Bristol’s best cultural events of 2021

We’ve had more than a few false starts in 2021 in terms of culture.

With many permitted summer events staged outside in order to comply with the oscillating levels of restrictions, only in the last few months have we seen long-awaited reopenings from many indoor venues, who have adapted their offerings with optimal visitor safety in mind.

As the pandemic rumbles on, the future is by no means certain for the sector. Nevertheless, it has been refreshing to see Bristol once more brimming over with cultural events of all kinds.

Bristol24/7 writers pick out some of their favourites from the final season of the year:

Outlier, Bristol Old Vic (June)

Malaika Kegode and Jakabol on stage in Outlier at Bristol Old Vic – photo: Paul Blakemore

Watched via live stream from my sofa, Outlier brought to life the journeys of a group of friends in a small Devon town. Beautifully told, heart-wrenching, honest and funny, Malaika Kegode was mesmerisingly brilliant as she took the audience back to her younger years. From accounts of romantic moments in Wilkos to house parties, drug misuse and friendship, Outlier was bold, different and all too relatable – with a great soundtrack to boot.
Ellie Pipe

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Listen to Malaika Kegode in episode five of the Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast:

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Winners, Theatre on the Downs (August 27)

Winners – Wardrobe Ensemble – photo: Chelsey Cliff

The latest production by the Wardrobe Ensemble was definitely my cultural highlight of 2021. Taking place on The Theatre on The Downs, Winners was a high-energy show that raced through the 15,000 year history of capitalism. There were guest appearances from Margaret Thatcher,  Ronald Reagan and even John from S Club 7. As the best shows do, Winners had the whole audience laughing for the full 90 minutes but left everyone leaving the theatre in full despair and all too aware of capitalism’s relationship with exploitation and destruction. This was another great show from The Wardrobe Ensemble.
Safiya Bashir

Richard Dawson and ICHI, Trinity (September 7)

One of the most complete artists working in Britain today, Richard Dawson is a startling singer, a witty lyricist and a natural storyteller. He’s also an old fashioned guitar hero, whose restless, inventive playing recalls Richard Thompson if he’d grown up on grunge. At Trinity, he opened with Joe the Quiltmaker, a devastating murder ballad performed a cappella. Then – joined by versatile drummer Andrew Cheetham – the Tyneside native tore through a set of chilling folk-horror (Ogre) and bleak social commentary (Jogging). Two Halves is one of the finest, truest songs ever written about football. Support came from surreal, inspired ICHI, a Bristol based one-man band that every gig-goer should see at least once.
Adam Burrows

Paraorchestra, Smoosh!, Knowle West (September 17)

Just the other day, my ten-year-old daughter and I were together when we heard Rolling in the Deep by Adele playing from a speaker. We both looked at each other and immediately remembered Smoosh! in Knowle West from September, where we had followed a group of musicians and dancers through the streets. That song was one of those played by Paraorchestra’s 70-piece wind and brass band and it triggered both of us to recall what at the time I had called “a magnificent musical meander”. It was a day of unbridled joy which will live long in the memory.
Martin Booth

Comfort in Chaos, 1532 Performing Arts Centre (September 18)

(L-R) Georgie Ward, Danni Willey, Caelia Luniss, Jo Silverstone, Stevie Toddler – photo: Tony Benjamin

When it finally got going Bristol saw some great jazz in 2021 but Comfort In Chaos stands out. The coming together of poets JJ and Danny Whiley with a classical string quartet, a jazz trio and an original score from Get The Blessing’s Pete Judge and Spindle Ensemble’s Harriet Riley proved a magical combination that succeeded in framing the poetry’s often harrowing autobiographical subject matter with perfectly complementary (and often spellbinding) music. By the end we had all been deeply moved as well as inspired by the young poets’ honesty, resilience and creativity. Comfort in Chaos will return to the south west on January 9, as part of the Bath Jazz Weekend.
Tony Benjamin

The Pineapple Thief, O2 Academy (November 5)

The Pineapple Thief – photo: Mike Evans

There isn’t anywhere big enough for The Pineapple Thief to perform in their native Yeovil, so Bristol always counts as a hometown gig. Playing prog means that they’ll never get any mainstream media attention, but indefatigable Bruce Soord and chums have slowly built up a loyal fanbase from their first show at the Fleece in 1999, which drew just 20 paying punters. This was their biggest local gig yet and proved to be triumph, despite being delayed for a year. Few bands boast a drummer with such a key input into the songwriting process, King Crimson’s Gavin Harrison ensuring that Soord’s distinctive brand of melancholic prog is also rhythmically innovative. This is the real alternative music.
Robin Askew

Grayson’s Art Club, Bristol Museum

Triple Art Bypass by felt artist, Lucy Sparrow – photo: courtesy of Bristol City Council

With its insights into the wildly different personal circumstances of the nation in lockdown, and its array of creative responses to the situation in which we all found ourselves, Grayson’s Art Club was a unifying force for good. To watch Grayson and Philippa pottering around their studio and sharing each new artistic project with each other, and with a million viewers a week, was a huge source of comfort to many. It was also a reminder that creative outlets can do for the mind what athletic ones can do for the body. Curated highlights of the 17,000 or so submissions to the second series of the show have now been brought together, along with work from the many celebrity contributions – including Boy George, Derren Brown, Anneka Rice, Lianne La Havas and Sir Frank Bowling. It is a real pleasure to see the artworks brought together at Bristol Museum, and I felt quite emotional going around it. The exhibition continues until September 2022 so there is plenty of time to visit.
Sarski Anderson

Romeo & Juliet, Redgrave Theatre (December 3)

The cast of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s in rehearsal for Romeo & Juliet – photo: Rachel Holman

My cultural highlight of the year was Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s final years’ violence-fuelled rendition of Romeo and Juliet. As one of the handful of events in Bristol I attended this year, I found the reimagining of the classic play so enjoyable as it both harked back to Baz Luhrmann’s blockbuster interpretation (which I love) and introduced me to new ideas about Romeo and Juliet by diverting from the classic love story. I was also transfixed by the creative visual choices made: from a set made up of ancient Roman mosaics and columns to costumes like tracksuits, tailored suits and trainers – the aesthetics perfectly reflected the clashing themes of warfare and love in this renowned Shakespeare play.
Betty Woolerton

Hansel & Gretel, Arnos Vale Cemetery (December 1-January 1 2022)

Several simultaneous performances of Hansel & Gretel take place each day – photo: Jack Offord

Cemeteries are not somewhere I particularly like going. But if Insane Root were to perform at one again then I’d be back in a heartbeat. When I went to watch Hansel & Gretel at Arnos Vale Cemetery, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. What I ended up seeing was a storytelling experience like no other. Following the actors through the woods to a mysterious house, I felt like a book was unfolding in front of my very eyes. It was also a chance to awe at all the historic and elaborate gravestones around Arnos Vale. For me, Hansel & Gretel brought some much-needed charm and warmth to an otherwise cold and dark setting.
Charlie Watts

Main photo: Jon Craig

Read more: 22 things to look forward to in Bristol in 2022

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