Bristol Old Vic unveils globally inspired 2026/27 season led by world premiere of Pericles, Prince of Lebanon

Bristol Old Vic today announces a season of internationally inspired theatre, music, comedy and family favourites, led by the world premiere of Sami Ibrahim’s Pericles, Prince of Lebanon. Reimagining Shakespeare’s tale of exile and survival for a world shaped by migration and conflict, this major new production sits at the heart of a programme that brings together acclaimed artists from across the UK and beyond, including Inua Ellams, Welsh National Opera and Olivier Award-winning improvisers Showstopper! From powerful new dramas to opera, stand-up and festive offerings, the season showcases Bristol Old Vic’s commitment to ambitious storytelling with global resonance. 

Tickets go on sale to Members from Thu 25 Jun, and on General sale from Thu 2 Jul, 10am.

Bristol Old Vic’s headline production for early 2027 is the world premiere of Pericles, Prince of Lebanon a new play by Sami Ibrahim, inspired by Shakespeare’s epic play. Set in modern day Lebanon, Turkey, Greece and Libya, Ibrahim’s version brings Shakespeare’s ancient story of displacement into urgent contact with the present, where today’s defining crisis is found hiding inside his most compassionate play.  
 
Featuring an international cast, Pericles, Prince of Lebanon is co-produced by Bristol Old Vic with long term collaborators ETT and Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, and made in association with MMXX. It is directed by ETT’s Artistic Director Richard Twyman and opens at Bristol Old Vic from 25 Feb – 20 Mar 2027. 

Bristol Old Vic is  thrilled to be presenting Once Upon a Time in Sokoto by internationally celebrated poet, playwright and artist Inua Ellams (The 14th Tale, Barber Shop Chronicles) and directed by Roy Alexander Weise (The Mountaintop). Produced by long-time Bristol Old Vic collaborators Fuel, in association with Touring Together, this award-winning new play tells the story of a beautiful but unlikely friendship between a slave and her former master. Differences in faith, culture and heritage are overcome in the face of new enemies. This gripping family drama is set against the backdrop of events leading to the creation of Nigeria and will run at Bristol Old Vic from 2 – 13 Feb. 

Bristol Old Vic is also hosting WNOs opera The Anonymous Lover, for one night only, on 24 Mar 2027. Playful, witty and irresistible charming, The Anonymous Lover is a sparkling romantic comedy about the risks and rewards of falling in love. Rarely performed, The Anonymous Lover is the only surviving opera by pioneering 18th Century French composer Joseph Bologne and is brought to life in a vibrant new staging, with the orchestra on stage in an energetic baroque-inspired world. Faithful to Bologne’s elegant score, it also introduces a fresh, contemporary voice that speaks directly to the audience – inviting you to look again, think differently, and decide for yourself what shapes the way we experience great art. This will be the first opera to be performed on Bristol Old Vic’s Georgian Theatre stage in a decade.   

Spontaneous musical comedy at its absolute finest as Showstopper! The Improvised Musical  returns from 12 –16 Jan, direct from the West End and now back in Bristol. With sixteen years as an Edinburgh Fringe must-see phenomenon, a BBC Radio 4 series, a critically-acclaimed West End run and an Olivier Award to their name, the Showstoppers have delighted audiences across the globe with their ingenious blend of comedy, musical theatre and spontaneity.

New comedy nights just announced include climate comedian Stuart Goldsmith’s (Live at the Apollo) latest standup show Canary, hot from the Edinburgh Fringe and a UK tour. Bristol Old Vic marks the final night of his tour in his home-town of Bristol. Canary is his most honest, hilarious and hopeful hour yet as he applies his expert stand-up to the apparent collapse of absolutely everything (18 Nov). We’re also thrilled to welcome back Rachel Parris (The Mash Report) on 21 Mar, bringing some of her favourite songs from the last fifteen years of her comedy career alongside brand-new standup in Rachel Parris Songbook, while the phenomenal Mike Wozniak (Taskmaster, Man Down) is back by popular demand on 31 Jan, following three sold-out performances earlier this year with his new stand-up show The Bench. 

FAMILY WORK

Easter fun for little ones when Tall Stories' Oliver Award-nominated adaptation of The Smeds and The Smoos by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler arrives from 3 – 4 Apr. On a far-off planet, Smeds and Smoos can’t be friends. So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love and zoom off into space together, how will their families get them back? Star-crossed aliens, magical music and cosmic laughs aplenty in a stellar stage adaptation for ages 3+.

This is followed by the return of Horrible Histories with Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain (8 – 11 Apr). Can you beat battling Boudica? Could you survive the putrid plague? Would you be executed by evil Elizabeth? Will Parliament survive gunpowder Guy? It’s the horrible history of Britain with the nasty bits left in – to entertain the whole family!  

This Autumn 2026 also sees two additional productions visit The Weston Studio. This includes ETT’s Application 39, a sharply satirical, future-facing drama by Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud, directed by Cressida Brown. Gaza has unexpectedly been awarded the right to host the 2048 Olympic Games. The “victory” becomes a surreal yet pressing journey through occupation, bureaucracy, absurdity and reconstruction. The production will open September 2026 at Bristol Old Vic (23–26 Sep), before travelling to Theatre Royal Stratford East, and then embarking on a UK tour.  

In November, the award-winning British Theatre collective Side eYe Productions return to The Weston Studio (Dugsi Dayz, Desperate Times) with their latest production Off-Key from 6–7 Nov. Side eYe aims to provide an outlet for sharing underrepresented stories while addressing the lack of roles for Somali and Muslim women in the industry. Off-Key is written by Fatima Ali Omar and directed by Neetu Singh. It is a coming-of-age drama about Black girlhood, ambition, friendship and what happens when the person who knows you best, becomes someone you no longer recognise.   

These join the previously announced Studio shows Badgers, Blaze FM, What's The F**king Point?, Up Down Big Man, Community Service and The Silence and the Noise.   

NEW FOR CHRISTMAS 2026:

There’s also some new additions to Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas offer this December. Alongside the previously announced major festive show Cinderella: A Fairy Tale, and the Studio Early Years offering of The Snowy Day, there are now extra options for a kids-free night out. These include Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas Comedy Crackers (13 Dec) bringing together some of the UKs top comedy talent including Russell Kane, Eva Bindeman, Lindsey Santoro, Chatel Nash and Dane Buckley with their Xmas themed stand-up for one night only. In the Studio, Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera Special Christmas Seasonruns on selected dates throughout Dec. And to round off the year, join us for our New Year’s Eve House Party – back for a fourth, fantastic year. 

PRESS NIGHT DATES HERE