole team, are working to create a place where everyone feels they belong; a place where we can connect with others and feed our creative curiosity.
My first season is all about belonging, connectedness and the power of storytelling. It’s filled with warmth, joy, song and music – a programme I hope will lift all our spirits high, including...
Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney, one of our greatest living playwrights, is my directorial debut for Bristol Old Vic. I promise, it will move you. Arabian Nights by Sonali Bhattacharyya will invite us to lean into magic and dreaming this winter; I’m already looking forward to nestling in with my family to see this one. I fell in love with Nkenna Akunna’s lead character Gemma in cheeky little brown and it marks our first co-production in The Weston Studio with our friends, tiata fahodzi. The Colour Of Dinosaurs is a fantastic show for young audiences – who doesn’t want a mash-up of cool, scientific dino facts, theatre and music? Starter For Ten, based on the British rom-com, is a funny, pacy new musical with evocative 80s’ punk and pop; such a treat.
Affordable theatre remains top of our agenda because we want to welcome you to all of our shows! Our new Season Ticket offers great savings when you book for more shows than you might normally. Better still, join us as a Member and unlock even greater savings. Our Open Concession tickets also remain available to all, no questions asked.
See you in the theatre, a workshop or the foyer very soon,
Charlotte Geeves Executive Director
Nancy Medina Artistic Director
It’s such a privilege to say hello and welcome you to my first season as Artistic Director.
SPRING/SUMMER ’23 Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) p16 Faun p18 CAttS p19 STARS p18 We Need New Names p19 Anna Karenina p17 Dinosaur World Live p14 The Tiger Who Came For Tea p15 Orpheus & Eurydice p16 AUTUMN/WINTER ’23–’24 Kathy And Stella Solve A Murder! p9 cheeky little brown p2 Choir Boy p3 The Colour Of Dinosaurs p4 Arabian Nights p6 Four Seasons p7 Starter For Ten p5 Metamorphosis p10 Macbeth p10 Black Is The Color Of My Voice p11 NEW! Find out how you can save up to 35% when booking with our new Season Ticket Offer on p8. Plus, tune into the LIVE BROADCAST of Complicité’s “magnificent” AAAAA (The Guardian) Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead 27–29 Apr. Details at bristololdvic.org.uk. 1
The Shows
CHEEKY LITTLE BROWN
21
SEP – 14 OCT
THE WESTON STUDIO AAAA
How do you break up with your best friend?
Lady is in the middle of crashing (and ruining) her best friend Gemma’s birthday party. The two haven’t spoken for six months.
cheeky little brown, by the Papatango Prizewinning playwright Nkenna Akunna (Some of Us Exist in the Future), is a failed night out, a musical, a show about heartbreak, tending to a body, and the shifting realities of the city they call home.
A TIATA FAHODZI, BRISTOL OLD VIC AND BELGRADE THEATRE COVENTRY CO-PRODUCTION
BY NKENNA AKUNNA | DIRECTED BY CHINONYEREM ODIMBA
Illustration Sarah Tanat-Jones
“A beautiful ode to Black society and home”
The Guardian on Black Love, written and co-directed by Chinonyerem Odimba
2
CHOIR BOY
12 OCT – 11 NOV
THEATRE AAAA
The Guardian (Choir Boy on Broadway, 2019)
AAAA
The Guardian (Choir Boy at Sydney WorldPride, 2023)
From Academy Award-winning writer Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), comes the exhilarating story of Pharus, a young, queer student leading the legendary gospel choir at his elite, all-boys prep school in America.
When Pharus’ pride is sullied by one of his fellow students, we’re sent on an electrifying voyage through the growing pains of humanity, as the boys navigate sexuality, race, identity, and brotherhood in their journey to becoming men.
This tender, coming-of-age story is threaded throughout with soul-stirring a cappella gospel hymns and spirituals. It is a beautiful, joyous play which rejoices in all that it means to march to your own drum.
Choir Boy marks Nancy Medina’s directorial debut for Bristol Old Vic as Artistic Director.
A BRISTOL OLD VIC PRODUCTION, IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHUCHU NWAGU PRODUCTIONS
WRITTEN BY TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY | DIRECTED
BY
NANCY MEDINA
“The songs bring the house down”
“A tender meditation on Black queerness told through sublime music”
3
Illustration Sarah Tanat-Jones
THE COLOUR OF DINOSAURS
20 – 28 OCT THE WESTON STUDIO
A rip-roaring, prehistoric science pop gig for curious humans of all ages.
Picture a dinosaur roaming through an ancient forest... millions of years later, a scientist called Jakob discovers its amazing fossilised remains and tells its incredible, colourful story, revealing secrets we could never have imagined.
SEE OUR OTHER FAMILY SHOWS ON P14 & P15!
Join five musicians and palaeontologist Dr Jakob Vinther as they enter the multi-coloured world of the dinosaurs with soaring music, catchy songs and mind-blowing science.
A recipient of an Unlimited and Polka Theatre Partnership Commission, catch this Fermentsupported, studio-sized version of The Colour of Dinosaurs in Bristol before it expands and premieres with Polka…
P.S. bring your own dinosaur!
3+
CREATED BY LLOYD COLEMAN & OTIC. AN UNLIMITED AND POLKA THEATRE PARTNERSHIP COMMISSION, WITH SUPPORT FROM BRISTOL OLD VIC FERMENT.
4
Illustration Sarah Tanat-Jones
WORLD PREMIERE
STARTER FOR TEN A NEW MUSICAL
29 FEB – 30 MAR THEATRE
Fingers on buzzers! Here’s your Starter for Ten…
What is eighteen-year-old Brian Jackson’s proudest achievement to date? His A-level results. His idol? Kate Bush. His lifelong dream? To compete on legendary TV quiz show University Challenge. It’s 1985 and, leaving Southend to start his first year at Bristol University, Brian soon discovers that falling in love and growing up take a lot more than general knowledge…
Adapted from the hilarious novel by bestselling author David Nicholls and the cult 2006 film, Starter for Ten is a bright, big-hearted new musical. Featuring an irresistible original soundtrack inspired by the riotous student scene of the 80s, this coming-of-age comedy is about love, belonging and the all-important difference between knowledge and wisdom.
The book and lyrics are co-written by Emma Hall and Charlie Parham, with a 1980s-inspired original score and lyrics by Hatty Carman and Tom Rasmussen. Directed by Charlie Parham.
ANTIC PRODUCTIONS, BRISTOL OLD VIC, LONGSHOT FILMS AND PLAYTONE PRESENT
5
Illustration Sarah Tanat-Jones
ARABIAN NIGHTS
23 NOV – 6 JAN THEATRE AAAAA
The Telegraph on Sonali Bhattacharyya’s Chasing Hares
An Arabian Nights for modern times, with a daring heroine, captivating songs, and a timeless story of wonder and hope.
Schere has the quickest wits, greatest courage and most marvellous stories. Now she plans to liberate every young woman in the Kingdom from the greedy, tyrannical King. All through the power of her storytelling. But can she really do this alone? And is the first person she has to turn to really her annoying younger sister?
A
BRISTOL OLD VIC PRODUCTION
WRITTEN BY SONALI BHATTACHARYYA
DIRECTED BY BLANCHE MCINTYRE
As their mission grows more complicated, the sisters turn to the people of the Kingdom to join their cause. Working together, they overcome old grudges and petty disputes to find their collective voice. Together, they light up the Kingdom with magic, excitement, unity and hope in the festive season.
Illustration Sarah Tanat-Jones
“Sparkling dialogue”
6
FOUR SEASONS
1 DEC – 7 JAN
THE WESTON STUDIO
AAAA
The Stage on Little Bulb’s The Night that Autumn Turned to Winter
A theatrical love letter to nature for children and families.
We begin in Winter, where frost crunches underfoot, icy winds blow, and snow is softly falling all around. Much of nature seems to be asleep. But somewhere, preparations for something truly wonderful are underway.
Join our intrepid team of magical gardeners as they tend to the marvellous menagerie of flora and fauna at every stage of nature’s miraculous journey. Four Seasons is a celebration of the wonder and weirdness of nature and our place within it, all set to an exciting score of seasonally inspired tracks including, of course, Vivaldi’s iconic piece.
Expect an enchanting and innovative show featuring puppetry, physical theatre and clowning fun – everything we’ve come to expect from Olivier Award-winning Little Bulb (Hibernation, CBEEBIES’ The Nutcracker).
Illustration Louise Boulter
CONCEIVED AND CREATED BY LITTLE BULB, DEVISED IN COLLABORATION WITH HANORA KAMEN, VIC LLEWELLYN, SHAMIRA TURNER AND KIRSTY HARRIS
“Captivating”
7
Your Season Ticket
SEE IT ALL FROM THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE AT A BIG SAVING!
Book 3 or more shows in a single transaction and benefit from our Season Ticket Offer. The more you see, the more you save… Enjoy a discount of up to 20% – or 35% if you’re a Member (head to p20)!
Simply choose your seats for the shows you wish to see, add them to your basket and the discount will automatically apply at checkout.
Shows included: cheeky little brown, Choir Boy, The Colour of Dinosaurs, Arabian Nights, Four Seasons and Starter for Ten
DID YOU KNOW?
We have flexible Pay What You Choose pricing to suit any budget. Plus, if you’re new to Bristol Old Vic, we’re offering 100 free tickets to Preview performances of Choir Boy, Arabian Nights and Starter for Ten. All you need to do is set up a new account to claim your free tickets!
Available on any seat and in any price band. Maximum 2 free tickets per new account.
SEASON TICKET SAVINGS 3 SHOWS 4+ SHOWS 5+ SHOWS GENERAL 15% 20%ORANGE & THUNDER MEMBERS 20% 25%LAVENDER MEMBERS 25% 30% 35%
8
Image The Other Richard|Feast
13 –
30
SEP THEATRE AAAAA
“I
The I AAAA “Comedy gold”
Time Out AAAA
“A thrilling foray into silliness”
The Guardian
“This is impossible! We’ve got no motives. No suspects. We don’t know anything! Who knew solving a murder would be so hard?”
BFFs Kathy and Stella host Hull’s least successful true-crime podcast. When their favourite author is killed, they are thrust into a thrilling whodunnit of their own! Can they crack the case (and become global podcast superstars) before the killer strikes again…?
A hilarious murder mystery musical from the Olivier Award-winning team behind Fleabag, Baby Reindeer and A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad)
FRANCESCA MOODY PRODUCTIONS, KATER
IN ASSOCIATION WITH BRISTOL OLD VIC
GORDON, WESSEX GROVE AND FIERY ANGEL,
defy you not to fall in love with it”
9
10 – 20 JAN THEATRE
In their first new show since 2019, Frantic Assembly and Lemn Sissay OBE collaborate on this thrilling new adaptation of Kafka’s Metamorphosis.
Combining the fluidity and lyricism of Sissay’s adaptation and Frantic’s uncompromising physicality, this promises to be an unmissable retelling of Franz Kafka’s shocking tale of cruelty and kindness; a visceral and vital depiction of humans struggling within a system that crushes them under its heel.
25 JAN – 10 FEB THEATRE
In a struggling and divided nation, tearing itself apart, the Macbeths see their chance at the crown – why shouldn’t they take it?
But things don’t go according to plan. Dreams quickly turn to nightmares, humanity erodes, nature stirs. As society strives to make sense of the darkness within it, how long will it take people to fight back against the endless cycle of violence and corruption?
ETT’s visceral and contemporary new production of Shakespeare’s tragedy speaks to today’s world; why has Macbeth haunted our fears and nightmares for centuries, and what lesson is this cautionary tale still urgently trying to teach us?
Design Studio Doug
Photo Perou|Design Paul Reardon
A FRANTIC ASSEMBLY PRODUCTION, CO-PRODUCED WITH THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH, CURVE, MAST MAYFLOWER STUDIOS AND LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE
VILLE DE
10
AN ETT PRODUCTION, IN ASSOCIATION WITH BRISTOL OLD VIC ORIGINALLY CO-PRODUCED BY ETT, SHAKESPEARE NORTH, NORTHERN STAGE AND THÉÂTRES
DE LA
LUXEMBOURG
12 – 17 FEB THEATRE AAAA
The Times AAAAA
Inspired by the life of Nina Simone, and featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live.
Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.
Broadway Baby
Photo Peter Dibdin
PRESENTED BY JAMES SEABRIGHT | WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY APPHIA CAMPBELL
“Moving portrayal of determination and survival”
“Nothing short of sensational”
11
Access
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
And if you have any questions, we’d be more than happy to help. Please email us at access@bristololdvic.org.uk
Check out our upcoming Accessible Performances below:
More accessible performance to be announced soon for Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, Arabian Nights, Metamorphosis, Macbeth and Starter for Ten. Check bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on for the latest.
CAPTIONED STARS 23 – 27 May Anna Karenina 23 Jun The Colour of Dinosaurs 26 Oct Choir Boy 28 Oct SIGNED Anna Karenina 15 Jun Orpheus & Eurydice 2 Sep The Colour of Dinosaurs 26 Oct Choir Boy 1 Nov Four Seasons 14 & 19 Dec AUDIO DESCRIBED Anna Karenina 24 Jun Choir Boy 4 Nov RELAXED Four Seasons 14 & 19 Dec 12
COMEDY SPOKENWORD &
THROUGHOUT 2023 – 2024
The best in British stand-up. Current line-up includes Suzi Ruffell, Tim Key, Phil Wang, Jayde Adams, James Acaster and Lucy Beaumont – with more announced all the time.
Plus, dive into a world of words with Something Rhymes with Purple on Stage based on Gyles Brandreth and Susie Dent’s award-winning podcast.
Head to bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on for the full programme.
13
FABULOUS FAMILY FUN
25 – 27 JUL THEATRE
Grab your compass and join our intrepid explorer across uncharted territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs.
A special meet and greet after the show offers all our brave explorers the chance to make a new dinosaur friend. Don’t miss this entertaining and mind-expanding Jurassic adventure, live on stage. AAAAA
“Great fun”
What’s Good to Do
NICOLL ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS
3+
14
Photo Robert Day
3+ 28 – 30 JUL
Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award-nominated smash-hit show returns.
The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger!
Join the tea-guzzling tiger in this delightful family show; packed with oodles of magic, singalong songs and clumsy chaos. Don’t miss this stunning stage adaptation of the classic tale of teatime mayhem... expect to be surprised!
“Delightful”
What’s on Stage
NICOLL ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS | WRITTEN BY
| A MUSICAL PLAY ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY
FABULOUS FAMILY
Illustrations © Kerr-Kneale Productions Ltd 1968
JUDITH KERR
DAVID WOOD
FUN
THEATRE
AAAAA
15
BESTSELLERS REIMAGINED
9 – 20 MAY THEATRE
Direct from its triumph in the West End where it won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy, this is a unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story. Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance. Let the ruthless matchmaking begin.
AAAAA
What’s Good to Do
DAVID PUGH PRESENTS THE TRON THEATRE COMPANY, THE ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE EDINBURGH AND BLOOD OF THE YOUNG’S PRODUCTION, WITH CO-PRODUCERS BIRMINGHAM REPERTORY THEATRE, BRISTOL OLD VIC, LEEDS PLAYHOUSE, NORTHERN STAGE AND OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
31 AUG – 2 SEP THEATRE
It’s midnight, and Orpheus is once again amongst the grime of Bristol: broken glass, graffiti and late-night ravers. He stands older, wiser maybe, trying to remember a moment of importance, of love… Join Orpheus as he descends into the Underworld, for one final time.
A BRISTOL OLD VIC ENGAGEMENT PRODUCTION
WRITTEN BY OLIVIER AWARD-WINNER ADAM PECK
DIRECTED BY LISA GREGAN
From our mighty Young Company to our Community Choir, there are all sorts of ways you can get involved. Find out more at bristololdvic.org.uk/interact
Image 2022 cast photograph by Mihaela Bodlovic
“A raucously irreverent romp”
Image Ben Robins
16
BESTSELLERS REIMAGINED
7 – 24 JUN THEATRE + LIVE BROADCAST
Tolstoy’s masterpiece reimagined. A heartbreaking story of relationships, marriage, and betrayal, Lesley Hart’s boldly theatrical adaptation brings the language bang up to date, while Polina Kalinina’s direction sweeps you up in the breathtaking pace of the story and places no limits on opulence, decadence and, above all, passion.
When her brother’s affair is discovered, Anna Karenina crosses the country by train to help save his marriage. But on her arrival at the station, a charged encounter with a dazzling young cavalry officer sends her on a course of action that could destroy her own marriage and tear her life apart.
Meanwhile, rejected by his beloved, Kostya Levin vows never to marry. As Anna opens herself up to love, Kostya tries in vain to shut himself off from it. Kindred spirits, Anna and Kostya are torn between desire and duty, sexual and parental love, self and society – and they won’t live a lie.
In a world of fakery, public shaming and patriarchal oppression, they are compelled to live truly – or not at all. AAAA
The Guardian on Polina
A BRISTOL OLD VIC AND ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE EDINBURGH CO-PRODUCTION
“Thrilling work”
Kalinina’s Romeo and Juliet
Photo Mihaela Bodlovic | Design madeby.DO
17
12 & 13 MAY THE WESTON STUDIO
Ace is 22, trans, queer and sofa surfing –just for now!
To keep a sofa requires you to act small, smiling, and polite. But no one is perfect and eventually everyone messes up – which would be a lot easier if you weren’t also unexpectedly growing fluffy ears and a tiny tail.
A celebration of queer community, full of heart, youth and pan pipes.
23 – 27 MAY THE WESTON STUDIO
Meet Mrs: an old lady who goes into outer space… in search of her own orgasm. Isn’t that where all orgasms go?
Told through one woman and a live DJ, with projected animation and captions, STARS is a moving and joyful, sensitive yet funny, Afrofuturist odyssey for all.
TAMASHA AND INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS PRESENT
STUDIO MULTI-BUY OFFER
SUMMER IN THE STUDIO
CARDBOARD CITIZENS, ALPHABETTI THEATRE AND THEATRE 503 PRESENT
Image Ciaran Walsh at Ciwa Design
Illustration
Buy 3+ studio shows and get 15% off (Members get 20% off)* Buy 5+ studio shows and get 20% off (Members get 25% off)*
Candice Purwin
*This offer is applicable on standard tickets only in a single transaction. Subject to change.
18
WE NEED NEW NAMES
30 MAY – 3 JUN THE WESTON STUDIO
Paradise. Home of 10-year-old Darling and her friends: four children on the edge of innocence. A playground overflowing with mischief and games where they imagine countries a luxurious life away from theirs in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe. But when Darling moves to Michigan, the Western world she encounters as a teenager is far from the American utopia of her dreams…
Based on the novel by the first Black African woman and first Zimbabwean to be Booker Prize-shortlisted, this defiant coming-ofage story is full of exuberance, humour and humanity.
A FIFTH WORD AND NEW PERSPECTIVES CO-PRODUCTION
BY NOVIOLET BULAWAYO, IN A NEW ADAPTATION BY MUFARO MAKUBIKA
DIRECTED BY MONIQUE TOUKO
CAttS
16 – 20 MAY THE WESTON STUDIO
From ‘acclaimed clown’ (To Do List London) and emerging idiot Frankie Thompson, an anarchic one-woman adaptation of Cats (the musical). But not about cats, not about musicals, not about Cats the musical.
CAttS is a lip-sync ballet through the distractions and obsessions that help us cope with an increasingly dystopian reality. Because after all, wouldn’t we rather think about cats?
AAAA
The Guardian
“Wonderfully, confoundingly funny”
Photograph C.W. Griffin Design Suzanne Dean
SEE MORE NEW STUDIO SHOWS AT BRISTOLOLDVIC.ORG.UK/STUDIO 19
Image Erin Hopkins
CHOOSE YOUR LEVEL ORANGE LAVENDER THUNDER CIRCLE Unlock Priority Booking BECOME A MEMBER TO UNLOCK THE BEST SEATS AT THE BEST PRICES (and a range of other fab benefits) PRIORITY BOOKING OPENS 20 APR* GENERAL BOOKING OPENS 27 APR *PRIORITY BOOKING PERIOD VARIES ACROSS MEMBERSHIP LEVELS Tap to join JOIN NOW 20
Thank you to our supporters
Our work is only possible because of the generosity of our supporters. Thank you.
PRINCIPLE SUPPORT
PROGRAMME SUPPORT
Together with The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust, Annett Charitable Trust, Antonia Watson Foundation, The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust, The Garrick Charitable Trust and Wingate Foundation.
Head to bristololdvic.org.uk/support-us for a full list of our supporters, and to find out about the many ways in which you can support our work and be more closely involved in the life of the theatre.
21
WHAT WHEN WHERE
SIGN UP / FOLLOW US FOR THE LATEST:
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead 27 – 29 Apr On Screen Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) 9 – 20 May Theatre Faun 12 & 13 May The Weston Studio CAttS 16 – 20 May The Weston Studio Suzi Ruffell 21 May Theatre STARS 23 – 27 May The Weston Studio Tim Key 28 May Theatre We Need New Names 30 May – 3 Jun The Weston Studio Phil Wang 4 Jun Theatre Anna Karenina 7 – 24 Jun Theatre + On Screen Jayde Adams 25 Jun Theatre Something Rhymes with Purple 16 Jul Theatre Dinosaur World Live 25 – 27 Jul Theatre The Tiger Who Came to Tea 28 – 30 Jul Theatre Orpheus & Eurydice 31 Aug – 2 Sep Theatre Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! 13 – 30 Sep Theatre cheeky little brown 21 Sep – 14 Oct The Weston Studio James Acaster SOLD OUT 1 – 4 Oct Theatre Choir Boy 12 Oct – 11 Nov Theatre The Colour of Dinosaurs 20 – 28 Oct The Weston Studio Lucy Beaumont 5 Nov Theatre Arabian Nights (Ages 7+) 23 Nov – 6 Jan Theatre Four Seasons (Ages 4–7) 1 Dec – 7 Jan The Weston Studio Metamorphosis 10 – 20 Jan Theatre Macbeth 25 Jan – 10 Feb Theatre Black is the Color of my Voice 12 – 17 Feb Theatre Starter for Ten 29 Feb – 30 Mar Theatre
Calendar Cover illustration Sarah Tanat-Jones
FAMILY CHRISTMAS COMEDY
