List of theatres in Bristol

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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

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.

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[edit]

Name Address Opened Seats Use Notes
1532 Performing Arts Centre Elton Road, Clifton 2016 245 theatre, musicals, lectures based on the campus of Bristol Grammar School[9]
Albany Centre Shaftesbury Avenue, Montpelier 1982 200 theatre, comedy, dance now an artist led cooperative, used as a rehearsal space[10]
Alhambra Theatre 1870 ?? music hall also known as the Forester's Music Hall, demolished 1900[11]
Alma Tavern Theatre Alma Vale Road, Clifton 1997 50 pub theatre an 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 Quay 1975 209 theatre, live art, dance, film arts centre, with adjacent galley spaces and bookshop[13]
Bedminster Hippodrome East Street, Bedminster 1911 ?? music hall, theatre converted into a cinema in 1915[14]
Bierkeller Theatre All Saints Street 2012 200 theatre, comedy receiving house, former nightclub[15] Closed 2018.
Brewery Theatre North Street, Bedminster 2009 90 theatre, comedy programmed by the Tobacco Factory Theatre[16]
Bristol Hippodrome St Augustines Parade 1912 1,981 theatre, musicals, comedy, concerts, opera receiving house operated by Ambassador Theatre Group[17]
Broadweir Theatre/Vaudeville Theatre/Gem Electric Broadweir ?? ?? music hall later a boxing club, damaged in the Bristol Blitz, 1941[18]
Canterbury Music Hall Maryport Street 1855 ?? music hall converted into dining rooms in 1863[19]
Circus of Varieties Park Row c. 1890 ?? music hall later a rolling skating rink, cinema and aircraft factory, destroyed in the Bristol Blitz, 1941[20]
Cube Microplex Kings Square 1969 108 burlesque, performance art, film formerly the Arts Centre, Kings Square[21]
Empire Theatre Old Market 1893 1,433 music hall, theatre converted into a cinema in 1931, demolished in the 1960s[22]
Hen and Chicken North Street, Bedminster 1988 150 theatre, comedy has hosted Bristol Old Vic and Show of Strength Theatre Company in the past[23]
Hope Centre Hope Chapel Hill, Hotwells 1980 220 theatre, dance, comedy, concerts closed as an arts centre in 2005, but still hosting the Hotwells Pantomime[24]
Jacobs Well Theatre Jacobs Wells Road 1729 ?? theatre closed 1779[25]
Kuumba Hepburn Road, St Pauls 1980 130 theatre, comedy, concerts Afro-Caribbean arts centre, receiving venue[26]
L Shed Princes Wharf 1998 600 theatre, conferences part of the M Shed museum, has hosted Bristol Old Vic and Head, Hearts and Two Fingers productions[27]
Little Theatre Colston Street 1923 300 theatre turned into a bar for the Colston Hall in 1980; has since been re-purposed as a music venue (the Lantern) but is now closed during the redevelopment of the Colston Hall complex.[28]
New Vic King Street 1972 150 theatre, comedy studio theatre of the Bristol Old Vic;[29] closed and demolished 2016 to make way for a new foyer building[30]
Park Street Music Hall Park Street, Clifton c. 1840 ?? music hall demolished ??[31]
People's Palace/New Palace/Gaumont Baldwin Street 1892 3,000 music hall, theatre later a cinema (1912), nightclub since 1974[32]
Prince's Theatre Park Row 1867 2,154 theatre, music hall destroyed in the Bristol Blitz, 1941[33]
QEH Theatre Jacobs Well Road, Clifton 1990 202 theatre, comedy, concerts owned and operated by QEH School[34]
Redcliffe Hall Redcliffe Hill c. 1610 ?? theatre mentioned in the will of Sarah Barker, 1637[35]
Redgrave Theatre Perceval Road, Clifton 1965 320 theatre, comedy, concerts owned and operated by Clifton College
St Monica Home Theatre Cote Lane, Westbury-on-Trym 1925 c. 1,000 theatre located in a nursing home, still occasionally used for performances[36]
Theatre Royal King Street 1776 500 theatre, comedy, concerts, opera main house of the Bristol Old Vic[37]
The Thekla The Grove 1982 150 theatre, comedy and music in the 1980s now a nightclub[38]
Tivoli Theatre Broadmead 1870 300 music hall demolished in 1952[39]
Tobacco Factory Theatre North Street, Bedminster 1998 240 theatre, comedy former factory housed, hosting visiting companies with in-house productions[40]
Tucker Street Theatre Tucker Street c. 1680 ?? theatre converted into a presbyterian meeting room c.1704[5][41]
Wardrobe Theatre West Street, Old Market 2015 100[42] pub theatre in a space at the Old Market Assembly since 2015.[43] Previously at the White Bear on St Michael's Hill.[44]
Weston Studio King Street 2018 188[45] theatre new studio theatre of the Bristol Old Vic, located in barrel vaults of Coopers' Hall. Named for sponsors the Garfield Weston Foundation.[46]
Wickham Theatre Park Row 1964 100 theatre home of University of Bristol Drama Department[47]
Wine Street Playhouse Wine Street 1604 ?? theatre built by Nicholas Woolfe, closed 1625[3]
Winston Theatre Queens Road, Clifton 1965 204[48] theatre University of Bristol Union drama space[49][48]

See also[edit]

Works cited[edit]

  • Pilkington, Mark C (1997). Records of Early English Drama: Bristol. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-4221-X.
  • Powell, G. Rennie (1919). The Bristol Stage: Its Story. Bristol: Bristol Printing & Publishing Co. Ltd.
  • Watts, Guy Tracey (1915). Theatrical Bristol. Bristol: Holloway and Son.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Pilkington, p. xxxiii
  2. ^ Pilkington, pp. xxxiv–xxxv
  3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ Watts, pp. 107–109
  34. ^ "QEH Theatre and Drama". qehbristol.co.uk. 2012. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  35. ^ Pilkington, p.242
  36. ^ "St Monica Home Theatre – The Theatres Trust". theatrestrust.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  37. ^ "Bristol Old Vic Redevelopment". bristololdvic.org.uk. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  38. ^ "Historic Ship Gets Turbosound Makeover" (PDF). ukslc.org. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  39. ^ Lloyd, Matthew (2011). "The Tivoli Theatre, Broadmead, Bristol". arthurlloyd.co.uk. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  40. ^ "Tobacco Factory Theatre – History". tobaccofactorytheatre.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 29 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  41. ^ Latimer, John (1893). The Annals of Bristol in the Eighteenth Century. pp. 26–27.
  42. ^ "Hire Our Space". Wardrobe Theatre. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  43. ^ "About". The Wardrobe Theatre. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  44. ^ "The Wardrobe Theatre". Theatre Bristol. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  45. ^ "Goodbye to our Studio". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  46. ^ "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.
  47. ^ "Wickham Theatre". bris.ac.uk. 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  48. ^ a b "The Winston Theatre". Bristol Student Theatre. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  49. ^ 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]
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