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Theatre Shows in Bristol

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Bristol's Theatre Scene

Bristol’s theatres: an overview

Bristol’s theatres and art galleries are as world-renowned as it’s underground culture (Banksy, Tricky et al). Think Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol Old Vic, The Tabacco Factory, Redgrave Theatre and the Department of Theatre at the University of Bristol, where the theatre journey starts for many young Bristolians. While Bristol’s theatres are all smaller than those of the capital and there’s no dedicated theatre district, you’re just as likely to see West End plays like the Book of Mormon and War Horse as smaller more experimental productions at one of the city’s dramatic festivals like Mayfest, Young Blood Theatre Festival and the Bristol Shakespeare Festival. Even clubs like Loko Club act as a sort of in-between for Bristol’s more immersive theatre productions that stem from circus-based theatrics of Circomedia.

Bristol’s Old Vic Theatre is nationally renowned for big-budget shows and for empowering new theatrical talent with Bristol Ferment. While the Old Vic and it’s companion theatre school cater for both experimental and traditional performances, the popularity of physical theatre elsewhere in the city continues to rise. Cicrcomedia’s school for circus performance and physical acting hosts shows from both its students and scratch nights put on by Ausform. The Tobacco Factory Theatre is South Bristol’s artistic hub with tickets for experimental theatre, comedy and workshops all available. Other theatres of note include The Alma Tavern in Clifton and the Wardrobe Theatre in Old Market (part of the Old Market Assembly).

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Our recent theatre recommendations

Sell out warning! Guardian columnist extraordinaire Owen Jones rings the death knell for Western superpowers, launching his explosive new tome in person with former Green leader Carla Denyer MP. Laying bare the 21st century's parade of arrogance and economic failures, Jones shows how the elite's crumbling façade paved the way for the migrant-baiting insecurities of today. The Fall of the West launch - Owen Jones in conversation with Carla Denyer at The Station.

Save House of Boussé from a Computer Hearts fate! Plug in for a four tunnel immersion into the Matrix featuring VRGF’s cyber-pop, Ani Klang hacking the hard dance mainframe, techno-conceptual performances from iPad clown Petty Nonsense and more. Plus interactive games throughout the night to determine who makes it out alive, or stays trapped in the digiverse forever. HOUSE OF BOUSSÉ ARE TRAPPED IN THE INTERNET at Loco Klub.

A kinetic exorcism of working-class identity and masculine performance, Oona Doherty’s 'Hope Hunt and the Ascension Into Lazarus' is a mutating pastiche of regional archetypes. Best known for 'Hard to Be Soft', an electrifying portrait of her hometown Belfast, the Northern Irish dancer-choreographer’s chameleonic blend of comedy, swagger and grace is unmissable. Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus at The Mount Without.

Sell out warning! Omar El Akkad’s new book takes aim at the West’s moral hypocrisy around the genocide in Gaza, asking why it’s so easy to condemn atrocities once they’re safely in the past, but so hard to act while they’re happening. He joins us in person for an urgent discussion on complicity and what it means to witness injustice without becoming numb to it. One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This with Omar El Akkad at The Station.

What our editors say

“Welcome to the Playback Theatre magic! Where you get to experience your stories, memories, brought to life on stage on the spot! In the Playback Theatre workshops you will learn how to be part of an improvised show in a real life story. Playback theatre has the power to transform your experiences and see them in a diffrent perspective. Get ready to laugh, connect and be amazed by the power of Playback Theatre! Friday 16/10/2026 Starting 7.10pm Ending 8.50pm See you soon, Yoti”
From: Play It Back Playback Theatre Workshop

“A hanging, a hanging, gather round for a Hanging!' is the opening lines of this immersive family comedy theatre show, set in 1726. Think Horrible Histories or Blackadder. Exploring the legends of 18th-century highway robbers, potatoes and inequality. Audiences become jurors, re-enact crimes, and debate verdicts. Blending history with farce. Social commentary and true immersion for the audience. It invites reflection on today's inequalilty—asking is it right? Is it just? To steal from the ultra rich to feed the poor. Funded by Arts Council England with integrated audio description”
From: Stand and Deliver