New shows announced as part of Bristol Old Vic's Jun 2019 – Jan 2020 season
21 May 2019
Bristol Old Vic’s Jun 2019 – Jan 2020 season brochure was launched today, revealing some new additions to the tantalising list of productions already on sale.
The brochure also unveils the new image for Bristol Old Vic’s major autumn production – Cyrano – which will be directed by Tom Morris and stars Tristan Sturrock (Peter Pan, Treasure Island, Tristan & Yseult) in the titular role, marking his return to the Bristol Old Vic stage after six years.
Also announced today, Sturrock will be joined by two more Bristol acting favourites, Felix Hayes (A Christmas Carol, Jane Eyre, A Monster Calls) as De Guiche and Miltos Yerolemou (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Snow Queen, Game of Thrones) as Raguneau, with further casting to be announced next month.
L to R: Tristan Sturrock in Far Away (2010) Felix Hayes in A Christmas Carol (2018), Miltos Yerolemou in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2013)
THEATRE
Before Cyrano plunges audiences headfirst into that most riotous adventure called love, September sees a pulse-racing romantic whirlwind like no other. Bristol Old Vic’s co-production with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh will be a major remount of Tron Theatre Company and Blood of the Young’s hugely acclaimed Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), premiering at Bristol Old Vic ahead of its UK tour (7 – 28 Sep). Isobel McArthur’s unique adaptation will make audiences look at Jane Austen’s most beloved and iconic characters – Mr Darcy, Lizzie and the Bennet clan – in a whole new light as the servants take charge of the story in a loving and irreverent all-female adaptation of this literary classic.
2019 is completed by the return of the record-breaking 2018 Christmas production A Christmas Carol. We are thrilled to announced today that Gwyneth Herbert, with Harry Bird and Christophe Capewell(aka The Rubber Wellies) are once again taking to the stage as the play’s spectacular musicians, ghostly creatures and more. The rest of the exciting new cast will be announced very soon.
Adding to this autumn line up and announced today, English Touring Theatre and Sheffield Theatres present the first-ever adaption of Matt Haig’s bestseller Reasons To Stay Alive, a true story of one man’s journey out of crisis, exploring how to live and love better. This new piece is imagined for the stage by Jonathan Watkins and will tour to the Theatre from 1 – 5 Oct.
THE WESTON STUDIO
The Weston Studio continues its mission to challenge perceptions and energise audiences with a kaleidoscope of work from some of the UK’s most dynamic theatre-makers and exciting emerging performers.
New autumn work for the Studio announced today includes award-winning poet Owen Sheers’ (Pink Mist) deeply poignant piece Unicorns, Almost (3 – 7 Sep), telling the life story of poet and soldier Keith Douglas from his early childhood through to his early death at 24, three days after the D-Day landings in Normandy. Sheers reunites with Pink Mist’s Director John Retallack and Sound Designer Jon Nicholls (Pink Mist, Touching The Void) to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of WWII, presenting one man’s Faustian pact with a war which would both gift his poetic voice and take it away.
Made In Bristol alumni and former Young Company member Julia Head returns to The Weston Studio to direct Bristol-based theatre company FullRogue’s Wild Swimming (10–21 Sep). It makes a triumphant return off the back of their Edinburgh run, after its first outing as a riotous, sell-out scratch performance during Jan 2019’s Ferment Fortnight. Written by Bristol Open Session writer Marek Horn, this exploration of cultural progress is an interrogation of gender and privilege and a wilfully ignorant history of English Literature.
Bristol Old Vic’s associate company Ad Infinitum (No Kids, Chloe and the Colour Catcher) are back with their signature style of physical storytelling, this time combining it with the beauty of British Sign Language in Extraordinary Wall of Silence (5 – 19 Oct). Helen, Alan and Graham are told they are impaired and need fixing. As they begin to question the world, three powerful coming-of-age stories unfold, uniting in a struggle against ignorance and oppression. Continuing to develop Bristol Old Vic's access for all, this show is a bilingual performance in English and BSL with integrated captioning.
Firm Bristol favourites The Wardrobe Ensemble are also returning to the Weston Studio with their enchanting, interactive The Deep Sea Seekers (30 Oct – 2 Nov), following their recent runs of the hilariously touching 1972: The Future of Sex and Ferment Fortnight’s The Last of the Pelican Daughters. This audience-driven children’s show will journey through our oceans meeting incredible creatures, exploring unmapped shores and tackling unwelcome plastic.
Finally, The Weston Studio will also welcome performance artist Travis Alabanza to their hometown Bristol with Burgerz, a “terrific, tricky and layered show” (Lyn Gardner) exploring how trans bodies survive and triumph in the face of acts of violence. Carving out a place for themselves as one of the UK’s prominent trans voices, Alabanza presents a performance that is timely, unsettling and powerful, (20 – 23 Nov).
SUMMER FUN
If you can’t wait until autumn, Bristol Old Vic’s summer programme of bright and brilliant visiting work is already on sale, including Kneehigh’s Dead Dog in a Suitcase (2 – 13 Jul), Amélie the Musical (16 – 20 Jul), starring Bristol Old Vic royalty Audrey Brisson (The Grinning Man, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk) and the return of Olivier Award-winner Sally Cookson’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt (26 – 28 Jul). In addition, Le Navet Bete’s zany take on The Three Musketeers (22 – 24 Aug) and Emma Rice’s Malory Towers (19 Jul – 18 Aug), Wise Children’s second-ever production taking place at the Passenger Shed, will provide extra family fun to see audiences through the summer in joyful style.
In addition and on sale from today is Summer Rolls – a sweeping family saga by critically acclaimed actress Tuyen Do (The Great Wave) of Bristol Old Vic’s Weston Studio season (24 – 27 Jul.) This marks a seminal moment as the first British Vietnamese play to be staged in the UK and forms a welcome part of Bristol Old Vic's Weston Studio season.
The new shows announced go on sale to Friends and Best Friends from 10am on Tue 21 May and general public at 10am on Tue 28 May. Tickets are available through the Bristol Old Vic Box Office at 0117 987 7877 or by emailing tickets@bristololdvic.org.uk.
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Bristol Old Vic is the longest continuously running theatre in the UK, and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2016. The historic playhouse aims to inspire audiences with its own original productions, both at home and on tour, whilst nurturing the next generation of artists, whether that be through their 350-strong Young Company, their many outreach and education projects or their trailblazing artist development programme, Bristol Ferment.
They use their funding to support experiment and innovation, to allow access to their programme for people who would not otherwise encounter it, or be able to afford it, and to keep their extraordinary heritage alive and animated.
On 24 Sep 2018, Bristol Old Vic completed its 2-year multi-million pound redevelopment project, which transformed its front of house space into a warm and welcoming public building for all of Bristol to enjoy, created a new studio theatre and opened up its unique theatrical heritage to the public for the first time.