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16th March 2026
Summer Festival 2026 Line-Up
We have now announced the full programme for our Summer Festival 2026, a four-week showcase of contemporary theatre performed by our third-year BA acting students at Bristol Old Vic Weston Studio. The annual festival showcases our talented students across all courses and presents a diverse range of plays, from sharp modern comedies to powerful social dramas. The summer showcase has traditionally been a pinnacle moment in our students’ studies here at the School.
Running across four weeks, the festival features eight productions presented as double bills, giving audiences the chance to experience two plays in one evening, offering a varied programme for theatre lovers in the South West and beyond.
Each play is directed by one of the School’s MA Drama Directing students and designed by one of the School’s MA Performance Design students.
With costumes made by the BA Costume students and the stage management, lighting, sound, scenic construction and prop-making is all delivered by the School’s BA Production Arts students.
The eight plays in the Summer Festival have been carefully selected by Emma Callander, the Artistic Director of The School, to help showcase the creative excellence of all students involved.
Join us for a summer of sizzling stage plays that will entertain, inspire and end in a fab night out at the theatre.
Tickets are bookable via the Bristol Old Vic website – Book for all 4 BOVTS Summer Festival shows and get 25% off! (Discount automatically applied at checkout)
Four Play and Meat
The festival opens with Four Play by Jake Brunger, a witty and provocative exploration of modern relationships. The play follows two couples whose long-standing friendship is challenged when one pair suggests opening their relationship.
Sharing the bill is Meat by Gillian Greer, a dark comedy set during a dinner party where buried tensions and unexpected desires begin to surface.
The Étienne Sisters and dirty butterfly
Week two presents The Étienne Sisters by Ché Walker, a drama exploring family relationships and the emotional legacy of childhood experiences.
It is paired with dirty butterfly by debbie tucker green, a critically acclaimed play that examines domestic abuse and the difficult choices faced by neighbours who hear violence through the walls.
King Troll (The Fawn) and The Crocodile
Week three combines satire and absurd comedy. King Troll (The Fawn) by Sonali Bhattacharyya explores the culture of online trolling and the spread of conspiracy theories in the digital age.
Alongside it is The Crocodile by Tom Basden, a surreal comedy in which a man’s encounter with a crocodile spirals into a bizarre chain of events.
Week Four: Island Town and Blackthorn
The festival concludes with Island Town by Simon Longman, a coming-of-age story following three teenagers dreaming of leaving their small town behind.
The final production, Blackthorn by Charley Miles, offers a lyrical portrait of growing up in a rural community shaped by change and memory.
