Six of the best: Bristol theatres

Cameron Scheijde, a second-year politics and international relations student at the University of Bristol, gives us his pick of the city’s top theatres

Bristol’s alive with a bustling drama scene: whether you’re a musical theatre nerd or a fan of all things weird, there’s a plethora of venues available to see top-notch productions nearly every week. Whether it be the filled stalls of the Hippodrome to see hit musical Wicked, or the tiny space of The Room Above to watch the latest from university drama societies, entertainment is always guaranteed. Here are six of the best popular and alternative venues you have to visit in your first year.

Bristol Hippodrome
Featuring some of the best musical theatre there is to see in one of Bristol’s grandest settings, the Hippodrome is a magical place to enjoy high quality professional theatre. Shows to the main stage at the bottom of Park Street this year are shows that include: Legally Blonde, Hairspray, War Horse, Wicked, Miss Saigon, Beautiful and The Addams Family.

Tobacco Factory Theatres
Down one end of Southville’s North Street, a busy shopping street at the centre of a large UWE and Bristol Uni population, Tobacco Factory Theatres deserve their national reputation as one of the country’s very best programmers and producers of top-drawer fringe, alternative and mainstream theatre. You’ll find some great comedy, dance and puppetry nights here, too.

The Wardrobe Theatre
Located on the historic and newly-invigorated Old Market, the Wardrobe is full of interesting professional, fringe and student theatre, that make the walk well worth it. Last year, along with shows from Bristol University’s Spotlights and DramSoc, the Wardrobe hosted comedy, improv and spoken word. It’s the perfect venue for an alternative evening, and always affordable to boot.

Bristol Old Vic
The oldest continually working theatre in the UK, Bristol Old Vic is nestled in King Street, surrounded by some of the best bars in the city – perfect for post-show pint. The theatre has been run by War Horse director Tom Morris since 2009, where it has undergone a major refurbishment and a radical change of direction. With shows now in the West End, on tour and housed in it’s beautiful Georgian auditorium, as well as a healthy dose of grass-roots local artists, Bristol Old Vic is all about doing something unexpected, playful and brilliantly Bristolian.

Bierkeller Theatre
Found in the back alleys of the city centre, this music venue-cum-theatre is home to some of the best student theatre. Last year the Bierkeller hosted the raucous evening of DramSoc’s drunk showcase, Shite Bear, Spotlight’s showcase CRAM, and two amazing offerings from the student-run independent theatre company, Cellar Door.

The Room Above
This tiny room situated above the White Bear pub on St Michael’s Hill hosts some of the most entertaining evenings, and at extremely reasonable prices. Look out for great comedy nights, student-written plays, showcases, live music and previews for the Edinburgh fringe – The Room Above is packed with great events. And you can grab a pint at the pub downstairs at the interval. What’s not to love?

Be sure to also check out the Facebook pages What’s On – University of Bristol Performing Arts and UWE Centre for Performing Arts for updates on the latest productions within both universities.