BOVTS set for a month-long Summer takeover of The Wardrobe Theatre

Theatre / bovts

BOVTS set for a month-long Summer takeover of The Wardrobe Theatre

By Sarski Anderson, Thursday May 4, 2023

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (BOVTS) has announced four consecutive weekends featuring eight cutting-edge contemporary works, with a double bill every night.

The summer takeover is a chance for acting and directing students to showcase their talents, along with those specialising in design, costume and the technical production of theatre.

BOVTS is widely acknowledged as one of the most prestigious drama schools in the UK, counting Olivia Colman, Jeremy Irons, Miranda Richardson, Naomi Harris, Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Daniel Day-Lewis among its alumni.

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Summer Festival 2023 at The Wardrobe Theatre – photo: BOVTS

May 25-27

Out of Love by Elinor Cook

Spanning three decades between best friends Grace and Lorna, this play examines the intensity and the complexities of female friendship against the challenging context of growing up. Directed by Lydia McKinley; designed by Alice Sales.

Holes by Tom Basden

Three colleagues and a teenager are stranded on a desert island following a plane crash. The award-winning Basden’s “pithy and grizzly apocalyptic comedy” is a tale of mismatched castaways. Directed by Lydia Cook; designed by Chen Chen.

BOVTS Directors’ Festival 2022 – photo: Craig Fuller

June 1-3

Wasted by Kae Tempest

An acclaimed spoken word and recording artist, poet, novelist and playwright, Wasted is Tempest’s debut play. Shot through with notions of dreams, death, mistakes and legacy, it follows a 48 hour stretch in the lives of three 20-something friends: Charlotte, Ted and Danny. Directed by Richard Bland; designed by Rhiannon Binnington.

Dorian by Phoebe Eclair-Powell & Owen Horsley

The exhilarating first collaboration between Eclair-Powell (Bruntwood Prize 2019) and Horsley (associate director of the RSC), Dorian is an adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray interspersed with elements from Wilde’s own life. Directed by Phoebe Kemp; designed by Abigail Manard.

BOVTS Directors’ Festival 2022 – photo: Craig Fuller

June 8-10

The Brink by Brad Birch

An edge-of-the-seat psychological thriller about an over-stretched substitute secondary school teacher suffering from recurring nightmares. Directed by Daniel Preciado; designed by Marta Sitarz.

The Ugly One by Marius Von Mayenburg

A savage social satire from German playwright Von Mayenburg, whose work has been translated into 30 languages. The play dissects the notion of beauty, image and identity. Directed by Natalie Simone; designed by Vyshnavi Krishnan.

BOVTS Directors’ Festival 2022 – photo: Craig Fuller

June 15-17

Tiny Dynamite by Abi Morgan

From notable screenwriter Morgan (The Iron Lady; Suffragette) comes an emotionally charged love story. Directed by Monica Silkenas; designed by Yifan Zhang.

No One Will Tell Me How to Start A Revolution by Luke Barnes

A moving and funny story of self-discovery, class and social mobility, following the lives of teenage protagonists Suzie, Edwina and Lucy as they move from a council estate to an affluent, suburban town. Directed by Roisin McCay-Hines; designed by Jasmine Thompson.

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Summer Festival 2023 runs from May 25-June 17 at 6pm and 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (as well as 1pm and 3pm on Saturday). Two shows are running in tandem each weekend; tickets are discounted for a double bill. For more information and individual ticket links, visit www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com.

Main photo: Craig Fuller (BOVTS Summer Festival 2022)

Read more: Bristol Old Vic Theatre School appoint new Principal and CEO

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