Historic ‘silver tickets’ return to Old Vic

Eighty-three-year-old Geraldine Menez is sitting in the ‘Gods’ gallery at the top of Bristol Old Vic theatre, trying to recount the last play she saw from the old gallery when she was 17.

“It was a Shakespeare play, but which one I couldn’t tell you.

“We were sitting on those hard seats,” she says pointing at an area of preserved 18th century seating.  “They were very uncomfortable, but it was quite expensive and we didn’t have much pocket money.”

The Gods were the cheapest possible seating in the theatre, with part of the stage constantly obscured from view, but Geraldine used to come with her friends often.

“I remember going down a dark passage always, and not being with the rest of the theatre goers to come up here. We didn’t feel like part of the other theatregoers – although once we were up here we did, of course.”

Geraldine has travelled from Brittany in France, where she now lives, to return four historic gold and silver ‘tickets’ that were issued to 50 Bristol citizens when the theatre was first built in 1766.

48 of whom had pledged £50 each (in those days, £40 was an entire family’s annual household budget) to help build the original theatre. In return they were given a numbered ‘silver ticket’, which granted the bearer the right to watch every performance in the theatre – forever.

The offer still stands, and before handing over her tickets to be donated to the University of Bristol Theatre Collection, Geraldine was able to use them to watch a play with some friends.

Geraldine’s tickets were passed down to her from her great-grandfather, Henry Augustine Forse, was involved in the remodelling of the theatre over a hundred years ago.

It was his passion for the theatre that prompted him to hunt down and collect the historical tickets, collecting three silver tickets and one of only two ‘gold’ tickets ever issued.

The so-called ‘gold’ tickets were actually made of silver but were the only two given free to a supporter rather than in exchange for donating £50. They are similar to the silver tickets except that they have the word ‘Bearer’ rather than ‘Proprietor’ on them.

Including Geraldine’s four tickets, 21 of the 50 coins issued have now been located.

“We don’t know where the others are, but we’d love to find them all”, says Jo Elsworth, director of the University of Bristol Theatre Collection. “There is actually a historian, Peter Leppard, who is working on it at the moment.”

Geraldine got in touch with the theatre after hearing about the theatre’s 250th anniversary restoration plans on the radio.

“It’s the oldest working theatre in country,” says Bristol Old Vic artistic director Tom Morris. “I don’t a theatre has ever had a 250th anniversary.

“For the first time you will be able to see one the most beautiful theatres in the country from the road.”

Take a look at how Bristol Old Vic might look in 2016:

As fundraising for the redevelopment of Bristol Old Vic theatre steps up a gear, Morris explains that the theatre is planning on re-launching the silver ticket scheme.

Right now, a famous American jeweler – the name of who Bristol Old Vic are keeping quiet for now – is currently working on the new batch of silver tickets.

To make a donation or find out more about the fundraising campaign to complete Bristol Old Vic’s Anniversary Works, please contact the fundraising team: fundraising@bristololdvic.org.uk or 0117 949 3993

Photos by Jack Offard and Rachel Morris