The Backwell playhouse is an intimate theatre located on the outskirts of Bristol…read more The venue itself has raked seating in the auditorium which slopes down to the flat stage area. The performance stage is of a nice size, nothing to big, but large enought for some big productions, its about 7 metres wide and 5/6 metres deep. The venue also offers and incredibly reasonable rental price. So if you have a budding theatre company and want to try out your work on an audience you can hire out the theatre for £150 whcih includes the price of the venue as well as front of House staff and a reasonable time for the "get in". You will also have use of the theatres sound and lighting equipment if needs be. The website is kept up to date with all the current productions as well as infromation on the youth theatre and amatuer theatre oppertunities.

From the outside, it looks rather odd. It looks like they tried to fit it into an irregular…read morepolygonal courtyard; maybe they had to? It isn't really fair to judge a theatre from the outside, though. I've seen excellent, professional productions given inside buildings not much better than a converted ex-Army Nissen hut. But, the Salisbury Playhouse is no Nissen hut; far from it. Once inside, it's spacious but comfortable, There's a bar and restaurant on the ground floor, but we didn't eat there, just had a coffee which was, in my opinion, rather ordinary and somewhat overpriced. The auditorium is the main thing. Comfortable seats, plenty of space and, above all, steeply tiered. I think the man in front could have worn a top hat, and I'd still have been able to see the stage. I did have a little difficulty hearing the dialogue early on. Whether that was down to acoustics, the actor's delivery or the fact I hadn't really tuned in, I couldn't say. But, it seemed to sort itself out after only five minutes or so, and I was able to settle down and enjoy the performance.

Ever since the grant of £1.47 million from the National Lottery, the playhouse has gone from…read morestrength to strength. Situated perfectly in the city centre, the playhouse has a reputation for new exciting theatre to match its glossy modern refurbished shell. The theatre itself is of no great capacity and the audience are often in close quarters to the actors. This is certainly no drawback as it adds greatly to the atmosphere of the playhouse. Some innovative new plays have arisen out of the venue and i look forward to its continued success.

Small theatre with cramped seats - no lobby area so intervals are a crush. Poor toilets and badly…read moretrained staff. I will not be going there again!

The Redgrave is a charming little venue tucked away in deepest, poshest Clifton. Affiliated to…read moreClifton College, its main output is productions of classic plays (Shakespeare features heavily) put on by their drama school, which, if you're as deeply untalented as me, is quite depressing as the standard is so good. They also fill out their programme with equally good productions from local amateur dramatics groups, and even find the time to put on the odd national comedian. A very small theatre, it's usually busy and generates a good atmosphere, while the prices are pretty low (a tenner or less) for the standard on offer. Unless you're a real theatre buff who expects the best, this is a good place to catch cut price productions.

The Tobacco Factory Theatre is an independent business to the Tobacco Factory Café Bar, but they…read moreshare access to the beer garden and each other, and of course, are located in the same building. The owner, the visionary and philanthropist, George Ferguson, leases the space to the theatre, who also offer acting classes as well as an impressive and innovative theatre programme. There's something special about theatre in the round. Before moving to Bristol and discovering this little treasure, I'd only seen one performance in the round before. It was an Oscar Wilde performance at The Corn Exchange in Manchester on St Anne's Square. A lot of Wilde's work is situational and so lends itself to this kind of treatment. Inevitably, I was a convert. Since arriving in Bristol I've seen a number of productions at The Tobacco Factory. All of them have been consummate, but occasionally a little over-ambitious. There are many restraints to a theatre in the round production, and as these theatres are rare, directors generally have little to no experience of it before they come to stage something here.

If you fancy going to watch a play, comedy, or a bit of Shakespeare then this is the venue for you…read more It's small but intimate and the quality of the shows are always of a high standard. Downstairs they have a bar that serves great food, and drinks, there is a small al fresco outside area and regular Sunday Markets and live music. The Tobacco Factory is independantly owned and is part of a growing campaign to encourage and support independant business in the Bristol area, so go along and support the cause. It's a 'one stop shop' for the perfect night out and one in which you will not be disappointed.

The town of Bath didn't strike me as a hotbed of evening activity so I secured seats for a show at…read moreTheatre Royal Bath to fill one evening. The show was an enjoyable English farce, comic and well-acted but my enjoyment was overshadowed by the woman next to me whose body slopped into my seat to such a degree that I was forced to sit with my shoulders and arms hunched tightly in front of me. When I dared to try to enjoy the seat I'd purchased, I found I was resting my arm on her stomach. At intermission I lodged a complaint and was immediately accommodated. The seats I wound up with were worse (far further from the stage) and, even though the theater staff did absolutely the right thing, my enjoyment of the show from the new seats was lessened as I couldn't see the stage as well. So here's what I'll say about getting seats at the charmingly intimate Theatre Royal Bath: Aim for aisle seats close to the stage and hope that the person you sit beside is fully contained in their seat. I trust you'll have a better experience here. This theatre was both charming and fun and seemed to feature the sort of light entertainment one might desire when in Bath.

Ah The theatre Royal brings back so many memories for me. I used to come EVERY year and bring my…read moreaging Grandma here for the Christmas Pantomines. This theatre is an English institution. Here is some information - see below - The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audience of around 900. The Theatre Royal was built to replace the Old Orchard Street Theatre, funded by a Tontine and elaborately decorated. The architect was George Dance the Younger, with John Palmer carrying out much of the work. It opened with a performance of Shakespeare's Richard III and hosted performances by many leading actors of the time including Dorothea Jordan, William Macready and Edmund Kean. A major fire in 1862 destroyed the interior of the building and was quickly followed by a rebuilding programme by Charles J. Phipps, which included the construction of the current entrance. Further redecoration was undertaken in 1892; more extensive building work, including a new staircase and the installation of electric lighting, followed in 1902. Despite performances by casts including Sarah Bernhardt, the ballerina Anna Pavlova and Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the theatre was rarely very profitable. During World War II Donald Wolfit, Irene Vanbrugh, John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike appeared, with shows including Noël Coward's Private Lives and Blyth Spirit, a performance by Ballet Rambert and light entertainment such as Charley's Aunt, but audiences declined. In 1979 the theatre was bought by a trust and, following public donations, it underwent refurbishment, with the rebuilding of the stage and the installation of a new taller fly tower for scenery and lighting. In 1997 a new 150-seat theatre, known as the Ustinov Studio, was opened. Further restoration work to the main auditorium was needed in 2010. In 2005 a children's theatre known as The Egg was opened. The complex also includes bars and restaurants. Here is their website - https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/

This place is very special. Super quirky programme here. Super diverse! This is a really fabulous…read morelittle theatre space and we are very fond of it in Bath. It's beautifully designed too. A cosy space with a good rake, so you'll all be able to see well. Informal and delightfully arty. Lovely little bar too.

the best place for theatre in Bath. Love the fact that they are now running a rep series for the…read morenext three years. Caught Iphegenia a couple of weeks ago! great. Please support this very brave studio space.

Theatre aside, the kitchen and bar is excellent. Top quality small plates and interesting local…read morebeers.

I've been coming to the old vic for many years so not only is it a great venue but for me it holds…read moremany great memories and is where my love of theatre began. The shows you get to see at the old vic are a far cry from the tacky unoriginal touring shows you get at the Hippodrome. Showcasing its own in house productions you find a lot more edgy and original theatre, so it's a must for all theatre lovers. On this occasion I took my one and half year old son to his first ever theatre production, Magic Elves. The show was in the small theatre downstairs and was perfect for small children and adults alike! He was engaged and mesmerised from the off and I hope this starts a similar love of theatre...

Very nice gallery that has so much diverse work by artists of such a high calibre. Staffed by…read morevolunteers, many of them working artists, which is always good to see. The Centre is also home to Film, Music, Theatre, Panto and many others. Easily found when coming out of the very nearby Co-op car park, whose charges will not break the bank!! Membership rates are Adult £24 or joint £44 pa....free Juniors up to the age of 18. There is a brilliant programme from Sept - Feb 2016, which is well worth a look. Open from 1000 -1600 Mon-Sat, and some Sundays. Well worth a look at heir website...even better...make a visit