BIG NEWS!! Firebird Theatre becomes an Associate Company of Bristol Old Vic.

It is with great pleasure that we announce that we have been made an associate company of Bristol Old Vic. We are thrilled and very excited about this and look forward to developing future work with Bristol Old Vic and its development programme, Ferment. The Old Vic has released a press release about the associateship, please see below.

Firebird Theatre becomes Bristol Old Vic’s first Associate Company.

Bristol Old Vic has announced that Firebird Theatre is to become their first Associate Company.
The Bristol-based company of sixteen disabled performers has had a long association with Bristol Old Vic, and has premiered all of its work at the theatre since 1990. This new associateship formalises the close relationship the two organisations have nurtured over many years.


Firebird has been creating work together for over twenty years. They began life as the Portway Players, and became Firebird Theatre in 2005.

They first worked at Bristol Old Vic in 1990 when they performed their first piece of professional theatre Yellow Sun, Red Moon. Since then, their shows at Bristol Old Vic have included Faustus (2007) and The Tempest (2010). They recently performed a new performance poetry piece, The Nine Lessons of Caliban, which was written in collaboration with Claire Williamson and developed through Bristol Ferment.


Speaking about the associateship, Emma Stenning, Executive Director of Bristol Old Vic said:


“We’re delighted to announce that Firebird Theatre are an Associate Company of Bristol Old Vic.
“Firebird has been right at the heart of this theatre for many years. They’re any extraordinary ensemble whose bold productions resonate far and wide. Firebird tells big stories that matter to everyone, and this new associateship marks our shared ambition to work more closely together in creating adventurous theatre for Bristol.”

Jane Sallis, for Firebird Theatre said:

“Firebird Theatre is proud and honoured to become the first associate company of Bristol Old Vic.
Often theatre made by disabled actors is seen as being outside the mainstream but Bristol Old Vic has always supported our work and brought it to the attention of its regular audience; we in turn have brought new audiences into the Bristol Old Vic.
“We have never underestimated the importance of being part of the wider theatre community of Bristol, this associateship establishes our place within the community and enables us to develop our role within it.
“We call Bristol Old Vic our ‘theatre home’; our relationship with the theatre is now moving forward into a new and exciting phase. We thank Bristol Old Vic for being such practical and stalwart supporters of Firebird Theatre and our work.”

For further information, please contact Matthew Austin at Bristol Old Vic Press Office on 0117 949 4901 / 07989 500732 or press@bristololdvic.org.uk