List of theatres in Bristol

Last updated

The Cooper's Hall in King Street is the main entrance to the Theatre Royal, home of the Bristol Old Vic. Coopers' Hall front.jpg
The Cooper's Hall in King Street is the main entrance to the Theatre Royal, home of the Bristol Old Vic.
The Alma Tavern, which houses a pub theatre in Clifton The Alma Tavern, Clifton - geograph.org.uk - 1161721.jpg
The Alma Tavern, which houses a pub theatre in Clifton

This is a list of theatres in Bristol, England. Listed spaces have been primarily used for theatre in the past or are in current use. Many other spaces in the city have hosted plays.

Contents

Early theatrical performances were associated with religious feasts such as Christmas and St Katherine's Day. Schoolboys from St Bartholomew's Hospital are recorded as having performed plays, probably classical drama, in the 16th century. [1] Touring companies such as the Queen's Men, the Admiral's Men and the Lord Chamberlain's Men performed frequently at the guildhall during the 1580s and the 1590s. [2] In the early 17th century, two private playhouses were opened, the Wine Street Playhouse and Redcliffe Hall. Drama historian Mark Pilkington considers this "a situation unique in the provinces." [3] During the period of the Commonwealth (1642–1659) drama was suppressed and playhouses throughout England were closed. [4] In the late 17th century a playhouse was erected in Tucker Street near Bristol Bridge, but there were complaints by clergy and residents and the theatre was closed in 1704 and converted into a Presbyterian meeting house. [5]

In 1729, a new theatre was opened at Jacob's Well by an actor named John Hippisley, who had created the character of Peachum in the premiere of Gay's Beggar's Opera. Lying outside the then city limits, the theatre was safe from the magistrates and it remained in business until, in 1766, the Theatre Royal was opened in King Street. [6] The Theatre Royal has remained in business almost continuously ever since and is claimed to be Britain's oldest working theatre. [7] The New Theatre Royal, later renamed as the Prince's Theatre, was opened in 1867 on Park Row, with a larger stage and auditorium than the King Street premises. [8] In the last decades of the 19th century and the early 20th century a number of music halls were opened but most became cinemas by the mid-20th century. Most Prominent of these is the Bristol Hippodrome, which opened in 1912, and which regularly hosts opera, West End Musicals, dance and variety.

Since the 1970s a number of arts centres and small venues have opened with regular visiting companies and amateur productions. Although funding cuts have led to the closure of venues such as the Albany Centre and the Hope Centre, other venues such as the Alma Tavern Theatre and the Tobacco Factory Theatre have taken their place.

List

NameAddressOpenedSeatsUseNotes
1532 Performing Arts CentreElton Road, Clifton2016245theatre, musicals, lecturesbased on the campus of Bristol Grammar School [9]
Albany CentreShaftesbury Avenue, Montpelier1982200theatre, comedy, dancenow an artist led cooperative, used as a rehearsal space [10]
Alhambra Theatre1870 ??music hallalso known as the Forester's Music Hall, demolished 1900 [11]
Alma Tavern TheatreAlma Vale Road, Clifton199750pub theatrean intimate studio theatre, home to Schoolhouse Productions (the in-house company since 2017), and also hosting touring companies such as Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Red Rope, Hecate Theatre, Awkward Productions, and many more. [12]
Arnolfini Narrow Quay1975209theatre, live art, dance, filmarts centre, with adjacent galley spaces and bookshop [13]
Bedminster HippodromeEast Street, Bedminster1911 ??music hall, theatreconverted into a cinema in 1915 [14]
Bierkeller Theatre All Saints Street2012200theatre, comedyreceiving house, former nightclub [15] Closed 2018.
Brewery Theatre North Street, Bedminster200990theatre, comedyprogrammed by the Tobacco Factory Theatre [16]
Bristol Hippodrome St Augustines Parade19121,981theatre, musicals, comedy, concerts, operareceiving house operated by Ambassador Theatre Group [17]
Broadweir Theatre/Vaudeville Theatre/Gem ElectricBroadweir ?? ??music halllater a boxing club, damaged in the Bristol Blitz, 1941 [18]
Canterbury Music HallMaryport Street1855 ??music hallconverted into dining rooms in 1863 [19]
Circus of VarietiesPark Rowc. 1890 ??music halllater a rolling skating rink, cinema and aircraft factory, destroyed in the Bristol Blitz, 1941 [20]
Cube Microplex Kings Square1969108burlesque, performance art, filmformerly the Arts Centre, Kings Square [21]
Empire TheatreOld Market18931,433music hall, theatreconverted into a cinema in 1931, demolished in the 1960s [22]
Hen and ChickenNorth Street, Bedminster1988150theatre, comedyhas hosted Bristol Old Vic and Show of Strength Theatre Company in the past [23]
Hope Centre Hope Chapel Hill, Hotwells1980220theatre, dance, comedy, concertsclosed as an arts centre in 2005, but still hosting the Hotwells Pantomime [24]
Jacobs Well Theatre Jacobs Wells Road1729 ??theatreclosed 1779 [25]
Kuumba Hepburn Road, St Pauls1980130theatre, comedy, concertsAfro-Caribbean arts centre, receiving venue [26]
L ShedPrinces Wharf1998600theatre, conferencespart of the M Shed museum, has hosted Bristol Old Vic and Head, Hearts and Two Fingers productions [27]
Little Theatre Colston Street1923300theatreturned into a bar for the Colston Hall in 1980; has since been re-purposed as a music venue (the Lantern). [28]
New Vic King Street1972150theatre, comedystudio theatre of the Bristol Old Vic; [29] closed and demolished 2016 to make way for a new foyer building [30]
Park Street Music HallPark Street, Cliftonc. 1840 ??music halldemolished ?? [31]
People's Palace/New Palace/GaumontBaldwin Street18923,000music hall, theatrelater a cinema (1912) and nightclub (1974); [32] converted to flats in 2021. [33]
Prince's Theatre Park Row18672,154theatre, music halldestroyed in the Bristol Blitz, 1941 [34]
QEH Theatre Jacobs Well Road, Clifton1990202theatre, comedy, concertsowned and operated by QEH School [35]
Redcliffe Hall Redcliffe Hillc. 1610 ??theatrementioned in the will of Sarah Barker, 1637 [36]
Redgrave Theatre Perceval Road, Clifton1965320theatre, comedy, concertsowned and operated by Clifton College
St Monica Home TheatreCote Lane, Westbury-on-Trym1925c. 1,000theatrelocated in a nursing home, still occasionally used for performances [37]
Theatre Royal King Street1776500theatre, comedy, concerts, operamain house of the Bristol Old Vic [38]
The Thekla The Grove1982150theatre, comedy and music in the 1980snow a nightclub [39]
Tivoli TheatreBroadmead1870300music halldemolished in 1952 [40]
Tobacco Factory Theatre North Street, Bedminster1998240theatre, comedyformer factory housed, hosting visiting companies with in-house productions [41]
Tucker Street TheatreTucker Streetc. 1680 ??theatreconverted into a presbyterian meeting room c.1704 [5] [42]
Wardrobe TheatreWest Street, Old Market2015100 [43] pub theatrein a space at the Old Market Assembly since 2015. [44] Previously at the White Bear on St Michael's Hill. [45]
Weston StudioKing Street2018188 [46] theatrenew studio theatre of the Bristol Old Vic, located in barrel vaults of Coopers' Hall. Named for sponsors the Garfield Weston Foundation. [47]
Wickham Theatre Park Row1964100theatrehome of University of Bristol Drama Department [48]
Wine Street Playhouse Wine Street1604 ??theatrebuilt by Nicholas Woolfe, closed 1625 [3]
Winston Theatre Queens Road, Clifton1965204 [49] theatre University of Bristol Union drama space [50] [49]

See also

Works cited

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siân Phillips</span> Welsh actress, born 1933

Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips, known professionally as Siân Phillips, is a British actress from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Glamorgan, Wales. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in Ibsen's Hedda Gabler and George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan. In the 1960s, she started taking on more roles in television and film. She is particularly known for her performance as Livia in the 1976 BBC television series I, Claudius, for which she was awarded a BAFTA and a Royal Television Society award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Old Vic</span> Theatre in Bristol, England

Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a financially independent organisation in the 1990s. Bristol Old Vic runs a Young Company for those aged 7–25.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Jameson</span> English actress

Louise Marion Jameson is an English actress with a variety of television and theatre credits. Her roles on television have included playing Leela in Doctor Who, Anne Reynolds in The Omega Factor (1979), Blanche Simmons in Tenko (1981–1982), Susan Young in Bergerac (1985–1990), Rosa di Marco in EastEnders (1998–2000) and Mary Goskirk in Emmerdale (2022–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eileen Atkins</span> English actress (born 1934)

Dame Eileen June Atkins, is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Cranford. She is also a three-time Olivier Award winner, winning Best Supporting Performance in 1988 and Best Actress for The Unexpected Man (1999) and Honour (2004). She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1990 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Warchus</span> British director and dramatist

Matthew Warchus is an English theatre director, filmmaker and dramaturg. He has been the Artistic Director of London's The Old Vic since September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol Hippodrome</span> Theatre in Bristol, England

The Bristol Hippodrome is a theatre located in The Centre, Bristol, England, United Kingdom with seating on three levels giving a capacity of 1,951. It frequently features shows from London's West End when they tour the UK, as well as regular visits by Welsh National Opera and an annual pantomime.

William Robert 'Bertie' Crewe was one of the leading English theatre architects in the boom of 1885 to 1915.

Laura Rogers is a British actress from Carmarthen, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambassador Theatre Group</span> International Live Entertainment organisation

The Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), now rebranded to ATG Entertainment is a major international live entertainment organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom, with offices in Woking, London, New York, Sydney, Mannheim and Cologne. ATG's key operations comprise three inter-related activities: venue ownership and management, ticketing and marketing operations, and show productions.

Laura Wade is an English playwright.

Simon Dormandy is an English theatre director, teacher and actor. As an actor, he worked with Cheek by Jowl and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), as well as at The Donmar Warehouse, The Old Vic, Chichester Festival Theatre and The Royal Exchange, amongst many others. He is perhaps best known on screen for his performances in Little Dorrit (film) and Vanity Fair. Between 1997 and 2012, he taught drama at Eton College, Berkshire, and held the posts of Director of Drama, Head of Theatre Studies and Deputy Head of English. He worked as a freelance theatre director until 2019 and has been Head of Academic Drama at St Paul's School, London since 2020. His directing credits include Julius Caesar at the Bristol Old Vic and Much Ado About Nothing at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, and his own adaptations of A Passage to India and the Coen Brothers' film The Hudsucker Proxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watford Palace Theatre</span> Theatre and cinema in Watford, Hertfordshire, England

Watford Palace Theatre, opened in 1908, is an Edwardian Grade II listed building in Watford, Hertfordshire. The 600-seat theatre on Clarendon Road was refurbished in 2004. It houses its own rehearsal room, wardrobe, cafe and bar.

<i>Elvis</i> (musical) Musical by Various Artists

Elvis is a jukebox musical based upon the life of American singer Elvis Presley, conceived by and Ray Cooney and Jack Good. It tells the story of Elvis's life and career, from the beginning until his death. The original cast included Shakin' Stevens, who later became the top-selling UK singles artist of the 1980s and Tracey Ullman.

Alan Morrissey is a British actor. He grew up in Stockport at the Farmers Arms Pub, of which his parents were the licensees, before moving to Oldham. Morrissey trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In 2002 and again in 2003, Dame Maggie Smith and The Fenton Arts Trust awarded him the bursary for talented potentials. He graduated from the Old Vic Theatre School in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hulme Hippodrome</span> Theatre in Hulme, Manchester, England

The Hulme Hippodrome in Manchester, England, is a Grade II listed building, a proscenium arch theatre with two galleries and a side hall. It was originally known as the Grand Junction Theatre and Floral Hall, and opened on 7 October 1901 on the former main road of Preston Street, Hulme. It was also used for repertory theatre in 1940s, and for recording BBC programmes with audiences between 1950 and 1956. The theatre has been closed since 2018 and a campaign group exists to bring it back into use as a community resource. The stage doors are on Warwick Street. Its local name in memoirs and records is 'The Hipp'. Its national heritage significance includes being the venue for recording live the first three series of broadcast programmes by Morecambe and Wise.

Aberdeen has been the host of several theatres and concert halls through history. Some of them have been converted or destroyed over the years.

Ruth Delia Kearney is an Irish actress, best known for her roles as Jess Parker in Primeval, Daisy in The Following, and London in Flaked, a series on Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Grecian Theatre</span>

The Royal Grecian Theatre was a music hall theatre, located in the grounds of the Eagle Tavern, a public house at Shepherdess Walk, just off the City Road in Shoreditch, in the East End of London. The Eagle, best known for its association with the nursery rhyme Pop goes the weasel survives, but the theatre does not.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crouch End Hippodrome</span>

The Crouch End Hippodrome, originally the Queen's Opera House, was a theatre that once stood in Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theatres designed by Frank Matcham</span>

The English architect Frank Matcham was responsible for the design and refurbishment of around 164 buildings, mostly theatres, throughout the United Kingdom. He entered the architectural profession when he was 21, in 1874, and joined the practice of J. T. Robinson, his future father-in-law, a few years later. Matcham completed his first solo design, the Elephant and Castle theatre, in June 1879, having taken over Robinson's practice upon his death. He founded his own practice, Matcham & Co., in 1883 which experienced much prosperity. His most successful period was between 1892 and 1912, during which there was an increased demand for variety theatres which resulted in the closure and dismantlement of many music halls, which had become outdated.

References

  1. ↑ Pilkington, p. xxxiii
  2. ↑ Pilkington, pp. xxxiv–xxxv
  3. 1 2 Pilkington, p. xxxvii–xl
  4. ↑ Wiseman, Susan (1998). Drama and Politics in the English Civil War (PDF). Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  5. 1 2 Watts, pp. 19–20
  6. ↑ Powell, pp. 12, 19
  7. ↑ "Bristol Theatre, Theatre Collection". bris.ac.uk. University of Bristol. 2012. Archived from the original on 6 September 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  8. ↑ Powell, pp. 73–74
  9. ↑ (www.albow.com), Theatre Bristol. "Theatre Bristol - 1532 Performing Arts Centre". theatrebristol.net. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  10. ↑ "Albany Centre: History". albanycentre.org. 2007. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  11. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "Alhambra Theatre, Bristol – Also known as Forester's Music Hall". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Alma Tavern and Theatre – About us". almataverntheatre.co.uk. 2011. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  13. ↑ "Arnolfini event hires and hospitality". arnolfini.org.uk. 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  14. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "Bedminster Hippodrome, East Street, Bristol". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  15. ↑ "Home – Bierkeller Theatre". bierkellertheatre.com. 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  16. ↑ "Tobacco Factory Theatre – About Us – Use our spaces!". tobaccofactorytheatre.com. 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  17. ↑ "Bristol Hippodrome". hippodromebristol.co.uk. 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  18. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "The Vaudeville Theatre, Bristol". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  19. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "Canterbury Music Hall, Bristol – Also known as Western Counties Music Hall". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  20. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "Circus of Varieties, Park Row, Bristol – Also known as the Coliseum Cinema". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  21. ↑ Hogg, Graeme; Williams, Chris (Spring–Summer 2009). "Letter from...Desire in Action". Vertigo Magazine. 4 (3). Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  22. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "The Empire Theatre, Old Market and Captain Carey's Lane, Bristol". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  23. ↑ "Theatre Bristol: Spaces: Hen And Chicken". theatrebristol.net. 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  24. ↑ "Hope Centre – The Theatres Trust". theatrestrust.org.uk. 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  25. ↑ Watts, pp 41–59
  26. ↑ "KUUMBA". kuumbabristol.co.uk. 2011. Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  27. ↑ "L Shed at Bristol Industrial Museum". theatrebristol.net. 2012. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  28. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "The Colston Hall Complex, Bristol – Including The Little Theatre". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  29. ↑ "Auditorium of the New Vic, Bristol, 2001 – The Theatres Trust". theatrestrust.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  30. ↑ "Goodbye to our Studio". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  31. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "Park Street Music Hall, Bristol". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  32. ↑ "People's Palace (Bristol)". theatrestrust.org.uk. 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  33. ↑ Grubb, Sophie (8 June 2021). "First look inside Bristol's former Creation nightclub after it was turned into flats". Bristol Live. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  34. ↑ Watts, pp. 107–109
  35. ↑ "QEH Theatre and Drama". qehbristol.co.uk. 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  36. ↑ Pilkington, p.242
  37. ↑ "St Monica Home Theatre – The Theatres Trust". theatrestrust.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  38. ↑ "Bristol Old Vic Redevelopment". bristololdvic.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  39. ↑ "Historic Ship Gets Turbosound Makeover" (PDF). ukslc.org. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  40. ↑ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "The Tivoli Theatre, Broadmead, Bristol". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  41. ↑ "Tobacco Factory Theatre – History". tobaccofactorytheatre.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  42. ↑ Latimer, John (1893). The Annals of Bristol in the Eighteenth Century. pp.  26–27.
  43. ↑ "Hire Our Space". Wardrobe Theatre. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  44. ↑ "About". The Wardrobe Theatre. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  45. ↑ "The Wardrobe Theatre". Theatre Bristol. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  46. ↑ "Goodbye to our Studio". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  47. ↑ "Bristol Old Vic invites city to christen the new Weston Studio: Presenting the Theatre and Artists of Tomorrow". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  48. ↑ "Wickham Theatre". bris.ac.uk. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  49. 1 2 "The Winston Theatre". Bristol Student Theatre. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  50. ↑ Moss, Giles (January 2001). "The Naked Winston or The Winston Theatre: A Hack's Guide" (PDF). bristolsta.com. p. 2. Retrieved 2 January 2012.[ permanent dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.