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A circus & physical theatre performance in Bristol

Circus and Physical Theatre Events in Bristol

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Bristol's Circus & Physical Theatre Scene

Unsurprisingly the best place to see live circus performances in Bristol as at the city’s own, physical theatre school - Circomedia. Fans of more experimental theatre performances should check out Ausform and Bristol’s May Fest theatre festival.

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Our recent circus & physical theatre recommendations

A weird and wonderful Wednesday awaits you with circus drag Botticelli life drawing leading gracefully into karaoke free-for-all. Where else but Loco, eh? Dedicated life drawing of Invisible Circus performers and drag models followed by sketchy karaoke

Ujima Radio, Circomedia, Bitch Please! and heaps more big hitters join a day of packed-out IWD celebrations at M-Shed. With live performances, maker marketplace (spots still open!), plus workshops and panels promoting gender justice across food, journalism, music production, martial arts… the list goes on. A Collaboration by Bristol24/7 x Bristol Culture x ALICE Project

Sell out warning! Queer as F*ck acrobatic burlesque action packed with pure sass and sizzle. Grounded Circus dial up the collective heat with Drag Race UK’s Marmalade, jaw-dropping pole action from CocoGymnaasty, flaming striptease cabaret hunk Marshall Arkley + RED leading the late night DJ charge! The iconic cabaret club-night's first gig of 2025 - with the best circus, drag, and DJs.

Sell out warning! Queer as F*ck acrobatic burlesque action packed with sass, sizzle, and now with a twist of NYE hedonism thrown into the snakepit. Grounded Circus welcome Drag Race’s ‘feel good ginger’ queen Copper Topp for a gender-bending bawl with ballroom outsider Miss Dynasty, plus Bristol’s own IRL Ru Paul pop-starlet Jessica Jungle on the decks til late. Bristol's campest club-night sends off 2024. Outageously good circus, drag, and DJs.

What our editors say

“Circus, drag, and burlesque come together in this unforgettable one-off lineup. Part cabaret, part club-night, all camp. Expect queer joy, a celebration of bodies, and world-class acts coming together at The Old Market Assembly's iconic resident night.”
From: QUEER AS F*CK: August Edition

“Robyn Hambrook is a Bristol-based director, teacher, performer and founder of the Bristol Clown School. With over 20 years experience she is a passionate practitioner of clowning, physical theatre, circus and street arts. She has a MA in Circus Directing, a Diploma of Physical Theatre Practice and trained with a long line of inspiring teachers including Holly Stoppit, Peta Lily, Giovanni Fusetti, Bim Mason, Jon Davison, Zuma Puma, Lucy Hopkins and John Wright.”
From: Comedy Summer School for Young People

“You'll get a BITE of some ocean themed cabaret acts, plenty of shark content, themed crafts and snacks, and watch Gossip Girl's own Blake Lively fight a shark and make friends with a seagull in The Shallows (2016). Get stoked for the party of the summer!”
From: Shark Week Celebration: The Shallows

“Riddlestick Theatre are a troupe of actor-musicians who draw on folk theatre traditions to tell weird and wonderful stories through playful performance and enchanting live music. They’re returning to The Wardrobe Theatre after a sell-out run of The Cabinet of Madame Fanny Du Thé (listed in The Guardian’s Best Shows at the Edinburgh Festival 2018), their raucous late-night Christmas show, Undercover Christmas Club, and their Shakespearean cabaret, FOOLS.”
From: Barleycorn

“Tess Drive is a Bristol based national cabaret icon with more years experience than she cares to admit. She’s been obsessed with musicals since seeing The Sound of Music aged 6 or 7. Her favourite musicals are Spring Awakening, Rent, Phantom of the Opera and The Color Purple. Her dream roles are Mark in Rent and Ursula in The Little Mermaid. Putting this night on has been a labour of love, but not as hard as shoehorning musicals titles into the event biography”
From: Tess Drive presents “Musicals and Mirrorballs”