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 in

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 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, 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) the core of the National Theatre of Great Britain on its formation in 1963, under Laurence Olivier. The National Theatre remained at the Old Vic until new premises were constructed on the South Bank, opening in 1976. The Old Vic then became the home of Prospect Theatre Company, at that time a highly successful touring company which staged such acclaimed productions as Derek Jacobi's ''Hamlet''. However, with the withdrawal of funding for the company by the Arts Council of Great Britain 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 in Bermondsey), and John Thomas Serres, then the marine painter to the King. Serres managed to secure the formal patronage of Princess Charlotte 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 theatres) 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 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 Douglas Jerrold. When Davidge left to take over the Surrey Theatre in 1833, the theatre was bought by Daniel Egerton 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, 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 Emma Cons (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. 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 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 Lilian Baylis, who emphasised the Shakespearean repertoire. The first radio broadcasts from the theatre were made as early as October 1923, by the British Broadcasting Company. The Old Vic Company was established in 1929, led by Sir John Gielgud. Between 1925 and 1931, Lilian Baylis championed the re-building of the then-derelict Sadler's Wells Theatre, and established a ballet company under the direction of Dame Ninette de Valois. 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, Lancashire at the Victoria Theatre during the years 1940 to 1943. In 1944, the company was re-established in London with Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier 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 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 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, under the artistic direction of Sir Laurence Olivier, was based at the Old Vic until its own building was opened on the South Bank 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 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 for which Gryphon had supplied the music.

Prospect Theatre Company

For two years prior to the departure of the National Theatre Company, Toby Robertson, director of the Prospect Theatre Company, 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 Derek Jacobi, '' Antony and Cleopatra'' 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; and '' Saint Joan'' with Eileen Atkins.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 Arts Council of Great Britain: 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'' with Ian Richardson. The following season, however, proved controversial: the proposed programming, including the double bill of ''The Padlock'' and '' Miss in Her Teens'', to mark the bicentenary of David Garrick'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 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, '' The Merchant of Venice'' 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 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 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 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'' with Alan Bates and '' Waiting for Godot'' with Ben Kingsley, 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, '' Present Laughter'' 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'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 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's '' Mood Music'', featuring Ben Chaplin.

Recent and current productions

2005

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

and Jennifer Ehle * '' Richard II'' 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 * '' Aladdin'', a new version by Bille Brown starring Ian McKellen

2006

* '' Resurrection Blues'' by Arthur Miller, starring Neve Campbell, Matthew Modine 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'' 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 and

2007

* '' Twelfth Night'' and '' The Taming of the Shrew'' by

* '' The Entertainer'' by John Osborne, starring Robert Lindsay * '' Gaslight'' by Patrick Hamilton, starring Rosamund Pike and Kenneth Cranham * '' All About My Mother'' 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 * ''

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 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'' 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,

and Laura Michelle Kelly * '' 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 and Michelle Dockery * '' The Norman Conquests'' by Alan Ayckbourn

2009

* '' Complicit'' by Joe Sutton, starring Richard Dreyfus,

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 * '' Dancing at Lughnasa'' by Brian Friel * ''

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'' by

* '' Inherit the Wind'' by Jerome Lawrence 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

2010

* '' Six Degrees of Separation'' by John Guare, starring Lesley Manville * '' The Real Thing'' by Tom Stoppard, starring Toby Stephens and Hattie Morahan * ''

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'' by

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

2011

* ''

Cause Célèbre A ( , ; pl. ''causes célèbres'', pronounced like the singular) is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning, and heated public debate. The term is sometimes used positively for celebrated legal cases for th ...

'' by Terence Rattigan, directed by Thea Sharrock, starring Anne-Marie Duff * ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' by

, directed by

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours ...

, starring

* '' The Playboy of the Western World'' by J M Synge, directed by 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 ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

'' by John Webster, directed by Jamie Lloyd, starring Eve Best * ''

Democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...

'' by Michael Frayn, directed by Paul Miller * '' Hedda Gabler'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

in a new version by Brian Friel, directed by Anna Mackmin, starring Sheridan Smith * '' Kiss Me, Kate'' music and lyrics by

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

book by Sam and Bella Spewack, directed by Trevor Nunn, choreography by Stephen Mear, starring Alex Bourne, David Burt,

Adam Garcia Adam Garcia is an Australian actor who is best known for lead roles in musicals such as '' Saturday Night Fever'' and '' Kiss Me, Kate''. He is also a trained tap dancer and singer. Garcia has been nominated twice at the Laurence Olivier Award ...

, Clive Rowe and Hannah Waddingham

2013

* ''

The Winslow Boy ''The Winslow Boy'' is an English play from 1946 by Terence Rattigan based on an incident involving George Archer-Shee in the Edwardian era. The incident took place at the Royal Naval College, Osborne. Background Set against the strict cod ...

'' 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 ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' by

, directed by Mark Rylance, starring James Earl Jones and Vanessa Redgrave * '' Fortune's Fool'' by

Ivan Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev ( ; rus, links=no, Иван Сергеевич ТургеневIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; – ) was a Russian novelist, short story writer, poe ...

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 ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' by Arthur Miller, directed by Yaël Farber, starring Richard Armitage * ''

Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...

'' by

Sophocles Sophocles ( 497/496 – winter 406/405 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. was an ancient Greek tragedian known as one of three from whom at least two plays have survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or contemporary with, those ...

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 Timothy Key (born 2 September 1976) is an English poet, comedian, actor and screenwriter. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, both as a solo act and as part of the comedy group Cowards (comedy troupe), Cowards, and plays Alan Pa ...

and Daniel Kitson * '' Clarence Darrow'' by David W. Rintels, directed by Thea Sharrock, starring

* '' High Society'' music and lyrics by

book by Arthur Kopit, directed by Maria Friedman * ''Future Conditional'' by Tamsin Oglesby, directed by

, starring

Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...

* '' The Hairy Ape'' by

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

2016

* '' The Master Builder'' by

in a new adaptation by David Hare, directed by

, starring

Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ralph Fiennes, various accolades, including a British Academy Film ...

* '' The Caretaker'' by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

, directed by

, starring Timothy Spall, Daniel Mays and George Mackay * '' Jekyll & Hyde'' by The McOnie Company, devised directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie * ''

Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...

'' book by Danny Rubin music and lyrics by

, directed by

, starring Andy Karl * ''No's Knife'' by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

, co-directed and performed by Lisa Dwan, co-directed by Joe Murphy * ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' by

, directed by Deborah Warner, starring Glenda Jackson * '' Art'' by

Yasmina Reza Yasmina Reza (; born 1 May 1959) is a French playwright, actress, novelist and screenwriter best known for her plays ''Art (play), 'Art and ''God of Carnage''. Many of her brief satiric plays have reflected on contemporary middle-class issues. ...

translated by Christopher Hampton, directed by

, starring

Rufus Sewell Rufus Frederik Sewell (; born 29 October 1967) is a British actor. In film, he has appeared in ''Carrington (film), Carrington'' (1995), ''Hamlet (1996 film), Hamlet'' (1996), ''Dangerous Beauty'' (1998), ''Dark City (1998 film), Dark City'' (1 ...

and Paul Ritter

2017

* '' Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' by Tom Stoppard, directed by David Leveaux, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Joshua McGuire * '' Woyzeck'' by Georg Büchner in a new version by Jack Thorne, directed by Joe Murphy, starring John Boyega * '' Girl from the North Country'' written and directed by Conor McPherson, music and lyrics by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

* '' Dr. Seuss's The Lorax'' adapted for the stage by David Greig, music and lyrics by Charlie Fink, directed by Max Webster * ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

'', a new version by Jack Thorne, directed by

, starring Rhys Ifans

2018

* ''The Divide'', a new play by Alan Ayckbourn, directed by Annabel Bolton * ''

Fanny and Alexander ''Fanny and Alexander'' () is a 1982 Historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The plot focuses on two siblings and their large family in Uppsala, Sweden during the first decade of the twentieth century. Follow ...

'' adapted for the stage by Stephen Beresford and starring Penelope Wilton * '' Mood Music'' by Joe Penhall and directed by Roger Michell starring Ben Chaplin * Bicentenary Variety Night * ''Sea Wall'' by Simon Stephens, starring 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'' written by Kate Prince and Priya Parma, with Prince providing choreography and direction as well * ''

'', a version by Jack Thorne, directed by

, starring

Stephen Tompkinson Stephen Phillip Tompkinson (born 15 October 1965) is an English actor, known for his television roles as Marcus in '' Chancer '' (1990), Damien Day in '' Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1998), Father Peter Clifford in '' Ballykissangel'' (1996� ...

2019

* '' The American Clock'' by Arthur Miller, directed by Rachel Chavkin * '' All My Sons'' by Arthur Miller, directed by Jeremy Herrin, starring Sally Field, Bill Pullman,

Jenna Coleman Jenna-Louise Coleman (born 27 April 1986) is an English actress. She began her television career by playing Jasmine Thomas in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 2005 to 2009, followed by a recurring role in the BBC school-based drama series ''Wat ...

and Colin Morgan * '' Present Laughter'' by

, directed by

, starring Andrew Scott * ''A Very Expensive Poison'' by Lucy Prebble, based on the book by

Luke Harding Luke Daniel Harding (born 21 April 1968) is a British journalist who is a foreign correspondent for ''The Guardian''. He is known for his coverage of Russia under Vladimir Putin, WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden. He was based in Russia for ''Th ...

* ''

Lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syste ...

'' by Duncan Macmillan, directed by

, starring

Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...

and

Claire Foy Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama series ''The Crown (TV series), The Crown'' (2016–2023), for which List of awards and nominations r ...

* ''

'', a version by Jack Thorne, directed by

, starring Paterson Joseph

2020

* '' Endgame'' (in double bill with '' Rough for Theatre II'') by

, directed by Richard Jones, starring Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe (closed early due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

)

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

* ''

'' by Duncan Macmillan, directed by

, starring

and

* '' Three Kings'' by Stephen Beresford, directed by

, starring Andrew Scott * '' Faith Healer'' by Brian Friel, directed by

, starring

Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...

, David Threlfall and

Indira Varma Indira Anne Varma (born 27 September 1973) is a British actress and narrator. Her film debut and first major role was in '' Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love''. She is known for her television roles, such as playing Niobe in the BBC and HBO series ''R ...

* ''

'', a version by Jack Thorne, directed by

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

2021

* ''

The Dumb Waiter ''The Dumb Waiter'' is a one-act play by Harold Pinter written in 1957. Plot Two Hitman, hit-men, Ben and Gus, are waiting in a basement room for their assignment. As the play begins, Ben, the senior member of the team, is reading a newspaper ...

'' by

, 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'' by Bess Wohl, directed by Katy Rudd, starring Patsy Ferran and Luke Thallon * ''

'', a version by Jack Thorne, 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, directed by Rupert Goold, starring Bertie Carvel, Tamarie Tunie and Lydia Wilson * '' 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 version by Jack Thorne, directed by

, starring Owen Teale

2023

* '' Sylvia'', by Kate Prince and Priya Parma, with music by Josh Cohen and DJ Walde, directed by Kate Prince, starring

Beverley Knight Beverley Knight (born Beverley Anne Smith, 22 March 1973) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and radio personality. She released her first album, ''The B-Funk'', in 1995. Heavily influenced by American soul music icons such as Sam Cooke ...

* ''

'' book by Danny Rubin music and lyrics by

, directed by

, starring Andy Karl * '' Pygmalion'' by

, directed by Richard Jones, starring Bertie Carvel and Patsy Ferran * ''

'', a version by Jack Thorne, directed by

, starring Christopher Eccleston

2024

* ''Just for One Day: The Live Aid Musical'' by John O'Farrell, directed by Luke Sheppard, * '' Machinal'' by Sophie Treadwell, directed by Richard Jones * '' The Constituent'' by Joe Penhall, directed by

, starring James Corden and Anna Maxwell Martin * '' The Real Thing'' by Tom Stoppard, directed by Max Webster, starring James McArdle and Bel Powley * ''

'', a version by Jack Thorne, directed by

, starring John Simm

2025

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

and Hofesh Shechter, starring Rami Malek and

* '' The Brightening Air'', written and directed by Conor McPherson

References

Sources

* *

External links

Old Vic Theatre
official website

University of Bristol The University of Bristol is a public university, public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Br ...

Lilian Baylis archive at the University of Bristol Theatre Collection

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