BRISTOL Old Vic Theatre School, which this year celebrates 80 years since it opened at the suggestion of Sir Laurence Olivier as a training arm for the Old Vic theatre, has an exciting end to 2026.

Former student Gregory Doran returns to the city to direct current students in Romeo and Juliet, on the floor of the Tobacco Factory in Bedminster, from Saturday 31st October to 7th November. And other third-year BA Professional Acting Students will be performing The Wardrobe Ensemble’s Eloise, at the Redgrave Theatre from 21st to 28th November.

Gregory Doran was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for 35 years the last ten of which as artistic director. He has directed Shakespeare plays (and an epic poem) on more than 30 occasions. Romeo and Juliet is once again on the GCSE syllabus, and for this production the set and costumes are designed by another BOVTS student, the Mexican Aldo Vazquez, who graduated ten years ago and has since worked extensively in his home country and around the UK. Romeo & Juliet

Described as “a timeless classic’, the play is perfect for fans of the story and young people who wish to immerse themselves in the world of the star-crossed lovers.

Set in 1944, Eloise is one of the Bristol-based Wardrobe Ensemble’s most popular creations. In the depths of a dusty larder in the bombed ruins of a restaurant, Eloise finds a beautiful, golden whisk. But when she clutches the shimmering relic, she unleashes an ancient curse.

The only way to free herself is to cook the tastiest dish in the world. With time running out, Eloise scurries into the broken city’s underworld, undertaking extraordinary feats to gather the ingredients and discover the recipe. But with a rabble of greedy gangsters also chasing the whisk, will she succeed in evading its curse?

The production will be directed by its original creator Tom Brennan, and designed by BOVTS design tutor Hannah Wolfe.