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17th March 2026
“BOVTS presents: Paradise, The Station – ‘Gritty and confident; full of feeling and flare”
by Tom Dewey Bristol 24/7
Photos (c) Craig Fuller
As part of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School’s spring season, Kae Tempest’s Paradise is being staged at The Station over a week-long run.
Paradise, a modern retelling of Sophocles’ Philoctetes, is a rich and lyrical take on the tragic tale of a wounded soldier abandoned on an island after suffering a snake bite.
More than 2,000 years later, Tempest sets this story in the context of Brexit, nationalist ideology and a global pandemic.
Upon arrival into the theatre, the most immediate and impressive aspect of the production is Liv Jackson’s excellent set design.
The playing space is constructed on multiple levels and offers director Iqbal Khan the opportunity to construct interesting and dynamic blocking. Rosa Nasr-Butler’s costume design is superb, most especially in the case of Philoctetes.
As is always the case with BOVTS students, the acting is incredibly strong. Olivia Carville’s Philoctetes is a star-making performance, and Elise Ria Harrison’s Neoptolemus is profoundly impressive. Honor Wiggins, as Yasmeen, is another stand-out.
Through well-done fight choreography and gorgeous harmonies, Paradise weaves its way through the ancient story with Tempest’s signature multisyllabic rhyme and use of slang.
Paradise is a gritty and confident production, full of feeling and flare.
