BADGERS, BLAZE FM and More Set for Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio Autumn Lineup
The season will feature What's the F**king Point? a dark comedy from multi-award-winning disability-led theatre company, FlawBored and more.
Bristol Old Vic has unveiled its autumn season for The Weston Studio. This autumn's programme presents a wide range of stories and perspectives from across the UK, with work spanning theatre, music, dance and interactive performance.
Productions go on priority sale from today (Thu 21 May), with general sale opening Thu 28 May.
The season opens with Badgers (8–12 Sep), a new play originally commissioned by Theatre Royal Plymouth and presented in association with Bristol Old Vic. Written by acclaimed writer and poet Malaika Kegode, with music by Jakabol, the production is a shape-shifting new work from the team behind the moving and genre-defying Outlier (2021, Bristol Old Vic). A folk tale about folk tales, Badgers is told through spoken word and music, and explores the secrets we hold onto, and the truths we bury. Audiences can also catch a special preview run from 30 Jul–1 Aug ahead of the production's world premiere at Traverse Festival during this summer's Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
From 29 Sep–3 Oct, The Big House theatre company brings their Edinburgh Festival 2025 hit Blaze FM to The Weston Studio as part of a UK tour. Set in a pirate radio station in the early 2000s, and smashing through 15 years of political history in the UK. Blaze FM is a new play-with-music exploring censorship, attacks on freedom and the Windrush scandal. Written by acclaimed Grime MC Jammz (I am Grime, Poet in da Corner) and James Meteyard (Electrolyte, Redemption), the piece is laced with original Jungle, Garage, Grime and Drill tracks. This is their "The Boat That Rocked" for UK underground music, exploring a subculture before it disappears.
The season continues with What's the F**king Point? a dark comedy from multi-award-winning disability-led theatre company, FlawBored (14–17 Oct). Three friends – and a useless doctor – are pulled into a spiral of medical bureaucracy, identity politics and the desperate human need to feel significant. Bristol Old Vic is delighted to welcome the company back to The Weston Studio after their first show It's a Motherf**king Pleasure took audiences by storm in 2024.
From 20–24 Oct, Myrtle Theatre Company and Wiltshire Creative present Up Down Big Man, in association with The Wardrobe Ensemble. The production is the third in a trilogy of plays inspired by writer and performer Nathan Bessell's life story, following the critically acclaimed Up Down Boy and Up Down Man. Full of wit, anarchy and heart, the play sees Nathan return as Matty, a man facing a major turning point in life after the death of his mother and his father moving on. As Matty prepares to leave the family home for the final time, questions of care, independence and belonging come sharply into focus.
The Studio season is also spilling out into Coopers' Hall as Bristol Old Vic welcomes back internationally award-winning Cornish artist Seamas Carey with his latest work, Community Service (28–31 Oct). Combining sincerity, mischief and audience interaction, the show follows Geoff, who has been tasked by The Council with creating an instant community in just sixty minutes – despite the fact that he hates people. Interactive, inclusive and joyfully anarchic, audiences are invited either to participate or simply observe.
From 10–14 Nov, Papatango Theatre Company and Pentabus present The Silence and the Noise by Tom Powell and directed by George Turvey. It tells the story of two overlooked teenagers, Daize and Ben, caught up in a county lines drug ring but who begin to find hope in one another. As the pair navigate neglect and uncertainty, they discover a connection no adult has ever offered them before. Winner of the 2021 Papatango Prize from more than 1,400 submissions, the play was originally produced by Papatango as an audio play, before Pentabus made a film version in 2023. Now, these leading new writing companies have joined forces to present the long-awaited stage premiere on a national tour this autumn.
The autumn season concludes with Bristol Old Vic's much-loved Christmas production for the youngest audiences. From 28 Nov–3 Jan, Polka Theatre and award-nominated theatre company Can't Sit Still brings an enchanting adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' beloved picture book The Snowy Day to The Weston Studio. Created for children aged 1–5 and their grown-ups, the intimate dance adaptation follows Peter as he explores the snowy streets of his New York neighbourhood. Featuring one dancer, original music and an enchanting set, the production offers a magical first theatre experience for young audiences.
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