Derek Balmer and Desmond Tripp

Circa: 1960

Between them, photographers Derek Balmer and Desmond Tripp took thousands of images of Bristol Old Vic productions. 

Almost every performance held here has been photographed, helping subvert the typical ephemerality of theatre. These visual records form part of the Bristol Old Vic archive held at the University of Bristol’s Theatre Collection. They are being digitised as part of our Heritage Lottery-funded project.

You can browse past performances to spot famous faces, and compare the props, sets and costumes chosen by different directors and designers to tell the same stories in new ways.