Bristol Old Vic
Bristol Old Vic is a registered charity operating the UK's oldest continually running theatre (founded 1766) from a single Bristol venue, presenting live productions, education and community programmes, venue hire, and hospitality, funded by tickets, donations, corporate partnerships, and public arts funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1766
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Bristol Old Vic does
Bristol Old Vic is a registered charity (Charity No. 228235, Company No. 756007) operating the oldest continually running theatre in the UK from its King Street venue in Bristol, founded in 1766 and now in its 260th year. The single-site venue operates a main house and the Weston Studio, presenting live theatrical productions spanning plays, musicals, comedy, dance, family shows, and accessibility-led programming (BSL-interpreted, audio-described, captioned, relaxed performances). The organisation runs across three wholly-owned subsidiaries — Bristol Old Vic (Trading) Ltd, Bristol Old Vic Production Company Limited, and Bristol Old Vic Film Limited — covering trading, in-house production, and film activity, alongside a literary programme and forum for artist development.
Revenue is generated through six diversified streams: ticket sales and subscriptions (from £5 club BOV tickets to £126 theatre subscriptions), donations and memberships (Orange, Thunder, Lavender tiers plus Future Fund 260 campaign), corporate partnerships, venue hire for weddings and corporate events with associated production services (scenic, paintshop, CNC), hospitality (1766 Bar & Kitchen café bar), and heritage tours and exhibitions. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through Spektrix-powered online booking, a phone and walk-up Box Office, group and schools coordinators, and a corporate events sales function, supplemented by TicketCo for live-stream and on-demand digital content and the Bloomberg Connects app for heritage audio tours.
The institution is funded by a combination of earned income and public funding from Arts Council England and Bristol City Council, alongside private philanthropy including the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation. It is led by Artistic Director Nancy Medina (appointed 2023) and Executive Director Rebecca Dawson (appointed January 2026), with a board chaired by Bernard Donoghue OBE. The technology stack is built on established SaaS tools (Supercool CMS, Spektrix ticketing, Dot Digital email, SAGE finance, Cloudflare, Google Analytics) and contains no proprietary AI/ML components.
Bristol Old Vic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bristol Old Vic
- Legal name
- Bristol Old Vic & Theatre Royal Trust Ltd
- Website
- https://bristololdvic.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1766
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Bristol Old Vic is a registered charity operating the UK's oldest continually running theatre (founded 1766) from a single Bristol venue, presenting live productions, education and community programmes, venue hire, and hospitality, funded by tickets, donations, corporate partnerships, and public arts funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bristol Old Vic industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Theatre & Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Broadway & Commercial Theatre Productions (MPAGABAA), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)
Keywords
Where Bristol Old Vic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bristol Old Vic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales and Subscriptions: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for theatre productions, events, and performances. Season ticket and subscription packages provide discounted multi-show bundles.
- Donations and Memberships: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations, including Future Fund 260 campaign, legacy giving programs, and membership tiers (Orange, Thunder, Lavender) with associated benefits.
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship and partnership programs where businesses support the theatre in exchange for branding, access, and engagement opportunities.
- Venue Hire: Hiring of theatre spaces, studios, and facilities for corporate events, weddings, and private functions. Production services including scenic construction, paintshop, and CNC cutting are available for external productions.
- Hospitality Services: Café Bar and 1766 Bar & Kitchen food and beverage sales. The venue operates its own catering for events and performances.
- Heritage Tours and Exhibitions: Guided tours of the historic building and revenue from exhibitions throughout the venue. Bloomberg Connects digital guide provides free audio tours.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard theatre tickets for main house productions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Studio/workshop tickets for smaller venue productions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Family and children's productions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Comedy and special events |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Relaxed and accessible performances |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Young Company workshop sessions |
| Subscription | Annual | Season Ticket packages |
| Subscription | Annual | Theatre Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Studio Subscription |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Group bookings discount |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels9 records
Bristol Old Vic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bristol Old Vic presents live theatrical productions across its main stage and The Weston Studio, including plays, musicals, dance, comedy, and family shows. It also operates heritage tours, free exhibitions, on-site hospitality (Café Bar and 1766 Bar & Kitchen), venue hire for weddings and corporate events, scenic construction and CNC production services for external clients, and participation programmes (Young Company, Adult Company, Literary Programme, Artists Forum).
Product overview
Bristol Old Vic is a single-venue theatre presenting live theatrical productions as its core offering. The organisation operates across two performance spaces: the main Theatre (main stage) and The Weston Studio. Supporting products and services include live broadcasts and on demand video streaming via TicketCo, a Bloomberg Connects digital guide, heritage tours, free exhibitions, youth and adult theatre participation programmes (Young Company, Adult Company), a Literary Programme and Artists Forum for writer/artist development, restaurant and bar services, wedding and corporate events hire, and production services for external hire. The theatre also offers a membership programme with tiered benefits and dedicated access performances (Audio Described, BSL/Signed, Captioned, Relaxed) for disabled audiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Theatre Productions
Companies that use Bristol Old Vic
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Bristol Old Vic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration21 records
Bristol Old Vic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Polka TheatrecoreUnlimited and Polka Theatre Partnership Commission for The Colour of Dinosaurs. Co-production partner for The Snowy Day dance adaptation for young audiences.
- Can't Sit StillcoreCo-production partner for The Snowy Day, a dance adaptation of Ezra Jack Keats' book for 1-5 year olds.
- UnlimitedcoreCommissioning partner for The Colour of Dinosaurs and What's The F**king Point?, supporting disabled artists and high-quality commissions.
- Lost DogcoreDance theatre company whose production Juliet & Romeo was co-commissioned by Battersea Arts Centre and The Place, with Arts Council England funding.
- Myrtle Theatre CompanycoreDisability-led theatre company in co-production with Wiltshire Creative for Up Down Big Man at Bristol Old Vic.
- Wiltshire CreativecoreCo-producer of Up Down Big Man with Myrtle Theatre Company at Bristol Old Vic.
- Firebird TheatrecoreCompany of Learning Disabled artists based in Bristol, supported by Bristol Old Vic for over 30 years. Produces ensemble performances including The Tempest.
- Spektrix LtdcoreBox Office ticketing system provider for booking tickets, managing customer accounts, and processing donations.
- TicketCocoreProcesses bookings for live stream and on-demand digital content, broadcasts content, and checks eligibility to watch.
- Roald Dahl Story CompanycoreLicensor for The Enormous Crocodile The Musical produced in association with PW Productions.
- PW ProductionscoreProducer of The Enormous Crocodile The Musical in co-production with Roald Dahl Story Company at Bristol Old Vic.
- Theatre Royal PlymouthcoreCo-producer of Badgers with Bristol Old Vic.
- Theatre CollectionminorPartnership with Bristol Old Vic for heritage and archival activities, exploring theatrical history.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bristol Old Vic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kiln Theatre: A producing theatre with similar scale, comparable commitment to diverse programming and emerging directors, and where Bristol Old Vic's Artistic Director Nancy Medina previously directed as a freelance.
- Manchester Royal Exchange: A major producing theatre housed in a heritage building (former cotton exchange) with a comparable in-the-round production model, regional scope, and public-funding-supported operating model.
- Leeds Playhouse: A major regional producing theatre in the North of England with a similar producing/receiving mix, education and young company programmes, and reliance on Arts Council England funding.
- Sheffield Theatres: A large UK regional producing theatre operating multiple spaces with a similar combination of in-house productions, co-productions, and community participation programmes, serving a comparable regional population size.
- Young Vic: A London-based producing theatre known for bold new writing, international co-productions, and a comparable scale of operation, audience development programmes, and disability-led programming.
- Tobacco Factory Theatres: A Bristol-based producing theatre with a comparable intimate-scale repertoire, similar artist-development programmes, and overlapping local audience. Operates in the same city as Bristol Old Vic and shares the South West catchment.
- Theatre Royal Plymouth: A major South West producing and receiving theatre with comparable programming mix, audience size, and regional scope. Explicitly co-produces with Bristol Old Vic (e.g., 'Badgers'), making it the closest operating peer.
Broad incumbents
- National Theatre: The UK's flagship producing theatre and a major funder/commissioner of regional theatre work (including the Peter Hall Bursary awarded to Bristol Old Vic's Artistic Director). Provides a comparable template for producing, learning, and digital distribution (National Theatre at Home).
- Royal Court Theatre: A London producing theatre with overlapping co-production relationships (e.g., Bristol Old Vic's 'A Good House' co-production). Comparable focus on new writing, commissioning programmes, and global storytelling.
- Royal Shakespeare Company: A national-scale producing theatre with substantially larger resources but overlapping mission (commissioning new work, education programmes, co-productions). Comparable in artistic ambition and donor/corporate partnership model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bristol Old Vic social profiles
Digital presenceBristol Old Vic compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Bristol Old Vic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bristol Old Vic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Bristol Old Vic subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Bristol Old Vic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bristol Old Vic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bristol Old Vic
What does Bristol Old Vic do?
Bristol Old Vic presents live theatrical productions across its main stage and The Weston Studio, including plays, musicals, dance, comedy, and family shows. It also operates heritage tours, free exhibitions, on-site hospitality (Café Bar and 1766 Bar & Kitchen), venue hire for weddings and corporate events, scenic construction and CNC production services for external clients, and participation programmes (Young Company, Adult Company, Literary Programme, Artists Forum).
Is Bristol Old Vic a public or private company?
Bristol Old Vic is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bristol Old Vic founded?
Bristol Old Vic was founded in 1766. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Bristol Old Vic based?
Bristol Old Vic is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bristol Old Vic make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales and Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are donations and Memberships, corporate Partnerships, venue Hire, hospitality Services and heritage Tours and Exhibitions.
Who are Bristol Old Vic's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kiln Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange, Leeds Playhouse, Sheffield Theatres, Young Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Theatre Royal Plymouth. Broad incumbents are National Theatre, Royal Court Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company.
Does Bristol Old Vic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bristol Old Vic.
What industry is Bristol Old Vic in?
Bristol Old Vic's product category is Live Theatre & Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGABAA, Broadway & Commercial Theatre Productions. Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7990.