Tobacco Factory Theatres: beyond the Brewery

Tobacco Factory Theatres has announced exciting new plans for its future, despite the recent closure of the Brewery Theatre, with a proposed project to relocate its second theatre space into the main Tobacco Factory building alongside the existing Factory Theatre.

The new theatre project involves transforming the area currently taken by the existing dance studio, in order to create a new 86-seat theatre space, including dressing rooms and state-of-the-art technical facilities. The project will also involve significant soundproofing to ensure that performances in both the current Factory Theatre and the new theatre can run concurrently.

During the closure and in the future, the Brewery Theatre space will be used as a technically facilitated rehearsal space, while regular classes previously held in the Factory Studio will continue to take place across the Brewery Studio and Brewery Theatre.

Ali Robertson, Director of Tobacco Factory Theatres, said: “Having a second, smaller performance space is crucial to the work that we can do and the impact we can have on both our artistic and public communities. It allows us to present outstanding young talent from emerging artists and companies, as well as cutting-edge new writing, wonderfully engaging family shows and less performed work, both from touring companies or as in-house productions.

“This plan will bring our two spaces together under one roof, making Tobacco Factory Theatres a wonderful place for actors and companies to work alongside one another and for audiences experience a bustling, welcoming venue, bursting with creativity. It’s also a very financial and environmentally sustainable model which will reduce costs, ultimately allowing us to invest more back into our programme. Finally, this project will enable us to secure a 999-year lease over both performance spaces, enabling us to plan for future generations in this wonderful theatre.”

During the closure, and subject to funding, Tobacco Factory Theatres will cement plans for the future of its second theatre space, as well as programming its first off-site season in venues across Bristol, BEYOND – including performances at Circomedia, the new Wardrobe Theatre, Easton’s Greenbank pub, the Invisible Circus’ Loco Klub under Temple Meads station, and Bedminster Down’s Zion Community Space. 

BEYOND kicks off this month with The Odyssey by acclaimed dance outfit Mark Bruce Company, at Circomedia from Feb 10-14. We’re promised an extraordinary dance theatre adaptation of Homer’s epic poem from the company who created the multi-award-winning Dracula: a vision of a broken world, from faded New York pageants to islands of fantasy; brutal seas, battlefields and a gateway to Hades, all set to a soundtrack ranging from Mozart to Mark Lanegan. 

For more info on all forthcoming Tobacco Factory Theatres productions, including the BEYOND season, visit www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com