Why the bells are ringing out once again at the Bristol Old Vic
Thanks to its home city’s move into Tier 2, the venerable theatre is welcoming audiences back. Marianka Swain reports
Christmas has been cancelled for most of Britain’s theatres, thanks to the tightening of tier restrictions, with venues all having to close if placed into Tiers 3 and 4. But amid the slew of bad news for the West End and many other regions, one venue got a festive reprieve: the Bristol Old Vic, one of the most beautiful and venerable in the country.
Last week, Bristol and North Somerset moved down from Tier 3 to Tier 2, meaning the theatre could reopen. Artistic director Tom Morris – co-creator of one of the greatest theatrical hits of the century, War Horse – recalled it was “very, very weird for us in the context of the terrible national news for theatre. But we’re thrilled to be able to keep our promise to entertain the people of Bristol over Christmas.”
Back in November, Morris thought they would be able to share their current production, a “knockabout, irreverent” riff on Beauty and the Beast by double act Living Spit, online only. “Now, we’re absolutely delighted that you can actually turn up and watch them being very silly and very skilful. It’s like being told the story by two mates who make you laugh, in a beautiful theatre.”
Audiences are socially distanced, making the theatre’s capacity a little over 200, instead of the usual 525. But it’s not about making a profit right now, says Morris. “We decided that we were going to open as much as we could. And as long as we can stay open, we will.”
The show is due to run until January 9. Its smaller scale makes it a good one to stage safely, explains Morris, and he’s full of praise for company Living Spit.
It’s a homecoming for West Country
comic duo Howard Coggins and Stu Mcloughlin, who Morris dubs “the Morecambe and Wise of Westonsuper-mare.”
“They started life in our experimental programme, Bristol Ferment, and they’ve been in shows here – Stu came up through Bristol Old Vic’s youth theatre. They started their company 10 years ago and they’ve now got a big following. So it was brilliant to partner with them – they have such a history with us, and they’re part of this community.”
Having audiences back in the theatre for that first in-person show at the weekend was very special, says Morris. “It was an overwhelmingly moving reunion between those who love coming here and the artists who love performing to them. People forget that theatre is a massively popular art form – more people go to the theatre in a year than go to football. So there are vast numbers desperate for that thrill of live performance, and vast numbers whose livelihoods depend on it.”
Like every theatre, “Bristol Old Vic belongs to its audience”, proclaims
Morris. Built in 1766, the Bristol Old Vic is the oldest continually working theatre in the world. “Over the last 254 years, it’s been rescued again and again by the public. People feel incredibly strongly about it. That’s one thing we’ve seen in the pandemic: communities all over the country advocating for their local theatre.”
These are, contends Morris, “the safest places you can be. There have been a million trips to the theatre since July and not one infection risk. Of course, we don’t understand the new variant yet, but if it is controllable and no more dangerous than the other virus form, then the Government must change the rules and make theatres exempt in Tier 3. We need to live with the virus, as safely as possible.”
In fact, Morris believes that theatres’ safety measures are so good that other businesses should adopt them. “If shops had our booking systems, there wouldn’t be frightening crowds. At Bristol Old Vic, people wait at socially distanced tables and then they’re escorted into the auditorium. It’s like boarding an aeroplane. Word is out that it’s safe, and people are booking – the confidence is there.”
‘There have been a million trips to the theatre since July, and not one infection risk’
Beauty and the Beast can be seen in person from now, and digitally from Dec 23: bristololdvic.org.uk