Theatre fans have only a matter of weeks to wait for the Bristol Old Vic to open its doors again after a two-year, multi-million pound redevelopment project.
The theatre is set to open on 24th September at 8am.
Work has been done to create a more accessible and welcoming space. 2018 was heralded as a Year of Change and this autumn, not only does the programme reflect this theme, but the building itself is leading the way.
When the theatre was first built it was a space where people from every walk of life would congregate to be inspired and entertained. Over 250 years, as fashions changed and the theatre became increasingly hidden from the street, Bristol Old Vic has sometimes seemed only to belong to the privileged few.
With this refurbishment, the theatre is renewing its contract to welcome all visitors to its unique atmosphere and the company of extraordinary artists who make work here. The theatre is proud to be a place which stretches beyond its walls to engage with young people from every city postcode, but now this building and programme of work can also bring that promise to fruition, in the heart of Bristol.
The announcement also includes the newly-built and newly-christened Weston Studio theatre, a magical, flexible space situated in the old barrel cellars beneath Coopers’ Hall. The Weston Studio has been sponsored by the Garfield Weston Foundation and will open on 5 Oct with a programme that wriggles with invention. It sets out its stall as a home to innovation and the theatre-makers of tomorrow, and will also engage, educate and entertain children from every part of the city. To celebrate this new beginning, there will be an opening weekend festival (5–7 Oct) showcasing the developmental work of Bristol Ferment, Bristol Old Vic Young Company, the pioneering Bristol Old Vic Literary department, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School alongside inspirational work for the audiences and artists of the future – your children.
Directly above Coopers’ Hall is the Coopers’ Loft Studio at the very top of the building, which has been transformed into another fully-accessible, intimate and flexible space for both performance and events hire.
Full details of The Weston Studio’s programme can be found in the new, Special Edition Brochure, here.