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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

A kaleidoscopic dance-theatre plunge into early 20th-century upheaval. VENUS 2.0 unravels the wild journey of a Suffragette turned fascist, hurtling you through the volatile birth and rise of a political disease. Six shape-shifting dancers fuse explosive movement, sharp wit, and cabaret flair to interrogate power, chaos, and the future’s dark edge. An explosive journey into the roots of Fascism

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.

What our editors say

“Tickets at the Wardrobe Theatre website (£14 standard, £12 concession): https://thewardrobetheatre.com/shows/ways-of-knowing/”
From: Emergency Chorus: Ways of Knowing

“Uncovering a mysterious series of visions and omens, Ways of Knowing is a dance-theatre work which investigates the tools we use to predict and prophesy the future, from early meteorological devices to corporate trend forecasting and divination. Amidst an intricate system of set and improvised choreography, found text and visceral sound design, award-winning artists Emergency Chorus wield both science and magic to reckon with our precarious present and enter into the unknown.”
From: Emergency Chorus: Ways of Knowing

“Emergency Chorus is the collaboration between Ben Kulvichit (he/ him) and Clara Potter-Sweet (they/them). Since 2017, they have been working across theatre, live art and dance, creating collage-like performances of text, choreography, music and image. Their work deals with states of crisis and emergency, the relationships between ecology, capitalism and technology, and ways of approaching the future — all with complexity, strangeness and playfulness. Ben and Clara live in Bristol and are proud members of artist collective, Interval.”
From: Emergency Chorus: Ways of Knowing

“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

“Jokeh is a dancer from Latri Kunda in the Gambia, specialising in West African ballet. As a teenager, she toured the USA with the Gambian National Dance Troupe, and now, whilst based in Manchester, she manages a leading dance company in the Gambia, whilst performing, working in theatre & providing dance workshops in the UK.”
From: Foli - West African Dance & Djembe