Theatre / Old Market
A glimpse into the hidden histories of Old Market
“Memories of a lawless place, the proclaimed gay village and the home of gentrification” are set to be explored in a one-man show.
Old Market (REMIXED) uncovers the hidden histories of communities in Old Market, whisking an audience on a journey to the area from the 1990s to the present day and breathing new life into its stories.
Performed at the Wardrobe Theatre, the reignited play is written by Tom Marshman, an artist who aims to tell the stories of those “historically silenced”, including LGBTQ+ people.
is needed now More than ever
They use verbatim theatre techniques, lip-synching and dance to celebrate the tales of Old Market’s colourful characters in an area that has undergone radical change from being Bristol’s ‘golden mile’ to falling to dereliction and resurging as our city’s gay quarter.
Tom, who lives in Old Market, created the live theatre show by weaving together the real-life tales of people from the area he calls “a neighbourhood of contradictions”.
“I think there are communities in the self-appointed gay village that sit at odds. You can get a sourdough loaf for £8 or you can go next door and have a happy ending for £40,” the producer, actor and storyteller told Bristol24/7.
“There’s amazing architecture but it’s idiosyncratic next to very brand-new developments. I like this mashup of stuff – it doesn’t have any uniformity.”
The show, celebrating “the raucous, riotous, tragic and the artisan”, includes stories from 25A, Old Market Assembly, Bristol Bear Bar, Fi Real, Electric Ladyland and more – recorded through interviews with people dotted around the area.
Old Market Street once formed a continuous shopping area that stretched all the way to the top of Whiteladies Road through what is now Castle Park – photo: Bristol Archives
Tom said: “I just literally walked down my street and went into lots of bars and shops and cafes and started asking them questions about what they think about the area.
“There were lots of opinions that clashed, and a lot of celebration of the area and a desire to make it better.
“There are stories going back to the 50s and 60s when there was a lot more housing and it was more of a family working class area.
“I also talked to people that have memories of the underground sex party scene as well as the massage parlours.”
Old Market used to be part of a golden mile of shopping a major centre of trade and culture, but as a result of the post war rebuilding of Bristol centre became a near derelict strip. Recent times have seen its resurgence as Bristol’s gay village and most recently as a creative and residential area – photo: Betty Woolerton
Old Market (REMIXED) sprung from another one-man show remembered the lost pubs and clubs where LGBTG+ people partied and campaigned in Kings Cross, London, in the 1980s.
“I really saw the similarities of that area to Old Market – the queerness of the streets, the gentrification and the lawlessness of it,” the artist told Bristol24/7.
Old Market (REMIXED) is playing at the Wardrobe Theatre, Old Market Assembly from Tuesday to Saturday, 7:30-8:30pm. Tickets can be found here.
All photos: Tom Marshman
Read next:
- 18 historic photos of Old Market
- Free cake from 25a Old Market: Perk of the day, October 26
- Grano goes back to beginning to open their first restaurant
- Get Qweird returns for a second season
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