The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat,

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

producing theatre Producer(s), The Producer(s), or co-producer(s) may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *Producer, a stakeholder of economic production * Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes ...

Waterloo, London Waterloo () is a district in Central London, and part of the Waterloo and South Bank (ward), Waterloo and South Bank ward of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated east of Charing Cross. The area is part of a List of business improvement ...

, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal Victoria Palace. It was taken over by

Emma Cons Emma Cons (4 March 1838 – 24 July 1912) was a British social reformer, strongly committed to women's suffrage. She also campaigned for educational opportunities for the working class, including cheap tickets to Shakespearean drama at the Old ...

in 1880 and formally named the Royal Victoria Hall, although by that time it was already known as the "Old Vic". In 1898, a niece of Cons,

Lilian Baylis Lilian Mary Baylis (9 May 187425 November 1937) was an English theatrical producer and manager. She managed the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells theatres in London and ran an opera company, which became the English National Opera (ENO); a theatre co ...

, assumed management and began a series of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

productions in 1914. The building was damaged in 1940 during air raids and it became a

Grade II* listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

in 1951 after it reopened. The Old Vic is the crucible of many of the performing arts companies and theatres in London today. It was the name of a

repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...

company that was based at the theatre and formed (along with the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

) the core of the

National Theatre of Great Britain The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

on its formation in 1963, under

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

. The National Theatre remained at the Old Vic until new premises were constructed on the

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England. The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...

, opening in 1976. The Old Vic then became the home of

Prospect Theatre Company The Prospect Theatre Company was an English company founded, as Prospect Productions, in 1961. Based at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge from 1964 until 1969, the company, with Toby Robertson as artistic director and Richard Cottrell as associate dir ...

, at that time a highly successful touring company which staged such acclaimed productions as

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen as well as for his work at the Royal National Theatre, he has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, two ...

's ''Hamlet''. However, with the withdrawal of funding for the company by the

Arts Council of Great Britain The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. It was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England (now Arts Council England), the Scottish Arts Council (l ...

in 1980 for breaching its touring obligations, Prospect disbanded in 1981. The theatre underwent complete refurbishment in 1985. In 2003,

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. Known for Kevin Spacey on screen and stage, his work on stage and screen, he List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Spacey, has received numerous accolades, including two ...

was appointed artistic director, which received considerable media attention. Spacey served as artistic director until 2015; two years after he stepped down, he was accused (but later found not guilty) of sexually harassing and assaulting several people. In 2015,

Matthew Warchus Matthew Warchus (born 24 October 1966) is an English theatre director, playwright, and filmmaker. He has been the Artistic Director of London's The Old Vic since September 2015. Early life and education Warchus grew up in Selby, North Yorkshir ...

succeeded Spacey as artistic director.

History

Origins

The theatre was founded in 1818 by James King and Daniel Dunn (formerly managers of the

Surrey Theatre The Surrey Theatre, London began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided entertainment of both horsemanship and drama ( hippodrama). It stood in Blackfriars Road, near the j ...

Bermondsey Bermondsey ( ) is a district in southeast London, part of the London Borough of Southwark, England, southeast of Charing Cross. To the west of Bermondsey lies Southwark, to the east Rotherhithe and Deptford, to the south Walworth and Peckham, ...

), and

John Thomas Serres John Thomas Serres (December 1759 – 28 December 1825) was an English maritime painter who enjoyed significant success, including exhibiting extensively at the Royal Academy, and was for a time Maritime Painter to King George III. Life John Tho ...

, then the marine painter to the King. Serres managed to secure the formal patronage of

Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to: People * Charlotte of the United Kingdom (disambiguation), various princesses ** Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015), granddaughter of King Charles III and only daughter of William, Prince of Wales * Charlott ...

and her husband Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, and named the theatre the Royal Coburg Theatre. The theatre was a "minor" theatre (as opposed to one of the two

patent theatre The patent theatres were the theatres that were licensed to perform "spoken drama" after the Restoration of Charles II as King of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660. Other theatres were prohibited from performing such "serious" drama, but ...

s) and was thus technically forbidden to show serious drama. Nevertheless, when the theatre passed to George Bolwell Davidge in 1824 he succeeded in bringing legendary actor

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a British Shakespearean actor, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuous personal life, and controversial div ...

south of the river to play six Shakespeare plays in six nights. The theatre's role in bringing high art to the masses was confirmed when Kean addressed the audience during his curtain call saying "I have never acted to such a set of ignorant, unmitigated brutes as I see before me." In 1825 a young American actor, Ira Aldridge, played here in this second job in the country in an abolitionist play, 'The Revolt of Surinam'. It was the start of a groundbreaking classical, international career. Aldridge was 18 years old, Black American and by the time of his death in 1867 he was one of the biggest stars of his day. More popular staples in the repertoire at the theatre were "sensational and violent" melodramas demonstrating the evils of drink, "churned out by the house dramatist", confirmed

teetotaller Teetotalism is the practice of voluntarily abstaining from the consumption of alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler (US) or teetotaller (UK), or said to be ...

Douglas Jerrold Douglas William Jerrold (3 January 18038 June 1857) was an English dramatist and writer. Early life Jerrold's father, Samuel Jerrold, was an actor and lessee of the little theatre of Wilsby near Cranbrook, Kent. In 1807 the family moved to Sh ...

. When Davidge left to take over the

in 1833, the theatre was bought by

Daniel Egerton Daniel Egerton (1772–1835) was an English actor. Life Egerton was born in the city of London on 14 April 1772. According to various accounts, presumably supplied by himself, he was 'bred to the law in a public office.' Another source says, h ...

and William Abbot, who tried to capitalise on the abolition of the legal distinction between patent and minor theatres, enacted in

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

earlier that year. On 1 July 1833, the theatre was renamed the Royal Victoria Theatre, under the "protection and patronage" of

Victoria, Duchess of Kent Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Marie Louise Victoire; 17 August 1786 – 16 March 1861), later Princess of Leiningen and subsequently Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, was a German princess and the mother of Queen Victoria of the ...

, mother to Princess Victoria, the 14-year-old

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

to the British throne. The duchess and the princess visited only once, on 28 November of that year, but enjoyed the performance, of light opera and dance, in the "pretty...clean and comfortable" theatre. The single visit scarcely justified the "Old Vic" its later billing as "Queen Victoria's Own Theayter". Old Vic0185

In 1841, David Osbaldiston took over as lessee, and was succeeded on his death in 1850 by his lover and the theatre's leading lady, Eliza Vincent, until her death in 1856. Under their management, the theatre remained devoted to melodrama. In 1858, sixteen people were crushed to death inside the theatre after mass panic caused while an actor's clothing caught fire. In 1867, Joseph Arnold Cave took over as lessee. In 1871 he transferred the lease to Romaine Delatorre, who raised funds for the theatre to be rebuilt in the style of the Alhambra Music Hall. Jethro Thomas Robinson was engaged as the architect. In September 1871 the old theatre closed, and the new building opened as the Royal Victoria Palace in December of the same year, with Cave staying on as manager. By 1873, however, Cave had left and Delatorre's venture failed. In 1880, under the ownership of

(for whose memory there are plaques outside and inside the theatre) it became the Royal Victoria Hall and Coffee Tavern and was run on "strict temperance lines"; by this time it was already known as the "Old Vic". The "penny lectures" given in the hall led to the foundation of

Morley College Morley College is a specialist adult education and further education college in London, England. The college has three main campuses, one in Waterloo on the South Bank, and two in West London namely in North Kensington and in Chelsea, the ...

. An endowment from the estate of Samuel Morley led to the creation of the ''Morley Memorial College for Working Men and Women'' on the premises, which were shared; lectures were given back stage, and in the theatre dressing rooms. The

adult education Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained educating activities in order to gain new knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralph G. ''The Pr ...

college moved to its own premises nearby in the 1920s. On 24 November 1923, the theatre participated in a pioneering radio event, when the first set of the opera '' La Traviata'' was broadcast live by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, using transmitters in London, Manchester and Glasgow, via a specially installed relay transmitter on the roof of the adjacent Royal Victoria Tavern.

Old Vic company

With Emma Cons's death in 1912 the theatre passed to her niece

, who emphasised the

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

repertoire. The first radio broadcasts from the theatre were made as early as October 1923, by the

British Broadcasting Company The British Broadcasting Company Limited (BBC) was a short-lived British commercial broadcasting company formed on 18 October 1922 by British and American electrical companies doing business in the United Kingdom. Licensed by the British Gener ...

. The Old Vic Company was established in 1929, led by Sir John Gielgud. Between 1925 and 1931,

championed the re-building of the then-derelict

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a London performing arts venue, located in Rosebery Avenue, Islington. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site. Sadler's Wells grew out of a late 17th-century pleasure garden and was opened as a theatre buil ...

Theatre, and established a ballet company under the direction of

Dame Ninette de Valois Dame Ninette de Valois (born Edris Stannus; 6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, ...

. For a few years the drama and ballet companies rotated between the two theatres, with the ballet becoming permanently based at Sadler's Wells in 1935. Baylis died in November 1937.

Wartime exile

The Old Vic was damaged badly during

the Blitz The Blitz (English: "flash") was a Nazi Germany, German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom, for eight months, from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941, during the Second World War. Towards the end of the Battle of Britain in 1940, a co ...

, and the war-depleted company spent all its time touring, based in

Burnley Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...

, Lancashire at the Victoria Theatre during the years 1940 to 1943. In 1944, the company was re-established in London with

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

and

as its stars, performing mainly at the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) until the Old Vic was ready to reopen in 1950. In 1946, an offshoot of the company was established in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

as the

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a fin ...

The Five Year plan

In 1953,

Michael Benthall Michael Pickersgill Benthall CBE (8 February 1919 – 6 September 1974) was an English theatre director. Background Michael Benthall was born in Mayfair on 18 February 1919, the son of the British businessman and public servant Sir Edward Ch ...

became the Artistic Director. Michael devised the Five Year plan during his tenure. The plan was to produce Shakespeare's First Folio in five years, starting the plan with Hamlet, starring

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

and

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles on stage and screen and has received two BAFTA Awards and a Drama Desk Award as well as nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award an ...

as Hamlet and Ophelia respectively, and ending the plan with Hamlet, starring John Neville and

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

in the leading roles. Michael remained at the Old Vic company until 1962.

National Theatre company

In 1963, the Old Vic company was dissolved and the new

National Theatre Company The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

, under the artistic direction of Sir Laurence Olivier, was based at the Old Vic until its own building was opened on the

near

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at the ...

in 1976. In July 1974 the Old Vic presented a rock concert for the first time. National Theatre director Peter Hall arranged for the progressive folk-rock band

Gryphon The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk o ...

to première ''Midnight Mushrumps'', the fantasia inspired by Hall's own 1974 Old Vic production of ''

The Tempest ''The Tempest'' is a Shakespeare's plays, play by William Shakespeare, probably written in 1610–1611, and thought to be one of the last plays that he wrote alone. After the first scene, which takes place on a ship at sea during a tempest, th ...

'' starring

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud ( ; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Britis ...

for which Gryphon had supplied the music.

Prospect Theatre Company

For two years prior to the departure of the

Toby Robertson Sholto David Maurice Robertson (29 November 1928 – 4 July 2012), known as Toby Robertson, was the artistic director of the Prospect Theatre Company from 1964 to 1978. He was recognized as having "re-established the good name and reputation of ...

, director of the

, sustained a campaign that the Old Vic should make Prospect its resident company.Rowell, p. 157 For the Old Vic, Robertson's overtures proved increasingly hard to resist in the face of poor box office returns achieved by productions staged by other visiting companies; against this, Prospect staged a highly successful season which opened in May 1977, including ''Hamlet'' with

, ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' with

Alec McCowen Alexander Duncan McCowen, (26 May 1925 – 6 February 2017) was an English actor. He was known for his work in numerous film and stage productions. Early life McCowen was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, the son of Mary (née Walkden), a dancer ...

and

Dorothy Tutin Dame Dorothy Tutin (8 April 19306 August 2001) was an English actress of stage, film and television. For her work in the theatre, she won two Olivier Awards and two ''Evening Standard'' Awards for Best Actress. She was made a CBE in 1967 and a ...

; and '' Saint Joan'' with

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins (born 15 June 1934) is an English actress. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting ...

.Rowell, p. 158 In July the Governors of the Old Vic announced "a marriage that was all but a merger" between the Vic and Prospect. In September Toby Robertson, director of Prospect, was asked to take artistic control of the Old Vic, and Christopher Richards, general manager of the Old Vic, became general manager of Prospect. One major problem, though, was the terms of Prospect's funding by the

: this was on the basis of it being a touring company, and the council – already funding the National Theatre and the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

in London – could not accept a case for another theatre company in the capital and repeatedly refused requests to fund any London seasons staged by Prospect. Therefore, any London-based productions would have to succeed financially without Arts Council support. Prospect's first season at the Old Vic recouped its costs but left no surplus to fund future productions. Further stagings by visiting companies were box office failures and stretched the theatre's finances to breaking point. Yet Prospect continued to draw audiences to the Old Vic where other companies failed. In December 1978, the governors of the Old Vic agreed to a five-year contract with Prospect, announcing to the press on 23 April that henceforth they would be styled "Prospect Productions Ltd., trading as the Old Vic Company".Rowell, p. 160 Unfortunately Prospect's touring commitments kept the company out of the theatre for the first half of 1979, leaving the theatre to sink further into debt. The company returned in July with Jacobi's ''Hamlet'' (toured afterwards to Denmark, Australia and China, the first English theatre company to tour that country), followed by ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'', and ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

'' with

Ian Richardson Ian William Richardson (7 April 19349 February 2007) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Conservative politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's '' House of Cards'' (1990–1995) television trilogy, as well as the pivot ...

. The following season, however, proved controversial: the proposed programming, including the double bill of ''The Padlock'' and ''

Miss in Her Teens ''Miss in Her Teens; or The Medley of Lovers'' is a farce (or afterpiece) written in 1747 by David Garrick. It was adapted from Florent Carton Dancourt's 1691 play ''La Parisienne''. It was the third play written by Garrick, and was first perform ...

'', to mark the bicentenary of

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1716 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, Actor-manager, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil a ...

's death, and a revival of '' What the Butler Saw'', were deemed by the Arts Council unsuitable for touring repertory. An internal report by Prospect now questioned "whether Prospect can any longer satisfy the triple task of filling the Vic, of satisfying the Arts Council Director of Touring's requirements for product of a certain familiar sort, and of realising the vision of Toby Robertson". Robertson was in effect fired as artistic director in 1980 while he was abroad with the company in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Timothy West Timothy Lancaster West (20 October 1934 – 12 November 2024) was an English actor with a long and varied career across theatre, film, and television. He began acting in repertory theatres in the 1950s before making his London stage debut in 19 ...

replacing him. The following season, West's first as Robertson's successor, saw ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' with

Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus O'Toole (; 2 August 1932 – 14 December 2013) was an English actor known for his leading roles on stage and screen. His numerous accolades include the Academy Honorary Award, a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Golde ...

, ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

'' with West as Shylock, and a gala performance presented to the Queen Mother to celebrate her eightieth birthday. On 22 December 1980, four days after the gala performance, the Arts Council withdrew its funding from the company, sealing its inevitable demise.Rowell, p. 161 The company gave a final season at the Old Vic in 1981, staging ''The Merchant of Venice'', then gave a final tour of Europe, giving its last performance in Rome on 14 June before disbanding.

Youth Theatre

The 'Old Vic Youth Theatre’ was an acting company for young people between the ages of 12 and 20 mainly from the London Borough of

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

. The group was founded by Tom Vaughan of the Old Vic Theatre, Raymond Rivers of Morley College and Barry Anderson of the Southbank Education Institute. The

Inner London Education Authority The Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) was the local education authority for the City of London and the 12 Inner London boroughs from 1965 until its abolition in 1990. From 1965 to 1986 it was an ad hoc committee of the Greater London Co ...

(ILEA) was the enterprise's main funding body. During the early spring term of 1977 auditions consisting of improvisational scenes run by the Youth Theatre's first professional directors Lucy Parker and Frederick Proud took place and around 40 applicants were chosen to form the company. By the middle of the summer in 1977 the 'Old Vic Youth Theatre’ had performed two plays for the paying public. First was ‘The Kitchen’ by

Arnold Wesker Sir Arnold Wesker (24 May 1932 – 12 April 2016) was an English dramatist. He was the author of 50 plays, four volumes of short stories, two volumes of essays, much journalism and a book on the subject, a children's book, some poetry, and ot ...

which also incorporated improvised scenes alongside the actual script and was staged in the Emma Cons Hall at Morley College. The Youth Theatre's second production, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ by William Shakespeare was first performed at the George Inn Courtyard as part of the Southwark Shakespeare Festival the same year and was the company's debut production at the Old Vic Theatre itself. In the autumn of 1977 a new round of auditions took place and the existing group expanded into two. One group concentrated on a famous scripted play whilst the other would devise a play through improvisation from which the material was scripted into a play by a professional playwright. The Youth groups continued to produce plays with new members auditioning each September until the mid 1980s.

Reopening

The Old Vic was significantly restored under the ownership of Toronto department-store entrepreneur 'Honest Ed' Mirvish in 1985. In 1987, his son

David Mirvish David Mirvish, (born August 29, 1944) is a Canadian theatre producer, impresario, and art collector. He owns and operates Toronto-based theatrical production company Mirvish Productions, which he founded with his father in 1986. He has also pr ...

installed

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

as artistic director of the Old Vic and the theatre enjoyed several critical successes – including an

Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

for a production of the musical ''Candide'', but suffered three straight years of financial loss. In 1990, Mirvish terminated Miller's contract over budgetary issues, earning much negative criticism in the British press. In 1997, Mirvish appointed Sir Peter Hall as artistic director and, again, enjoyed critical acclaim with such productions as ''

The Master Builder ''The Master Builder'' () is a play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was first published in December 1892 and is regarded as one of Ibsen's more significant and revealing works. Performance The play was published by Gyldendal AS in C ...

'' with

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the Cinema of the United Kingdom#The 1960s, 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down ...

and ''

Waiting for Godot ''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...

'' with

Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley, various accolades throughout Ben Kingsley on screen and stage, his career spanning fi ...

, but continuing financial loss. Within a year of the appointment, Mirvish terminated Hall's contract – again to much negative comment in the press – and put the Old Vic up for sale. In 1998, the building was bought by a new charitable trust, the ''Old Vic Theatre Trust 2000''. In 2000, the production company Criterion Productions was renamed ''Old Vic Productions plc'', although relatively few of its productions are at the Old Vic theatre.

Kevin Spacey (2003-2015)

In 2003, actor

was appointed as new artistic director of the Old Vic Theatre Company. Spacey said he wanted to inject new life into the British theatre industry, and bring British and American theatrical talent to the stage. Spacey served as artistic director until 2015. In November 2017, amid a series of rape and sexual misconduct allegations against Spacey, 20 people contacted the Old Vic with claims that he had sexually harassed or assaulted them at the theatre during his tenure as artistic director. In the wake of the scandal, The Old Vic released a statement apologising for "not creating an environment or culture where people felt able to speak freely", and announced a "commitment to a new way forward". In 2018, the Old Vic announced that it had established the Guardians Programme, a group of trained staff who offer a confidential outlet for colleagues to share concerns about behaviour or the culture at work. Additionally, a Guardians Network has been formed to bring together the group of organisations from all sectors (not just the arts) who have implemented the principles of a Guardian Programme.

Matthew Warchus (2015-26)

Since 2015,

has been Artistic Director of The Old Vic. His debut season opened in September 2015 with Warchus's production of a new play about education, ''Future Conditional'' by Tamsin Oglesby. He also has directed productions at the theatre such as the world premiere of the musical ''Groundhog Day'' by

Tim Minchin Timothy David Minchin Order of Australia#Levels of membership, AM (born 7 October 1975) is an Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, poet, composer, and songwriter. Minchin has released six CDs, five DVDs, and live comedy shows that he ...

and

Danny Rubin Daniel Rubin (born 1957) is an American screenwriter and playwright. He wrote the original story, and then co-wrote with Harold Ramis the screenplay for the 1993 comedy film ''Groundhog Day'', for which the two received a BAFTA Award for Best Scr ...

, ''

Present Laughter ''Present Laughter'' is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1939 but not produced until 1942 because the Second World War began while it was in rehearsal, and the British theatres closed. The title is drawn from a song in Shakespeare's ''Tw ...

'' by

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

and from the Christmas 2017 season directed

Jack Thorne Jack Thorne FRSL (born 6 December 1978) is a British playwright, television writer, screenwriter, and producer. A massive fan of hard science fiction, he is best known for writing the stage play '' Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'', the fil ...

's new version of ''A Christmas Carol'' which has returned to the theatre every Christmas season since raising £1.5million for food poverty and deprivation-focused charities. He announced his resignation in May 2024, leaving the position in September 2026 after 11 years. On 27 November 2024, it was announced that

Rupert Goold Rupert Goold (born 18 February 1972) is an English director who works primarily in theatre. He is the artistic director of the Almeida Theatre, and was the artistic director of Headlong Theatre Company (2005–2013). Since 2010, Goold has be ...

would take over as Artistic Director with

Rebecca Frecknall Rebecca Frecknall is a British theatre director best known for directing the 2021 West End revival of ''Cabaret (musical)#2021 West End revival, Cabaret'' starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley. The show received the 2022 Olivier Award for ...

as Associate Director.

Bicentenary (2018)

On 24 October 2017, The Old Vic announced its bicentenary season. The theatre celebrated its 200th birthday on 11 May 2018 with a free performance of

Joe Penhall Joe Scott Penhall (born 1967) is an English-Australian playwright and screenwriter, best known for his award-winning stage play '' Blue/Orange'', the award-winning West End musical ''Sunny Afternoon'' and creating the Netflix original series ' ...

's ''

Mood Music Mood music is easy listening music. Mood music may also refer to: * Beautiful music * Exotica * Light music * Lounge music * Elevator music * Music provided by Mood Media, Corporation * ''Mood Music'' (play), a 2018 play by Joe Penhall See ...

'', featuring

Ben Chaplin Benedict John Greenwood (born 31 July 1969),''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com better known as Ben Chaplin, is a British actor. He is best known for his roles in films, including '' Feast of Ju ...

Recent and current productions

2005

* '' The Philadelphia Story'' by Phillip Barry, starring

and

Jennifer Ehle Jennifer Anne Ehle (; born December 29, 1969) is an American actress. She received the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for her role as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC miniseries ''Pride and Prejudice'' (1995). Ehle started her car ...

* ''

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

'' by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, starring

and

Ben Miles Benjamin Charles Miles (born 29 September 1966) is an English actor, best known for his starring role as Patrick Maitland in the television comedy '' Coupling'', from 2000 to 2004, as Montague Dartie in '' The Forsyte Saga'', from 2002 to 2003, ...

* ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

'', a new version by

Bille Brown William Gerald Brown AM (11 January 195213 January 2013) professionally known as Bille Brown was an Australian stage, film and television actor, director and acclaimed playwright. Early life Brown was born in the coal, wheat and cotton countr ...

starring

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

2006

* ''

Resurrection Blues ''Resurrection Blues'' is a 2002 play by Arthur Miller. Though Miller was not known for his humor, this play uses a pointed comedic edge to intensify his observations about the dangers, as well as the benefits, of blind belief: political, relig ...

'' by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

, starring

Neve Campbell Neve Adrianne Campbell (; born October 3, 1973) is a Canadian actress. After working in Canadian and American television, Campbell emerged as a scream queen for her starring roles in horror and thriller films. She has also appeared in blockbu ...

Matthew Modine Matthew Avery Modine (born March 22, 1959) is an American actor and filmmaker. He shared the Venice Film Festival‘s Volpi Cup for Best Actor as part of the ensemble cast of Robert Altman film ''Streamers'' (1983). He went on to play lead rol ...

and

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was a Swiss actor. Born in First Austrian Republic, Austria, his parents were involved in the arts and he grew up surrounded by performance and literature. While he was still a child, his fa ...

* ''

A Moon for the Misbegotten A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient ...

'' by

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of Realism (theatre), realism, earlier associated with ...

, starring

Eve Best Emily "Eve" Best (born 31 July 1971) is an English actress and director. She is known for her television roles as Dr Eleanor O'Hara in the Showtime series '' Nurse Jackie'' (2009–2013), First Lady Dolley Madison in the ''American Experience' ...

and

2007

* ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' and ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' by

* ''

The Entertainer ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a jo ...

, starring Robert Lindsay * ''

Gaslight Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a fuel gas such as methane, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly ...

'' by Patrick Hamilton, starring

Rosamund Pike Rosamund Mary Ellen Pike (born 1979) is an English actress and producer. Known for psychological thrillers and dramas, she is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Rosamund Pike, numerous accolades, including a Primetime Em ...

and

Kenneth Cranham Kenneth Cranham (born 12 December 1944) is a British film, television, radio and stage actor. His most notable screen roles were in '' Oliver!'' (1968), '' Up Pompeii'' (1971), '' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' (1988), '' Chocolat'' (1988), '' Layer ...

* ''

All About My Mother ''All About My Mother'' () is a 1999 comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar, and starring Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan, Penélope Cruz, Rosa Maria Sardà, and Fernando Fernán Gómez. Th ...

'' by

Pedro Almodóvar Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and author. His films are distinguished by Melodrama (film genre), melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular c ...

, starring

Diana Rigg Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg (20 July 1938 – 10 September 2020) was an English actress of stage and screen. Her roles include Emma Peel in the TV series ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' (1965–1968); Countess Tracy Bond, Teresa di ...

and

Lesley Manville Lesley Ann Manville (born 12 March 1956) is an English actress. She has received various accolades, including two Laurence Olivier Awards and nominations for an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, four British Academy Television ...

* ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' starring

Pauline Collins Pauline Collins (born 3 September 1940) is a British actress who first came to prominence portraying Sarah Moffat in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' (1971–1973) and its spin-off '' Thomas & Sarah'' (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography ' ...

and

Sandi Toksvig Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British broadcaster, comedian, presenter and writer on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She ha ...

2008

* ''

Speed-the-Plow ''Speed-the-Plow'' is a 1988 play by David Mamet that is a satirical dissection of the American movie business. As stated in ''The Producer's Perspective'', "this is a theme Mamet would revisit in his later films ''Wag the Dog'' (1997) and ''St ...

'' by

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...

, starring

Jeff Goldblum Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum ( ; born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He has starred in some of the highest-grossing films, such as ''Jurassic Park'' (1993) and ''Independence Day'' (1996), as well as their sequels. Goldblum ...

and

Laura Michelle Kelly Laura Michelle Kelly (born 4 March 1981) is an English actress and singer, best known for originating the roles of Mary Poppins in ''Mary Poppins'' in the West End, for which she received the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and ...

* '' Pygmalion'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

, starring

Tim Pigott-Smith Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was a British film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he won t ...

and

Michelle Dockery Michelle Suzanne Dockery (born 15 December 1981) is an English actress. She is best known for starring as List of Downton Abbey characters#Lady Mary Talbot, Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV (TV network), ITV television period drama series ''Downton ...

* ''

The Norman Conquests ''The Norman Conquests'' is a trilogy of plays written in 1973 by Alan Ayckbourn. Each of the plays depicts the same six characters over the same weekend in a different part of a house. ''Table Manners'' is set in the dining room, ''Living Tog ...

'' by

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. As of 2025, he has written and produced 90 full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen ...

2009

* ''

Complicit Complicity in criminal law refers to the participation in a completed criminal act of an accomplice, a partner in the crime who aids or encourages ( abets) other perpetrators of that crime, and who shared with them an intent to act to complete ...

'' by Joe Sutton, starring

Richard Dreyfus Richard Stephen Dreyfuss ( ; Dreyfus; born October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He emerged from the New Hollywood wave of American cinema, finding fame with a succession of leading man parts in the 1970s. He has received an Academy Award, a ...

Elizabeth McGovern Elizabeth Lee McGovern (born July 18, 1961) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, three Golden Globe Award nominations, and one Academy Award nomination. Born in Evanston ...

and

David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor. He is known for his work on stage and in television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenheimer'' (1980) and received the RTS and BPG awards for his pe ...

* ''

Dancing at Lughnasa ''Dancing at Lughnasa'' is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in County Donegal, Ireland in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator. He re ...

'' by

Brian Friel Brian Patrick Friel (c. 9 January 1929 – 2 October 2015) was an Irish dramatist, short story writer and founder of the Field Day Theatre Company. He had been considered one of the greatest living English-language dramatists. (subscription requ ...

* ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'' by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; ; 29 January 1860 – 15 July 1904) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer, widely considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as a playwright produced four classics, and his b ...

and ''

The Winter’s Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' by

* '' Inherit the Wind'' by

Jerome Lawrence Jerome Lawrence (born Jerome Lawrence Schwartz; July 14, 1915 – February 29, 2004) was an American playwright and author. After graduating from the Ohio State University in 1937 and the University of California, Los Angeles in 1939, Lawrence pa ...

and

Robert E. Lee Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...

, starring

and

David Troughton David Troughton (born 9 June 1950) is an English actor. He is known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage and for his many roles on British television, including Dr Bob Buzzard in ''A Very Peculiar Practice'' and Ricky Hanson in ''Ne ...

2010

* ''

Six Degrees of Separation Six degrees of separation is the idea that all people are six or fewer social connections away from each other. As a result, a chain of "friend of a friend" statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. It is al ...

'' by

John Guare John Guare ( ; born February 5, 1938) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known as the author of '' The House of Blue Leaves'' and '' Six Degrees of Separation''. Early life He was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens.Druckma ...

, starring

* '' The Real Thing'' by

Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...

, starring

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the United Kingdom, United States, and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film '' Die Another Day'', for whic ...

and

Hattie Morahan Harriet Jane Morahan (born 7 October 1978), better known as Hattie Morahan, is an English actress. Her roles include Sister Clara in ''The Golden Compass'' (2007), Gale Benson in '' The Bank Job'' (2008), Alice in ''The Bletchley Circle'' (20 ...

* ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...

'' and ''

'' by

* ''

Design for Living ''Design for Living'' is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and C ...

'' by

, starring Tom Burke, Lisa Dillon and Andrew Scott (actor), Andrew Scott * ''A Flea in Her Ear'' by Georges Feydeau, in a translation by John Mortimer, starring Tom Hollander

2011

* ''Cause Célèbre (play), Cause Célèbre'' by Terence Rattigan, directed by Thea Sharrock, starring Anne-Marie Duff * ''Richard III (play), Richard III'' by

, directed by Sam Mendes, starring

* ''The Playboy of the Western World'' by John Millington Synge, J M Synge, directed by John Crowley (director), John Crowley, starring Niamh Cusack, Ruth Negga and Robert Sheehan * ''Noises Off'' by Michael Frayn, directed by Lindsay Posner, starring Janie Dee, Robert Glenister and Celia Imrie

2012

* ''The Duchess of Malfi'' by John Webster, directed by Jamie Lloyd (director), Jamie Lloyd, starring

* ''Democracy (play), Democracy'' by Michael Frayn, directed by Paul Miller (theatre director), Paul Miller * ''Hedda Gabler'' by Henrik Ibsen in a new version by

, directed by Anna Mackmin, starring Sheridan Smith * ''Kiss Me, Kate'' music and lyrics by Cole Porter book by Bella and Samuel Spewack, Sam and Bella Spewack, directed by Trevor Nunn, choreography by Stephen Mear, starring Alex Bourne, David Burt (actor), David Burt, Adam Garcia, Clive Rowe and Hannah Waddingham

2013

* ''The Winslow Boy'' by Terence Rattigan, directed by Lindsay Posner, starring Henry Goodman * ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' by Tennessee Williams, directed by Marianne Elliott, starring Kim Cattrall and Seth Numrich * ''Much Ado About Nothing'' by

, directed by Mark Rylance, starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave * ''Fortune's Fool (1848 play), Fortune's Fool'' by Ivan Turgenev in a version by Mike Poulton, directed by Lucy Bailey, starring Richard McCabe

2014

* ''Other Desert Cities'' by Jon Robin Baitz, directed by Lindsay Posner * ''Clarence Darrow'' by David W. Rintels, directed by Thea Sharrock, starring

* ''The Crucible'' by

, directed by Yaël Farber, starring Richard Armitage (actor), Richard Armitage * ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles in a version by Frank McGuinness, directed by Ian Rickson, starring Kristin Scott Thomas

2015

* ''Tree, a play for two people'' written and directed by Daniel Kitson, starring Tim Key and Daniel Kitson * ''Clarence Darrow'' by David W. Rintels, directed by Thea Sharrock, starring

* ''High Society (musical), High Society'' music and lyrics by Cole Porter book by Arthur Kopit, directed by Maria Friedman * ''Future Conditional'' by Tamsin Oglesby, directed by

, starring Rob Brydon * ''The Hairy Ape'' by

, directed by Richard Jones (director), Richard Jones, starring Bertie Carvel * ''The Lorax (play), Dr. Seuss's The Lorax'' adapted for the stage by David Greig (dramatist), David Greig, music and lyrics by Charlie Fink, directed by Max Webster

2016

* ''

'' by Henrik Ibsen in a new adaptation by David Hare (playwright), David Hare, directed by

, starring Ralph Fiennes * ''The Caretaker (play), The Caretaker'' by Harold Pinter, directed by

, starring Timothy Spall, Daniel Mays and George MacKay (actor), George Mackay * ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Jekyll & Hyde'' by The McOnie Company, devised directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie * ''Groundhog Day (musical), Groundhog Day'' book by

music and lyrics by

, directed by

, starring Andy Karl * ''No's Knife'' by Samuel Beckett, co-directed and performed by Lisa Dwan, co-directed by Joe Murphy * ''King Lear'' by

, directed by Deborah Warner, starring Glenda Jackson * ''Art (play), Art'' by Yasmina Reza translated by Christopher Hampton, directed by

, starring Rufus Sewell, Tim Key and Paul Ritter

2017

* ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' by

, directed by David Leveaux, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuire * ''Woyzeck'' by Georg Büchner in a new version by

, directed by Joe Murphy, starring John Boyega * ''Girl from the North Country (musical), Girl from the North Country'' written and directed by Conor McPherson, music and lyrics by Bob Dylan * ''The Lorax (play), Dr. Seuss's The Lorax'' adapted for the stage by David Greig (dramatist), David Greig, music and lyrics by Charlie Fink, directed by Max Webster * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a new version by

, directed by

, starring Rhys Ifans

2018

* ''The Divide'', a new play by

, directed by Annabel Bolton * ''Fanny and Alexander'' adapted for the stage by Stephen Beresford and starring Penelope Wilton * ''

'' by

and directed by Roger Michell starring

* Bicentenary Variety Night * ''Sea Wall'' by Simon Stephens, starring Andrew Scott (actor), Andrew Scott * ''A Monster Calls'', based on the novel by Patrick Ness and inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd, devised by the company * ''Sylvia (musical), Sylvia'' written by Kate Prince and Priya Parma, with Prince providing choreography and direction as well * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring Stephen Tompkinson

2019

* ''The American Clock'' by

, directed by Rachel Chavkin * ''All My Sons'' by

, directed by Jeremy Herrin, starring Sally Field, Bill Pullman, Jenna Coleman and Colin Morgan * ''

'' by

, directed by

, starring Andrew Scott (actor), Andrew Scott * ''A Very Expensive Poison'' by Lucy Prebble, based on the book by Luke Harding * ''Lungs (play), Lungs'' by Duncan Macmillan (playwright), Duncan Macmillan, directed by

, starring Matt Smith and Claire Foy * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring Paterson Joseph

2020

* ''Endgame (play), Endgame'' (in double bill with ''Rough for Theatre II'') by Samuel Beckett, directed by Richard Jones (director), Richard Jones, starring Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe (closed early due to the COVID-19 pandemic in London, COVID-19 pandemic)

''Old Vic: In Camera'' series (during COVID-19 pandemic)

* ''Lungs (play), Lungs'' by Duncan Macmillan (playwright), Duncan Macmillan, directed by

, starring Matt Smith and Claire Foy * ''Three Kings (play), Three Kings'' by Stephen Beresford, directed by

, starring Andrew Scott (actor), Andrew Scott * ''Faith Healer'' by

, directed by

, starring Michael Sheen, David Threlfall and Indira Varma * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring Andrew Lincoln * ''The Lorax (play), Dr. Seuss's The Lorax'' adapted for the stage by David Greig (dramatist), David Greig, music and lyrics by Charlie Fink, directed by Max Webster, starring Jamael Westman and Audrey Brisson

2021

* ''The Dumb Waiter'' by Harold Pinter, directed by Jeremy Herrin, starring David Thewlis and Daniel Mays (also Old Vic: In Camera) * ''Bagdad Cafe'', adapted and directed by Emma Rice (also Old Vic: In Camera) * ''Camp Siegfried (play), Camp Siegfried'' by Bess Wohl, directed by Katy Rudd, starring Patsy Ferran and Luke Thallon * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring Stephen Mangan

2022

* ''A Number'' by Caryl Churchill, directed by Lyndsey Turner, starring Paapa Essiedu and Lennie James * ''The 47th'' by Mike Bartlett (playwright), Mike Bartlett, directed by

, starring Bertie Carvel, Tamarie Tunie and Lydia Wilson * ''Jitney (play), Jitney'' by August Wilson, directed by Tinuke Craig, starring Will Johnson and Solomon Israel * ''Eureka Day'' by Jonathan Spector, directed by Katy Rudd, starring Helen Hunt * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring Owen Teale

2023

* ''Sylvia (musical), Sylvia'', by Kate Prince and Priya Parma, with music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, directed by Kate Prince, starring Beverley Knight * ''Groundhog Day (musical), Groundhog Day'' book by

music and lyrics by

, directed by

, starring Andy Karl * '' Pygmalion'' by

, directed by Richard Jones (director), Richard Jones, starring Bertie Carvel and Patsy Ferran * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring Christopher Eccleston

2024

* Just for One Day (musical), ''Just for One Day: The Live Aid Musical'' by John O'Farrell (author), John O'Farrell, directed by Luke Sheppard, * ''Machinal'' by Sophie Treadwell, directed by Richard Jones (director), Richard Jones * ''The Constituent'' by

, directed by

, starring James Corden and Anna Maxwell Martin * '' The Real Thing'' by

, directed by Max Webster, starring James McArdle and Bel Powley * ''A Christmas Carol (2017 play), A Christmas Carol'', a version by

, directed by

, starring John Simm

2025

* ''Oedipus'', a new adaptation by Ella Hickson, directed by

and Hofesh Shechter, starring Rami Malek and Indira Varma * ''The Brightening Air'', written and directed by Conor McPherson

References

Sources

* *

External links

Old Vic Theatre
official website

University of Bristol
Lilian Baylis archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection
University of Bristol
Old Vic Theatre History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Old Vic 1818 establishments in England Commercial buildings completed in 1818 Theatres in the London Borough of Lambeth Theatres in the London Borough of Southwark Producing house theatres in London Theatres completed in 1818 Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Lambeth History of the London Borough of Lambeth Grade II* listed buildings in the London Borough of Southwark Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817) Leopold I of Belgium

History

Origins

Old Vic company

Wartime exile

The Five Year plan

National Theatre company

Prospect Theatre Company

Youth Theatre

Reopening

Kevin Spacey (2003-2015)

Matthew Warchus (2015-26)

Bicentenary (2018)

Recent and current productions

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

''Old Vic: In Camera'' series (during COVID-19 pandemic)

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

References

Sources

Further reading

External links