The best theatre to look out for in Bristol in July

There’s an awful lot to see this summer when it comes to the Bristol theatre scene, so we’ve rounded up some of the best
Bristol Hippodrome has some great shows this monthBristol Hippodrome has some great shows this month
Bristol Hippodrome has some great shows this month

Summer is pretty jam-packed full of events anyway and a lot of them are outdoors, making the most of the summer sun. But, sometimes, it’s nice to have a diary event that is inside and that takes you away from the world outside.

Luckily for you, July is looking pretty special when it comes to theatre programmes in Bristol, so we’ve rounded up some of the best of the best to look out for this month. What’s in store for you?

Bristol Hippodrome

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The multi-award-winning international smash-hit comedy by Mischief Theatre Company comes to Bristol Hippodrome from 4-9 July, and is sure to delight all audiences. The Cornley Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong… does! As the accident-prone thesps battle on against all the odds to reach their final curtain call, hilarious results ensue!

The Play That Goes Wrong is not one to missThe Play That Goes Wrong is not one to miss
The Play That Goes Wrong is not one to miss

Seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 52 countries and in 22 languages, Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals and, now, it comes to Bristol. It’s not one to miss as it’s nearly a decade since the last time they did a sell-out UK tour. So, what can you expect? Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Les Mis is running from 12 July to 6 August.

Bristol Old Vic

On from Tuesday 19 July to Saturday 30 July, Treasure Island at Bristol Old Vic is presented by Le Navet Bete and Barbican Theatres. Featuring pirates, tropical islands and a mermaid you’ll never forget, set sail on the Jolly Todger with Jim Lad, Long John Silver and a whole host of other characters for a hilarious voyage across the seas. Le Navet Bete, are a multi-award-winning physical comedy company based in Devon and they’ve joined forces with one of UK theatre’s best comedy writers and directors John Nicholson.

The Wardrobe Theatre

Closer Each Day is a clever production that features absolutely no script whatsoever and runs from 4 July to 28 November. It means that every performance is utterly unique with an electric atmosphere. Think Eastenders meets Arrested Development via Love Island. Who knows what will happen? Closer Each Day: The Improvised Soap Opera has run fortnightly at The Wardrobe Theatre for over 11 years and this season celebrates its 200th episode!

Closer Each Day is clever and set to have you all in stitchesCloser Each Day is clever and set to have you all in stitches
Closer Each Day is clever and set to have you all in stitches
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Drac & Jill is a fast, smart and devilishly funny comedy from The Wardrobe Theatre on 6-31 July, the makers of Little Women In Black, Oedipuss In Boots, Reservoir Mogs, Rocky Shock Horror, Goldilock, Stock & Three Smoking Bears, Muppits Die Hard and more. Directed by Tom Brennan (The Wardrobe Ensemble), this adult comedy mash-up combines big belly laughs, original music, and unforgettable drama.

Tobacco Factory Theatre

Light Falls by Bristol School of Acting is an intensely moving play about family and identity. It looks at life in the face of death and how our love survives us after we’ve gone. Directed by Stuart Wood, you can catch it on 7-9 July.

Also by Bristol School of Acting, Shakespeare in Love will be at Tobacco Factory Theatre from 14-16 July. Young Will Shakespeare is having some problems keeping his quill up, plagued by debt and badly in need of finishing his new play which seems impossible… until he discovers a muse. A noblewoman betrothed to another, inspires him to write the greatest love story of all time. But the course of true love never did run smooth and to top it all off, the Queen demands a funny bit with a dog! Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, it is adapted for the stage by Lee Hall.

Alma Tavern

Venom will be at Alma Tavern from 14-16 July, and is a laugh-a-minute physical comedy about a female scientist who is bitten by a newly discovered and unique snake. Expect witty banter, topical humour and clever film and TV pastiches and an homage to the bawdy comedy of the 60s and the ‘Carry On’ films.

Venom will be at Alma Tavern from 14-16 JulyVenom will be at Alma Tavern from 14-16 July
Venom will be at Alma Tavern from 14-16 July

The Loco Club

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The Bristol Shakespeare Festival is presenting Julius Caesar the Musical at The Loco Club on 14 July. It’s a riotously daft take on the original political thriller. Find out if you’re Team Brutus or Team Julius to the timeless tunes of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Mary Poppins, My Chemical Romance, and a myriad more - all ridiculously rewritten to tell the story of Rome’s most perforated politician.

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