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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

Penny Serenade reveals a seldom-seen side of Cary Grant, far from the top-hat charm and screwball wit. Opposite Irene Dunne, he wrestles tenderness, loss, and paternal devotion with unshowy precision. A deep cut in the Grant filmography, it lingers in the terrain of domestic heartbreak where even the most polished leading men reckon with grief. A woman on the brink of divorce revisits the soundtrack of her life in this heartfelt melodrama about love, loss, and the fragility of happiness.

Before the Iranian Revolution, borrowed cameras birthed Cinema-ye Azad (Free Cinema), a movement that grew from 8mm experiments into a nationwide network of censorship-defying underground festivals. The Cube honours its legacy with theatrical afterlife vision How Frightening is the Darkness of the Soul, screened back-to-back with dark rural fable Mir Nasir and the Ill-Fated Genie. Screening: MirNasir and the Ill-fated genie + How Frightening Is The darkness Of the Soul!

Free entry! Exploring youth isolation, male mental health and the unseen pressures of student life, multi-award winning short Contact Hours tells its story with stark beauty and masterful emotional honesty. It screens alongside a sensitively led discussion on suicide prevention from the filmmakers and local mental wellbeing professionals. Join us for the Bristol Premiere of critically-acclaimed short film Contact Hours, with a live panel Q+A and discussion.

Sell out warning! Schnap out of it! Nicholas Cage’s wooden hand and Cher’s giant hair come together under the Brooklyn moon for some good, old, incredibly overacted Italian-American amore… just like mama used to make. The campest romcom of the 80s is honoured in maximalist Party Girl fashion alongside live cabaret, celestial crafts, and plenty of audience participation. Mom, she IS a rich man. There will be Cher themed cabaret, MOONs, crafts, and you will surely be STRUCK in awe of Nick Cage's unibrow. Come watch Moonstruck (1987) at the Cube.

What our editors say

“Levantes Dance Theatre is an award-winning female-led circus dance company known for their trademark bold visual design and blending this with aerial dance and physical theatre. Their work ranges from immersive indoor performances to outdoor pop-up spectacles. They perform in spaces from theatres to garden parties, from large scale festivals to care homes.”
From: Counterweight by Levantes Dance

“The theatre has 10-15 spaces for wheelchairs accessible by lift with an unrestricted view of the screen. Please let us know (email, instagram) if you're planning on using these spaces so we can ensure availability.”
From: CINEMA TRANSEXUÀL PRESENTS - CHALLENGERS IN IMAX

“shed-ache is a seriously silly dance theatre show that transports little people and their grown ups to a world that sits somewhere between reality and make believe. Two friends (three if you count the shed) get up to all sorts whilst faced with downpours, lava floors and socks falling out of the sky.”
From: Shed-ache by aKa Dance Theatre

“Burgundy Rose has training in theatre, dance and aerial circus, which influences their personal style. In 2019 they were awarded a ‘Developing Your Creative Practice’ grant from Arts Council England to deepen their research across rope, dance and physical theatre. Their shibari teaching and creative performances have taken them across London, Manchester, Bristol, Brussels, Berlin, Copenhagen, Prague, Athens, Rotterdam and Portland (USA).”
From: BOUND IN BRISTOL

“acta has been working with an ever-changing group of Young Carers from Bristol for twenty five years now. In that time, we have supported hundreds of young carers to create and perform their own original theatre.”
From: Turn Back Time by acta's Young Carers