More Autumn Shows and Summer Family Work Comes to Bristol Old Vic

Bristol Old Vic has announced a flurry of extra shows for Winter/Spring alongside classic summer family work – now on sale. Co-productions and comedy, family work and free events join Bristol Old Vic's line up with a further seven shows now on sale taking us into 2026 with a bang. Tickets are on sale to members from today and on general sale from 3 Jul.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

For the spring, Bristol Old Vic is delighted to be joining forces with leading theatre companies Headlong, Shakespeare's Globe, and Leeds Playhouse for a striking new production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Directed by Headlong's Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan, this bold reimagining continues Bristol Old Vic's long-standing partnership with Headlong, following critically acclaimed productions such as The House Party and Richard III. This new staging exemplifies the companies' shared commitment to approaching every play – regardless of its age or familiarity – as if it were brand new. Audiences will be invited to rediscover a beloved classic through a fresh, contemporary lens that challenges expectations and breathes new life into Shakespeare's timeless tale. The production arrives at Bristol Old Vic, 4–21 Mar 2026.

Holly Race Roughan said today: “This new staging will explore some of the darker elements of Shakespeare's well-known comedy, turning it on its head and asking us to reexamine its themes and subject matter. Following a highly successful collaboration on Henry V, it is a joy to be partnering once again with Shakespeare's Globe and our committed national partners to allow audiences to meet this play in the moment we are in.”

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

Ahead of this spring Shakespeare, award-winning producers Jack Maple and Thomas Hopkins will bring the first ever UK tour of the stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's iconic, gripping novel The Talented Mr. Ripley to Bristol Old Vic in November (3–8 Nov) marking the 70th anniversary of the novel's publication. The novel was also the source material for the 2000 Oscar nominated film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow and the 2024 Netflix adaptation starring Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn and Dakota Fanning.

Tom Ripley is a nobody—until he's offered an unexpected opportunity: travel to Italy and bring home the wealthy and carefree Dickie Greenleaf. But as Tom is drawn into Dickie's glittering world of privilege, his obsession takes a dark turn. What begins as an innocent invitation spirals into a web of lies, identity theft, and murder.
 
Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of 1950s Italy, this gripping stage adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley brings Patricia Highsmith's iconic novel to life in a thrilling new production. With razor-sharp dialogue, psychological intensity, and a chillingly charismatic antihero, this is Ripley as you've never seen him before.

COMEDY

A line-up of comedy is also part of this autumn as Edinburgh Fringe favourites, Degrees of Error, bring back their multiple sell-out show Murder She Didn't Write (12–15 Nov). They'll create a classic murder mystery on-the-spot in this ingenious improvised comedy, with the audience becoming the author as the cast act out an Agatha Christie-inspired masterpiece live on stage. Don your deerstalker, grab your magnifying glass and get your ‘finger of suspicion' at the ready.

Comedy classic The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) is touring in 2026 and we're delighted to welcome Reduced Shakespeare Company to Bristol Old Vic for the first time in the Spring (24–28 Mar). They join our hugely popular line up of stand up comedy one-nighters, which also continue through the autumn/spring with acts announced throughout the year.

STUDIO

Adding to the Studio programme and hot from its run at the Pleasance Courtyard at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, BoonDog Theatre present Lovett, written and performed by Lucy Roslyn and directed by Jamie Firth. The newly-widowed Mrs. Eleanor Lovett needs to find a way to survive. Using the skills she learned from her whaler father, Eleanor “recalibrates”. An origin story set before she encounters Sweeney Todd, discover what ultimately led her to turn his victims into pies. Lovett will run at The Weston Studio from 16–20 Sep, it is a welcome return from BoonDog Theatre after their 2024 production Piskie.  

Lovett joins recently announced Studio work including: gig-theatre Ohio (from Francesca Moody Productions) a true story about losing faith and finding hope in the darkest places from Indie-winning folk duo The Bengsons (2–13 Sep);  Drum (23–27 Sep), fusing storytelling, music and dance and inspired by a meeting between rising Ghanaian creatives photographer James Barnor and broadcaster Mike Eghan in the 1960s; Impatient Productions' Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha (30 Sep–4 Oct), the part group therapy, part chaos ritual and number one cult hit show of Edinburgh Fringe 2023; Main Character Energy (6–11 Oct), a high camp cocktail of comedy and cabaret, written & performed by Temi Wilkey; My English Persian Kitchen (14–18 Oct), a life-affirming new play chronicling one woman's quest to start again - written by award-winning Hannah Khalil from the story by Atoosa Sepehr; the sell-out success Even More Ghost Stories by Candlelight (21–25 Oct) brings four brand-new spooky stories from award-winning writers is followed by the return of paranormal comedy Gurt Haunted (4–8 Nov); and Departure, a music and dance performance by movement artist Masumi Saito and composer/musician An-Ting, exploring themes of ritual, death and spirit.

FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S WORK

In Easter 2026, we welcome the evergreen classic children's tale The Gruffalo (7–18 Apr) in its smash-hit stage adaptation. Join Mouse on a daring adventure through the deep, dark wood in Tall Stories' magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – celebrating 25 years on stage in 2026.

This is followed in Summer 2026 by Horrible Histories for children aged 5+  in July. Using actors and eye-popping 3D special effects, not one but two astounding shows –Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians – are guaranteed to thrill adults and children alike and play 2–5 Jul.

These join the previously announced Mario the Maker Magician (22–24 Jul) and Dinosaur World Live! (25–27 Jul) this summer, The Paper Dolls this autumn (28 Oct –1 Nov), and the Christmas family shows Treasure Island and Antarctica.

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