Kiss of the Spider Woman was reviewed at Curve Leicester where it continues until 25 April 2026. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ This is a bold, deeply moving revival.
Tag Archives | Bristol Old Vic
Layton Williams and George Blagden join Kiss of the Spider Woman cast
Layton Williams and George Blagden are the latest additions to the cast of next year’s highly anticipated new production of the groundbreaking musical Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Nominees are announced for Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
The 10 shortlisted Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 shows contending for Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award have been announced.
How to Win Against History – Bristol Old Vic
How to Win Against History continues at Bristol Old Vic until 12 January 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ How to Win Against History is a hilarious ride that culminates in a bittersweet ending that still inspires a hopefulness in the audience.
Starter for Ten – Bristol Old Vic
Starter for Ten continues at Bristol Old Vic until 30 March 2024. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ This is a high-powered bid to give the Nicholls novel fresh momentum as a musical.
Nanny – Bristol Old Vic and Touring
Nanny was reviewed at the Weston Studio, Bristol Old Vic. The tour continues until 28 February 2024. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Musical Theatre Review contributors pick their top shows of 2023
A selection of critics have chosen their ‘show of the year’ although some struggled to pick just one. The shows represent just a small percentage of productions staged this year, but we hope these ‘top picks’ bring back some happy memories.
Arabian Nights – Bristol Old Vic
Arabian Nights continues at Bristol Old Vic until 6 January 2024. Star rating: two stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Newsfeed 23 November 2023: Mel Giedroyc in Starter For Ten, new production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown and & Juliet to celebrate German premiere
Mel Giedroyc completes Starter For Ten musical cast Mel Giedroyc is one of the final additions to the cast for the new University Challenge-inspired musical Starter For Ten ahead of its world premiere at Bristol Old Vic early next year. The comedian, actress, presenter and writer whose theatre credits include The Crown Jewels at the […]
Choir Boy – Bristol Old Vic
Choir Boy continues at Bristol Old Vic until 11 November 2023. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
Starter For Ten – initial casting
First casting news has been announced for the new University Challenge-inspired musical Starter For Ten will receive its world premiere at Bristol Old Vic early next year.
Cast and creatives for Bristol Old Vic’s Choir Boy
The Bristol Old Vic has announced the full cast and creative team for the venue’s upcoming production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Tony-nominated Choir Boy, running from 12 October to 11 November 2023.
Starter For Ten musical to debut at the Bristol Old Vic
New University Challenge-inspired musical Starter For Ten will receive its world premiere at Bristol Old Vic early next year.
Edinburgh encore plus Bristol and Manchester dates for MTR Award-winner Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!
A new expanded version of Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder! will return to Edinburgh this summer before playing dates in Bristol and Manchester.
Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror – Bristol Old Vic and Touring
Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror was reviewed at the Bristol Old Vic (playing until 1 April). The tour continues until 7 June 2023. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
UK tour dates for new circus theatre musical Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror
Following a premiere run at the Bristol Old Vic, the new uplifting circus-theatre musical Waldo’s Circus of Magic & Terror will tour nationally in 2023.
The Nutcracker – Bristol Old Vic
It takes some chutzpah to choose as your showcase Christmas offering a radically different approach to a story that has become the festive icon for many a year at one of the world’s leading ballet companies. But this is what the Bristol Old Vic (and in particular departing artistic director Tom Morris) have done with their bold but flawed version of the Hoffmann classic The Nutcracker, minus the sumptuous Tchaikovsky score, that always plays to packed houses when performed by the Royal Ballet in Covent Garden.
Musicals Mash Up: 23-30 October 2022
Welcome to Musicals Mash Up in which we catch up with lots of the week’s stories that haven’t yet appeared on the Musical Theatre Review pages. We hope you approve! News editor Angela Thomas reports.
Emma Rice’s Wuthering Heights to play NT before UK tour dates
Emma Rice’s new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights will arrive at the National Theatre next month ahead of a UK tour. Co-produced by the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal and also directed by Rice, the re-imagining of the classic story which debuted at the Bristol Old Vic in October 2021 […]
Wuthering Heights – Bristol Old Vic and Touring
Wuthering Heights continues at the Bristol Old Vic until 6 November 2021 and then tours until 28 May 2022. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ Daredevil director Emma Rice is back on home territory for the launch of this in-your face musical version of Wuthering Heights, a co-production with Bristol Old Vic, York […]
Full cast and more tour venues announced for Wise Children’s Wuthering Heights
Wise Children has announced the full cast and further tour dates for the world premiere of artistic director Emma Rice’s eagerly awaited adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Ash Hunter (Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre) will play Heathcliff opposite the previously announced Lucy McCormick (Life:LIVE! Battersea Arts Centre) as Cathy. They will be joined by Sam […]
New dates for world premiere of Emma Rice’s Wuthering Heights
Wise Children has announced new launch dates for the world premiere of artistic director Emma Rice’s eagerly-awaited adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Co-produced by the National Theatre, Bristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal and also directed by Rice, the re-imagining of the classic story will begin preview performances at Bristol Old Vic on […]
Musical Theatre Review critics offer their Top 5 theatre picks from 2020
As each year draws to a close, Musical Theatre Review usually pulls together a round-up of all the productions covered that have received four and five star reviews. After such an extraordinary year, during which any production staged has been a triumph over adversity, such an approach seemed inappropriate. Instead, I asked a small group […]
The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk – Bristol Old Vic
The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk is available on demand from the Bristol Old Vic website from 11-18 December 2020. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ The plan for this show being re-created at the Bristol Old Vic was to have both a live and a virtual audience. Sadly, Bristol is in Tier 3 at […]
‘It’s a joy to perform every time’: Marc Antolin stars in Wise Children’s live-stream of Kneehigh’s The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
Musical Theatre Review’s Clare Walters spoke to actor MARC ANTOLIN in his home of Port Talbot in Wales where he had been isolating prior to travelling to Bristol to start rehearsing for Wise Children’s broadcast of Kneehigh’s The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk at the Old Vic. The show is being live-streamed until 5 December 2020 […]
Romantics Anonymous – Bristol Old Vic
Romantics Anonymous, live-streaming from Bristol Old Vic. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The future of musical theatre is bright and it is thrilling. At this very moment, countless young creatives from many different backgrounds are locked down in their bedrooms crafting it, striving away at scripts and scores. One day, we […]
Romantics Anonymous to embark on digital tour from Bristol Old Vic
Emma Rice’s acclaimed musical Romantics Anonymous will be performed live at the Bristol Old Vic and broadcast live direct to homes across the world next month. The new production of the critic and crowd-pleasing show which had been due to tour the US this year will now reach audiences across the world with partner theatres […]
Fundraising Grinning Man masks on sale
Award-winning designer Jon Bausor has released a limited edition of facemasks based on the original artwork for hit show The Grinning Man. Created to raise money for theatrical charities and launched to coincide with the streaming of Bristol Old Vic’s critically-acclaimed production, the masks have been made by ethically paid freelance costume makers who had […]
Bristol Old Vic productions Wise Children and Mr Maglump to be streamed
Emma Rice’s acclaimed adaptation of Angela Carter’s Wise Children and Brook Tate’s family musical Mr Maglump will complete the line-up of Bristol Old Vic productions to be streamed live on YouTube as part of the new Bristol Arts Channel. The announcement coincides with the theatre’s decision to extend the online run of the first of […]
Open letter to theatre and performance makers
Just hours before the first meeting of the Government’s new recreation and leisure taskforce, a wide-range of companies and venues signed an open letter to theatre and performance makers urging them to become part of a new industry-led freelancers’ task force. Amid warnings that over 1,000 theatres across the country will be closed permanently by […]
The Grinning Man to be streamed as part of Bristol Old Vic’s first At Home season
Bristol Old Vic’s critically-acclaimed The Grinning Man is one of five productions to be streamed live on YouTube as part of the Bristol Arts Channel launched to bring the arts to stay-at-home audiences during lockdown. Directed by the theatre’s Tony Award-winning artistic director Tom Morris (War Horse) and based on the Victor Hugo novel The […]
Romantics Anonymous – Bristol Old Vic
Romantics Anonymous continues at the Bristol Old Vic until 1 February 2020, ahead of a major tour of the United States. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Chocolate-making may be something of an esoteric occupation, but it has inspired the likes of Roald Dahl (Willie Wonka) and Joanne Harris (Chocolat) to highly successful books […]
Five Questions With: Romantic Anonymous’ Marc Antolin
MARC ANTOLIN is playing Jean-René in the musical adaptation of Romantics Anonymous, presented by Emma Rice’s Wise Children company at the Bristol Old Vic until 1 February 2020. The production, which previously enjoyed a critically-acclaimed London debut, will then go on a US tour. Angélique is a gifted chocolate maker inhibited by social anxiety and Jean-René […]
Marc Antolin and Carly Bawden reprise their roles in new production of Romantics Anonymous
Marc Antolin and Carly Bawden will reprise their performances in the starring roles in a revival of Emma Rice’s acclaimed adaptation of Romantics Anonymous at the Bristol Old Vic in January 2020 ahead of a US tour. Co-produced by Rice’s Bristol-based company Wise Children with Plush Theatricals, the new production of the show which debuted […]
The Grinning Man – Trafalgar Studios
The Grinning Man continues at the Trafalgar Studios, London until 14 April. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ With puppetry, a gorgeous score (including a cimbalom, which you just don’t hear enough of these days) and a touching story, The Grinning Man (transferring from the Bristol Old Vic) makes quite an impact. […]
London cast confirmed for The Grinning Man
Full casting has been announced for the London transfer of the critically-acclaimed The Grinning Man which will open at the Trafalgar Studios on 6 December. Directed by Tony Award-winning Tom Morris (War Horse) and based on the Victor Hugo novel The Man Who Laughs, the gothic love story which premiered at the Bristol Old Vic […]
The Grinning Man to transfer to Trafalgar Studios
The critically-acclaimed production of The Grinning Man, directed by Tony Award-winning Tom Morris (War Horse) and based on the Victor Hugo novel The Man Who Laughs, will take over Studio 1 at Trafalgar Studios from 5 December, following an autumn 2016 premiere at the Bristol Old Vic. Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday 11 […]
Interview – composer Stephen Warbeck on Headlong Theatre’s Junkyard and the thrill of being crazy with music
Multi award-winning British composer STEPHEN WARBECK is probably best known for his scores for major movies including Shakespeare in Love (for which he won an Oscar for Best Original Score), Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Mrs Brown and Billy Elliot. His work on stage includes This House (National Theatre and Garrick) and The Plough and the Stars and Wolf Hall/Bring […]
Junkyard – Bristol Old Vic and Touring
Junkyard continues at Bristol Old Vic until 18 March before touring to Theatr Clwyd in Mold and the Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Headlong is breaking down our carefully built cynicism blow by beautiful blow. And we love the theatre company for it. There’s a playground coming to life […]
Jack Thorne’s Junkyard to play Bristol Old Vic in February 2017 before short tour
Award-winning writer Jack Thorne’s Junkyard will open in Bristol early next year ahead of a mini tour. The writer who is currently enjoying critical acclaim and audience success for his work on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child provides the book and lyrics for the new musical based on a true story and set in […]
The Grinning Man – Bristol Old Vic
The Grinning Man continues at the Bristol Old Vic until 13 November. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Bristol Old Vic has an enviable reputation for producing original musicals. So it is no surprise that this striking new work has been included in the theatre’s 250th anniversary celebrations. It could not be more different, however, from the […]
Mamma Mia! and Wicked actress Louise Plowright loses her cancer battle
Louise Plowright, the stage and screen actress who originated the role of Tanya in the hit musical Mamma Mia! has died at the age of 59. The family of the popular star announced her death today following her battle with pancreatic cancer which was first diagnosed in 2013, forcing her to withdraw from her role as […]
