17^th March 2020. In light of yesterday’s announcement from the Government and the continuing global public health crisis, we are today announcing the suspension of all performances at Bristol Old Vic. 

This is a hard thing for a theatre to do, but the circumstances are unprecedented. Our productions and co-productions will be rescheduled, including The Red Lion (a fantastic show by an all-Bristolian team which was due to open to the press last night). Wherever possible, visiting work will be rescheduled into the coming year. 

Alongside the postponement of these shows, we will be re-configuring both our engagement programme (including the work of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company) and the work we do supporting artists across the South West through the Bristol Ferment. 

During this time, we will be working closely with other theatres, the Arts Council, Equity and DCMS to ensure that the interests of the independent artists who provide the rocket fuel for all of our creative industries are protected. 

And we will continue to champion the importance of creative opportunity in every part of society, particularly in challenging times such as these. 

• If you or your child are involved in any of our engagement activities, you will be contacted directly by our staff within the next few days.  
• If you are expecting to work within any part of our talent development programme, please contact the Ferment team for an update on how we will continue to support your work.  
• If you have bought a ticket for any show between now and the end of April, our Box Office staff will be in touch to discuss the rescheduled dates and opportunities for transferring the tickets to other shows.

In these difficult times, we are also inviting our customers to consider donating the value of purchased tickets to the theatre to ensure that we can come back fighting fit once the crisis is over. 

https://bristololdvic.org.uk/boxoffice/booking/donations/support-bristol-old-vic

We belong to Bristol and we will continue to find ways of sharing stories, and supporting the city in any way we can over the coming weeks. Keep an eye on our website and social media pages for updates.

We are enormously grateful for the understanding and support of our staff, our artists, and above all our audiences. We look forward to welcoming you back through the doors very soon.