Bristol Old Vic Announces More Details in Programming

The newly refurbished Bristol Old Vic announces details about their 2013 season.

The premiere of A Midsummer Night's Dream will will be presented by the artistic director Tom Morris and Handspring Puppet Company, 7 March - 4 May, following War Horse.

Michael Morpurgo's Aesop's Fables will be presented on the outdoor stage 13 July-1 September, and the Christmas production will be The Little Mermaid.

Other shows include Varmints (10-11 May), Complicite's Lion Boy (29 May-1 June), Kneehigh with Tristan & Yseult (3-20 July) and the English premiere of Karl Kraus' The Last Days of Mankind (18-29 June).

The newly developed theatre includes the following improvements:

- Raising the stalls and gallery to dramatically improve sightlines throughout the Georgian auditorium
- Developing a new, flexible thrust stage - not only placing the actors and audience closer together, but giving us the flexibility to program work (like concerts) with five rows of standing room directly at the front of the stage, much like the spaces occupied by the groundlings at London's famous Shakespeare's Globe theatre
- Converting the Paintshop and Sidestage into new, fully functioning performance spaces, so that they can programme even more work
- Buildingt new rehearsal spaces as the current facilities were in desperate need of renovation
- Installing a lift backstage to make the whole building accessible
- Installing improved air-flow, mechanics and insulation, making the building a safer, greener space.
- Almost 40 years after it was originally scheduled to happen, they have replaced the seating.

The second phase of redevelopment is planned to begin in 2014. During this next phase, they are going to transform the foyers, cafe and studio spaces. The whole project will be completed by 2016; in time for our 250th anniversary.

Full programming will be announced on 4 March.