Culture & the Arts
From West End shows and pop concerts to international cinema and
fine art, Bristol attracts some of the UK’s top cultural events.
And they are all within easy reach of The Bristol Hotel. Check our
listings for the best of what is happening from now until June.
The Bristol Old Vic
Mayfest
7 – 22 May
Welcome to a fortnight of theatrical magic from extraordinary
theatre artists who are daring to dream.
In flourishing partnerships with Arnolfini, Tobacco Factory and
co-producing partner Bristol Old Vic, we bring you a feast of bold
and beautiful new work from over 40 artists and companies in our
most playful and audacious line-up to date.
Some of these shows were made around the corner from you, some come
here from over the seas. From intimate encounters to wide-eyed
spectaculars - we hope you will be as entertained, surprised and
moved by these artists as we are.
Experience a fly-by-night hotel on Bristol's harbourside for David
Rosenberg's astonishing Electric Hotel. And don't miss Nic Green's
already legendary Trilogy in the Bristol Old Vic Theatre.
Far Away
24 May – 9 June
With a new government imminent and a world divided about healing
the plant, Far Away tells the story of a love affair played out
against the odds.
A young girl is far from home. It’s late and she can’t sleep. She
opens her bedroom window and, in the darkness, discovers a secret
which will change her life forever. So begins a journey into the
heart of our collective hopes, hidden fears and most urgent
questions.
Caryl Churchill is one of our most celebrated and accomplished
playwrights. Her most famous works include Top Girls, Serious Money
and Cloud Nine.
The Crucible
14 – 16 June
1692. A small community is stirred into madness and the cry of
‘Witchcraft’ fuelled by superstition, paranoia, lust and
greed.
When young women are discovered trying to conjure the devil, the
town of Salem is paralysed by fear and religious extremism. A
malicious whisper or pointed finger can put anyone on trial for
their very life.
Arthur Miller's classic parable of mass hysteria draws a chilling
parallel between the events in Salem - one of the most terrifying
chapters in human history - and the McCarthyism which gripped
America in the 1950s.
‘Possibly the best American play of the 20th century’
Financial Times
The Tobacco Factory
The Tempest
25 Mar – 01 May
Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory. Prospero, magician and rightful
Duke of Milan, has been deposed by his own brother and cast adrift
on the ocean with his baby daughter. Surviving on a lonely island –
becoming its new master – he draws his enemies to him by means of a
tempest which wrecks their ship on his shore. Romance, broad
comedy, and meditation on forgiveness combine in this
extraordinarily charged and vivid fable, Shakespeare’s last major
play.
Anything But Love
21 Apr – 02 May
Anything But Love charts an unique meeting between the great wit,
poet, dramatist and adventuress Dorothy Parker and the fellow
wordsmith and equally hard-drinking Dorothy Fields - the greatest
female lyricist of all time. The two Dorothys laugh, drink,
reminisce and bitch, whilst romping through songs that include: 'I
Won't Dance', 'A Fine Romance', 'In The Mood For Love', 'The Way
You Look Tonight' and 'I Can't Give you Anything But Love'.
Translations
10 – 16 June Translations
Translations is set in 1833 in Baile Beag, an Irish-speaking
community in County Donegal. The British Army are making the first
Ordnance Survey map of Ireland, anglicising all the Irish names en
route, and the new national schools are being established to impose
English as the national language…These are turbulent times that
will bring about irreversible change for Baile Beag and its
people.
Directed by Roger Haines (The American Clock, RedgraveTheatre
2008), Translations is one of the greatest plays of the twentieth
century, dealing with an epic subject in a brilliantly human,
compassionate and accessible way. It focuses on what is truly
important in the Irish-British conflict, indeed,in any conflict,
namely how the ordinary person is affected by events, political and
otherwise.
So entertaining and affecting… well served by an evocative set
and excellent performances. Venue on The American
Clock
The Bristol Hippodrome
Dad's Army Marches On
10 – 15 May
The play features classic episodes hand-picked by legendary writers
Jimmy Perry and David Croft and includes adaptations of their own
personal favourites, Branded and Mum’s Army. Sign up now for an
evening of nostalgic pleasure and madcap mayhem with the would be
heroes of Walmington-on-Sea. The boys are back in town!
The Hobbit
16 – 20 June
Enjoy the sights, sounds and excitement of the best selling fantasy
novel ever written, in this fresh spectacular live theatre
production with sparkling new magical effects - perfect for Hobbit
fans both young and old.
The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas
(Touring)
7 – 12 June
This spectacular production celebrates the incredible singing
talent of three world famous entertainers and performers and some
of the finest music and song that has ever been recorded. Drift
back to a glamorous era where the famous rubbed shoulders with the
politicians and partied hard, Frank, Sammy & Dean, all singing,
all dancing, all round entertainers, injected not only their songs
into the 50s and 60s, but a lifestyle that everyone wanted.
