The Theatre Club Newsletter:
- eleven newsletters a year (every month except August)
- provides monthly reports on what’s happening at Bristol Old Vic and the BOV Theatre School, members' activities, trips to other theatres, social events and two or three feature articles.
- sent, free of charge, to all Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club members, Bristol City Councillors, Arts Council South West, the management and staff of related organisations, the media and theatre practitioners
Selected feature items in recent Newsletters
FEBRUARY 2010
News of three people and their Bristol Old Vic connections who received honours in the New Year Honours list: Patrick Stewart OBE, Phyllida Lloyd CBE and George Ferguson CBE, who was our guest at a coffee morning in 2008.
More news about the Bristol Old Vic Young Company's preparations for Two from Assistant Designer Ruby Spencer as the rehearsals and all other elements of the production prove challenging and full of delightfully incongruous elements which whet the appetite for the show which will run from 23rd to 27th March in the Studio.
Encouragement to Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club members to complete a survey supported by the BOV's Marketing Department, to elicit their views of the theatre's new brochure design.
An in-depth appreciation of Rodney West, legendary BOV Theatre Manager who died recently.
JANUARY 2010
A report of the lively Coffee morning session at which new Executive Director Emma Stenning was our guest. Emma told us that Bristolians are renowned, far and wide, for having a passion for 'their' theatre. The Club has started to form a relationship with the extraordinarily talented and dynamic Ms Stenning, who is clearly, together with Tom Morris, committed to raising the bar for all sorts of artistic talent and taking our theatre into the next decade.
A new feature on and by members of the Bristol Old Vic Young Company - 450 extraordinary young people who collaborate with professional artists to make work driven by theatrical curiosity. Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club has a particularly strong interest in the Young Company and hopes to increase its awareness of their work.
The Newsletter also contained news of staff changes, an appreciation of Tom Hedges who has been a good friend of the Club in his time at the theatre.
DECEMBER 2009
Bristol Old Vic announces its exciting programme for 2010. Tom Morris met Club members and shared his thoughts about the future of the theatre and Bristol Old Vic. Club members gave him a very warm welcome and talked about what they hope for under his artistic direction.
NOVEMBER 2009
An outline of two documents - a Mission Statement and Memorandum of Understanding - concerning the future role of the Theatre Club and its relationship with Bristol Old Vic. The documents and ideas they contained were to be further discussed with Club members at the AGM in November where they received a good response and general support.
OCTOBER 2009
Detailed account of public meeting held on 17th September by Tom Morris and Emma Stenning, Bristol Old Vic's new artistic and executive directors. Amongst many projects, they talked about work to be done by
Uninvited Guests Theatre Company (pictured right) who recently held a workshop with Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club members.
Notice of a guided tour of Bristol's newest performance space - The Brewery Theatre - a venture being developed by The Tobacco Factory. The tour was hosted by Tobacco Factory Manager David Dewhurst, and open exclusively to Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club members.
Theatre Club members explore the Rehearsal room in the new space (left).
SEPTEMBER 2009
Photos welcoming Tom Morris, Bristol Old Vic's new artistic director and Emma Stenning who is its new executive director.
Details of Bristol Old Vic's recently announced autumn and winter programme.
News of The Tobacco Factory's new venture: The Brewery Theatre, (pictured left) a newly opened performance space in Bedminster.
Our chairman's participation in an auction of Bristol Old Vic tokens issued between 1764 and 1766.
News of Rodney West, former General Manager of Bristol Old Vic.
JULY 2009
Details of prizewinners at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School including winners of prizes donated by the Theatre Club and its members.
Pictured is Rosalind Steel, who graduated this summer from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Rosalind is the winner of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club's Musical Award 2009.
Rosalind was a recent speaker and performer at a Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club Coffee morning where she was accompanied by Neil Rhoden (see below).
A write-up on recent Coffee morning events where our guests have included Leo Wringer, pictured. Leo, who played Brutus in this year's Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory Company's Julius Caesar, was considered by many to be one of the best speakers ever to talk at a Bristol Old Vic Theatre Club coffee morning.
An appreciation of the incomparable Neil Rhoden, whose recent farewell party was attended by many Theatre Club members - a memorable occasion, not least for the heartfelt speeches and musical tributes paid by former students of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where Neil was Musical Director for over 26 years.
The July Newsletter reported on other speakers such as Stuart McLoughlin and April Pearson who appeared in Suspension written by Catherine Johnson and a visit in July from Ian Wainwright, Bristol Old Vic Theatre's Director of Education, speaking about its innovative work and plans for the future.
JUNE 2009
A description of ‘work in progress’ at the Bristol Old Vic outlining how the funds raised so far are already being put to good use.
An ‘appeal’ for any BOVTC member who would be willing to take photographs of Theatre Club activities and events for publication in the BOVTC Newsletter or on its website.
The next newsletter will be published in November.
