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The Ultimate Guide to Visiting the Old Vic in 2024

The old vic ultimate guide.

With a ton of award-winning plays, performances and musicals, to a royal and Kevin Spacey connection, The Old Vic shouldn’t be missed by any theatre fanatic during a visit to London.

Not only is The Old Vic one of the oldest theatres in London and one of the most famous theatres in the world, it’s also become known as “The Actors’ Theatre” thanks to jump-starting the careers of some of the best actors and actresses in British history.

The theatre now known as The Old Vic first opened in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and was designed by architect Rudolph Cabanel. The Old Vic has gone through several refurbishments and name changes throughout its history, and was renamed as the Royal Victoria Theatre in 1833, the Royal Victoria Palace in 1871, and the Royal Victoria Hall in 1880 in honour of Queen Victoria.

Under the direction of Lilian Baylis (who acquired the theatre in 1912 after the death of her aunt, Emma Cons), The Old Vic became known around the world for showcasing countless Shakespearean productions such as Hamlet, Richard II, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet and Othello, just to name a few.

The Old Vic has also helped catapult the careers of countless successful British actors and actresses, and some of the many famous names who have once performed on its stage include Ian McKellen, Laurence Olivier, Peggy Ashcroft, John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson to Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, AlbertIan Mc Finney, Peter O’Toole, and many, many more.

In recent years, The Old Vic has become synonymous with the famed American actor, producer and director Kevin Spacey, who spent 12 years working as the Artistic Director for the theatre between 2003 and 2015. Under his direction, the theatre has put on countless highly-raved about productions such as Cinderella, The Taming Of The Shrew, Dancing at Lughnasa, Kiss Me Kate, and many more.

The Old Vic Highlights

There are several different performances held at The Old Vic throughout the year, and each performance usually runs for about one or two months.

But besides watching an unforgettable and award-winning performance at one of the most prestigious theatres in the world, visitors can now take a tour around The Old Vic with the Stage Door Manager Ned Seago, learn more about the theatre’s most famous patrons, and even hear some ghost stories as well.

The tour covers some of the many famous actors and actresses who once worked at the theatre (such as Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Kevin Spacey, and Laurence Olivier), and will lead visitors through the backstage areas.

Every December, Ned also hosts the theatre’s ever-popular Christmas Tour, where visitors can sip on a glass of mulled wine and munch on mince pie after taking a tour around The Old Vic.

Special Tips

Getting There

Visiting the old vic.

Try to dress as conservatively and respectfully as possible during your visit to The Old Vic (especially for a performance).

There is a cafe and bar at the premises, and toilet facilities located on every level of the theatre.

There is a cloakroom located in the foyer where you can keep your coats during the performance, but note that large bags or suitcases aren't admitted into the building.

It is highly recommended that you purchase your tickets either over the phone or online beforehand, as The Old Vic’s Box Office can get incredibly busy on performance nights. Customers can either have their tickets posted to them, or pick them up at the Box Office up until 7:30 p.m. on the night of the performance or 2:30 p.m. for matinee performances (however, make sure to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of each show as the queues can get quite long).

If you arrive late for a performance, there will be a monitor so you can watch the show while you wait for a latecomer’s entry point, and all theatregoers can see more information on the performances at the front-of-house-boards on the night of each performance.

Ticket prices and Opening hours

There are three levels of seating (Stalls, Dress Circle and the Lilian Baylis Circle) which range in price and view, and tickets cost anywhere from £15 to £200 depending on which performance time or seat you choose. Evening performances are usually more expensive, while seats in Lilian Baylis Circle tend to be cheaper.

There are discounted tickets available for purchase on the day of a performance, as well as PwC £10 Previews tickets given out for the first five performances of every show.

Tickets can be exchanged, but only if the theatre is given more than 48 hours’ notice before the original performance, and there is a £1 exchange fee for each ticket.

Performances usually take place at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and The Box Office is open from Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Penny Bar at the theatre is open:

• Monday to Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
• Thursday and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
• Saturday, 5:00 p.m. (12:00 p.m. on matinee days) to 2:00 a.m.

If you're planning a visit to The Old Vic, be sure to check out some of the free tours in London to explore many more iconic sites.

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The Old Vic

The Old Vic history tours

VIRTUAL TOUR  (Scroll down page)

Who are some of The Old Vic’s most famous patrons? What happened to the fourth level of the theatre? Are there any ghosts lurking backstage? Acting legends from Laurence Olivier to Judi Dench to Ian McKellen have all trodden the boards at The Old Vic. For a chance to follow in their footsteps, hear about The Old Vic’s fascinating past and see the theatre in a new light, book a tour with Stage Door Manager Ned Seago.   Ned's Tours Duration  75 minutes. Tour Information. How to book  Contact the theatre for more information phone 0344 871 7628. Cost  Check with the theatre. Other information  Bespoke tours for groups can be arranged, as well as adapted tours for people with access requirements. Please note that standard tours are not step-free.

How to get there

The Old Vic is located in south London and is easily accessible on foot and by public transport. The nearest London Underground lines are Southwark (Jubille Line) and Waterloo (Northern Line and National Rail).

For further information please see the theatre's website

With over 48 theatres in the West End alone, London provides visitors with a wealth of diverse theatre architecture both new and old, from major playhouses to small music halls. The following London theatres currently offer tours:

Normansfield Theatre Royal Opera House Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Royal Drury Lane Theatre Royal Haymarket Wilton’s Music Hall

Great Britain

Tel: +44(0)844 871 7628

The Old Vic, as it is now known, first opens on 11 May 1818 at a cost of £12,000 with design by architect Rudolph Cabanel. Building work had commenced two years earlier after Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Princess Charlotte of Wales laid the foundation stone. Some of the material for the new theatre, named the Royal Coburg, is recycled from the original Savoy Palace on the Strand. In the 1830s Edmund Kean played Richard III, Othello, Macbeth and King Lear during a six-night engagement. He tells a rowdy audience: ‘In my life I have never acted to such a set of ignorant, unmitigated brutes as I have before me’. In 1833 the theatre went through a refurbishment and was renamed The Royal Victoria, in honour of Princess (later Queen) Victoria. The history of The Old Vic was not always happy. London theatres were prone to fire and in 1858 a stampede ensued when an audience member called a false alarm in the theatre’s upper gallery. Sixteen people were killed as a result. By 1871 the theatre was put up for auction and sold to new owners who commission an entire reconstruction of the interiors by architect Jethro T Robinson, resulting in the removal of the upper gallery. The Old Vic is today one of the only two surviving examples of Robinson’s work. Back in 1871, the theatre is rebranded and reopened as The New Victoria Palace in an attempt to shed earlier misfortunes but financial troubles persist and it is twice put up for sale during the decade. In 1898, Lilian Baylis was appointed acting manager aged only 23. The theatre ran a number of successful plays throughout the early-20th century and in 1962 Lawrence Olivier was appointed first director of the National Theatre. The Old Vic governors agree to offer the theatre as its temporary home. The following year The Old Vic company disbanded and the National opened with Hamlet, starring Peter O’Toole. Over the next 13 years company regulars include Albert Finney, Anthony Hopkins, Geraldine McEwan, Joan Plowright and Maggie Smith. Today The Old Vic is supervised by Artistic Director, Kevin Spacey, and continues to have a successful run of plays and musicals.

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The Old Vic

A 360° video tour.

The Old Vic is one of the most successful, historical and renowned theatres in the world. It has entertained audiences with first class theatre for over 200 years. First built in 1818 the theatre had a capacity of over 1000 people but wasn’t built with access needs in mind. Much like with many of the West End theatres in London, entering the theatre in 2019 in a wheelchair is not up to the standards expected in the modern age. The Old Vic understands that access isn’t just about getting people through the front door, but also making sure that its whole experience is available to everybody - the many not the few - so in 2019 it set about making some pretty major changes.

“ We set out to make changes to The Old Vic that were reflective of the needs of today’s audiences and our local community. An accessible front of house, new lift, 10 auditorium wheelchair spaces, double the loo provision, an additional bar, and an ethically produced sustainable range of food and wine on offer, all feel like significant steps towards securing The Old Vic’s future as an artistic powerhouse and a vital civic resource. ”

The new accessible entrance on Waterloo Road.

In October 2019 the Old Vic celebrated the reopening of its front of house spaces following a major restoration project to improve accessibility. This marked the first phase of a multi-phased capital project to renew and the transform the 201 year old building for a 21st century audience.

This project is a physical manifestation of The Old Vic’s social mission to support, educate and welcome more people than ever before. The reopening is the culmination of several years’ work to transform the historic building, including importantly to enable wheelchair access into The Old Vic for the first time in 200 years. Notable features include:

an accessible entrance on Waterloo Road with a lift down to the Penny Cafe and bar and up to the new accessible Box Office and inner foyer areas

a redesigned accessible Penny cafe and bar with a doubled loo provision including a wheelchair accessible loo, baby changing facilities and two ‘roomier’ loos

an accessible Box Office and inner foyer space featuring a bespoke theatrical curtain designed by Rob Howell

the creation of a large outer foyer bar

The new lift in the new foyer and box office.

The task for East City Films, which was presented to us by The Old Vic’s partner Price Waterhouse Cooper, was to create a 360° video tour of the new facilities to live on the brand new access section of The Old Vic website. Research has shown that being able to explore the full 360° of a location allows viewers to fully connect with a space and to trust that what they see, is what exists. This is of paramount importance for wheelchair users or people with access needs, as they need to know as much as possible about a public space before visiting it.

After researching other theatres and how they present the access of the theatre online East City Films, PwC and The Old Vic were keen to go the extra mile with the 360° tour. We found that many theatres simply presented the space with a nameless narrator explaining what you saw. We found this functional but lacking in the creative expression that otherwise runs through art institutions like these.

A panoramic of the new Penny bar & cafe

After brainstorming with the awesome creative team at PwC, The Old Vic encouraged our proposal to use its patrons to show off the new space. With help from the outreach team at The Old Vic, we were delighted to find four wonderful community members and Old Vic supporters that were willing to share their stories. Using testimony that centred around their relationship with the theatre, and clear guided description of the new areas, we were able to create a 360° video tour of The Old Vic that felt like a one-one-one tour given by an old friend. By including a wheelchair user (blogger Shona Louise ) and a visually-impaired person (regular Old Vic-goer Richard Parker), we were able to create a video that was trustworthy and reassuring for people with disability as well as able-bodied.

“ East City Films were a pleasure to work with and helped us produce a video which by and away was beyond all client expectations. Their team were highly professional and supportive throughout the three-month process. Always contactable and adaptable to a challenging filming schedule. I had a fantastic working relationship with East City and would highly recommend their services in the future. ”

Incorporating techniques which we have used in much of our 360° and VR documentary making we have produced a piece of content that is both informative and emotive - you get to see the new spaces whilst also building a deeper relationship with the theatre’s ethos through people who are just like you.

Sebastian Hagemeister with the Meta Camera in the new Penny cafe and bar.

As this 360° video was primarily for online use we decided not to go stereoscopic and therefore had to select a monoscopic camera which best served the challenges with which we were presented. As we were filming in an open and busy theatre we needed to be able to work quickly - we needed to keep lighting to a minimum and particularly in the beautiful auditorium, that meant battling against some pretty low light. We had a shot from a seat which was just before the curtain went up on a sold out performance, so we also needed a camera that could handle filming people very close to the lens. We decided that the best camera to use was the Meta Camera, which is a back to back rig, with a low parallax, is excellent in low light and has some of the best lenses in 360° filming.

The crew laying track for the moving shot into the new entrance on Waterloo Road.

Audio is always incredibly important and we were keen to capture all the rich sounds of this bustling theatre, creating a video which found the truth of The Old Vic as it enters the 21st century. Working with Oliver Kadel we ended up with a spatial mix that brought the many elements of the building together in a powerful and atmospheric soundtrack befitting this world-class theatre.

As ever our team of Jon Boyce, Andrew Yardley, Conan Roberts, Oliver Kadel, Rachael Sutton, Ashley Cowan and Darren Emerson delivered a piece of 360° video work which is deep in emotion and rich in purpose. We hope you enjoy it. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss a similar project.

A flat image from the 360° Tour featuring the auditorium, the new wheelchair spaces and contributor Lana Rathbone.

A flat image of the new Box Office and foyer, featuring our guide Obed Mayamona.

DIRECTED BY DARREN EMERSON | PRODUCED BY ASHLEY COWAN | SOUND & MUSIC DESIGN BY OLIVER KADEL |STITCHED & EDITED BY CONAN ROBERTS | CAMERA BY JON BOYCE, ANDREW YARDLEY & SEBASTIAN HAGEMEISTER | COMMISSIONED BY TOM MOORER, ROB PILKINTON & LAUREN PLEYDELL-PEARCE AT PwC

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The Old Vic

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Open Daily 10am-11pm

Getting Here By Tube

Waterloo (Jubilee, Bakerloo and Northern Lines)

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Old Vic Stop Q, 1, 68, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188

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Waterloo Car Park, 39 York Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 7NQ

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OLD VIC TRAVELLER’S INN

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Situated next to a bird abundant nature reserve, the OLD VIC TRAVELLERS INN is cosy, spacious and clean. Dave and Bella offer excellent personal service in a relaxed, quiet and easy-going atmosphere. Visit the OLD VIC, your one-stop destination for accommodation , safari tours and much more. There’s even a Ranch for those who enjoy “horsing around” . All of this makes OLD VIC and Kruger and More your first choice while on your African adventure, and when you return from your excursions, you will be welcomed to a warm and cosy backpackers, to enjoy some rest and relaxation before heading out once again on your next adventurous activities .

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Theatre tours.

Join us for our Theatre Tours with our in-house expert guide who’ll guide you through the theatre’s 252-year history – from the origin of its beautiful Georgian design, to tales of the myriad first-class actors who have trod our boards over the years.

Explore the recent developments to our building: the new front of house foyer space, studio theatre, and our long-awaited heritage offer. Also enjoy the classic elements of the building that have kept this theatre running for over 250 years, including access to areas such as our historic auditorium, and several side- and backstage areas.

The perfect morning outing for anyone interested in theatre and Bristol Old Vic’s rich history.

Additional Info

• Audio Enhancement via a headset of the loop system is available
• Our Tour script can be requested in advance or on the day
• The Tour includes steps, and whilst every effort has been made to make this tour accessible, the gallery can only be accessed via steps

As a working theatre with ongoing performances, rehearsals and other technical work, there are certain times when parts of the building will be inaccessible. We always endeavour to provide a true behind-the-scenes experience, but in rare circumstances it may be necessary for tours to be rescheduled.

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The Real Thing

'There are no commitments, only bargains.' Diving through layers of play and performance, reality and deceit, THE REAL THING is Tom Stoppard's kaleidoscopic comedy of love, infidelity and the stories we tell. Starring James McArdle (Mare of Easttown, The Tragedy of Macbeth) and Bel Powley (A Small Light, The Morning...

A Christmas Carol

Matthew Warchus' big-hearted, smash hit production of Charles Dickens' immortal classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns to The Old Vic, joyously adapted for the stage by Jack Thorne. Based on the novel by Charles Dickens, A CHRISTMAS CAROL follows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge as he explores his past, present, and...

Written by American journalist and playwright Sophie Treadwell, MACHINAL is coming to the Old Vic for a limited run this year. Rosie Sheehy (Oleanna, Chernobyl) reprises her critically acclaimed role in Olivier Award-winning director Richard Jones' 'outstanding production' (Daily Mail). Based on the life of convicted murderer Ruth Snyder, Machinal...

A new adaptation of Sophocles' OEDIPUS is coming to The Old Vic for a limited run early next year. 'Vengeance will be taken on the killer, then the land will be clean. The contamination will be washed away. The rains will come and the people will be healed.' It's a...

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Searching for the Oliviers in Australia

By Kendra + August 7, 2017

Any hard-core history geek knows the thrill of visiting places where one’s favorite historical figures lived, worked, or otherwise stayed. Perhaps even more thrilling is getting a first-hand look at objects and manuscript materials related to said historical figures. This is certainly the case for many Vivien Leigh fans. Long-time friend of vivandlarry.com, Shiroma Nathan , is a Vivien Leigh fan in Australia who recently took the opportunity to go where very few fans have gone before: The National Library of Australia in Canberra. Read about her trip and experience viewing a very special photograph album in this guest blog post.

In 1948, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh led The Old Vic Theatre Company on a tour of Australia and New Zealand.  It was a symbolic gesture by the British Government to thank both countries for their war efforts. The yearlong tour, was the most influential by a Shakespearean acting troupe in that it brought to the Antipodes a type of highbrow culture that had never seen there before.

Olivier, the finest Shakespearean actor of his era, with Vivien Leigh his glamorous, famous, talented wife, made a dashing couple. Together they were treated like royalty and indeed, by 1948, they were known as the ‘King and Queen of the English stage.’ Newspapers wrote of nothing else , they were continually mobbed, invited to society balls, to give speeches, address Parliament, dine with leaders, lecture and scout for local talent. They were the first celebrity couple to be hounded by fans, media and idolized.

Olivier spoke much to the press and at lectures, encouraging Australia to establish theatre schools to prevent talent from  going overseas. His speeches caused ripples in theatre circles and prompted fresh ideas and thought. It would encourage other theatre companies to tour Australia and contributed to a Shakespearean boom in the 1950s.

The tour was a wonderful success, remarkable, influential, and fondly remembered by many. But it also marked the beginning of the end of one of the greatest love stories of its day. The Olivier marriage, which had come at a great cost (they had both abandoned their spouses and children to be together) never recovered from the stress, strain and exhaustion of the tour. Both suffered health issues with Olivier needing knee surgery in Auckland, and Vivien constantly suffering colds. It was also in Australia where they met Peter Finch, whom Olivier would go onto mentor and with whom Vivien would have an affair, causing irreparable damage to both the Olivier and Finch marriages.

Olivier would later recall that he had in fact lost Vivien, his greatest love and inspiration, in Australia. He wrote in his autobiography, “Somehow, somewhere on this tour I knew Vivien was lost to me. I, half-joking, would say at odd moments after we had got back home, I lorst you in Australia”.

In 1994, The Australian National Library, acquired what was most likely the personal album the Oliviers kept of the 1948 tour, containing close to 600 photos. Ever since I first heard of this, I had been meaning to visit Canberra. And finally, I did last month. (Note: The National Library confirms that it does not have any information on the provenance of the album, but it is titled ‘Athol Shmith Album Australian Tour 1948, Laurence Olivier & Vivien Leigh & Old Vic Co’. Louis Athol Shmith was a prominent photographer who took portraits of Vivien during the tour. It is possible that the album was gifted to Athol Smith by the Oliviers at some point.)  

Canberra, the Capital Centre of Australia is about a 7 hour drive or one hour flight from Melbourne, where I live. I had last been there on the mandatory politics tour from school many, many years ago. Most Australians love to say that they don’t like Canberra because it is synonymous with being our boring administrative centre, lacking character and soul; another reason why I kept putting this trip off.  This time however, I was pleasantly surprised.  It’s very clean, safe, pretty and most importantly, there’s a smorgasbord of attractions for the culture/history-craving visitor to enjoy.

I chose to stay at The Hyatt Canberra , because of course, I always prefer a place with a story. It’s the oldest hotel in Canberra and was specifically built for visitors and parliamentarians back in 1924. The building itself was built in a Prairie style to evoke a welcoming atmosphere of a country estate. The hotel’s page of history says “Its precise angular forms, white rough cast walls and red tiled roofs, coupled with the arrangement of the pavilions around two garden courtyards, set a popular standard for subsequent buildings in Canberra.” Many political plots are said to have been contrived and consummated in its smoke filled rooms over the years.

The National Library of Australia stands proudly on the shores of  Lake Burely Griffin. It’s a fitting place for anything Vivien Leigh-related to be housed in my opinion. The album, which has to be requested by appointment, was to be viewed in the special reading room, on the first floor.  I was asked to sit right in front of the reception counter desk when I was handed the box containing the album.

My first feelings, upon unfolding the box that contained it was a deep sense of sadness. The front cover has their initials and is just titled ‘Australian Tour 1948’. It looks tired, worn and forgotten.    

Carefully turning the pages, one gets a never before seen look into the real world that the Oliviers lived in during that one year – away from the stage, the media and mobs. The first few pages show the company on board the SS Corinthic on its way to Fremantle. The first picture glued to the back of the cover is a version that is featured in Garry O’Connor’s book of the tour titled Darlings of the Gods , and shows the main players of the company sitting and standing with the Captain. Olivier is checking out the camera around his neck (most probably the one from which the album’s photos originated) and Vivien is sitting next to him holding her famous white sunglasses and smiling.

The next few photos show Vivien at the wheel of the ship, a recognizable scarf around her neck, sweater and woolen pleated skirt. There are many of the company playing popular games, lounging around on the decks, swimming, sunbathing and reading. One gets the sense of a leisurely intimate cruise. They are all casual shots and there are no photos of dinners at the Captain’s table, dancing or practicing their plays.

Once in Australia, we see many landscape photos. They are  very good and well composed. The photographer shows an appreciation to nature, farms, animals and native flora. Olivier had said upon arriving on Australian shores that they intended on seeing every kind of animal and bird there is and learn as much about the country that they could. The photos are a testament to that.   

Continuing on there are many photos of the couple being entertained by people in their homes and what appear to be country estates. One particular series show Olivier playing with a white dog on the steps of a house, Vivien sitting in a cane lazy chair, eating and smoking. Clearly the owners’ white dog got a lot of attention that day, including being the subject of his own photos.

There are pictures of picnics on random country side roads, beside rivers, bridges, and many beach trips. It’s obvious that the the Oliviers had mostly picked to stay in houses instead of hotels on this trip. I believe it was a preference they both had whilst on tours. I was most surprised by a few photos showing them staying in what appears to look like a very ‘out-backy’ basic wooden home, in front of a lake. It looks like in the middle of nowhere. By the looks of the house style – wooden on stilts – and landscape, I’d say it’s in North Queensland.  A poignant shot shows Vivien combing her hair on the verandah, towels casually draped on the wooden railing. They look like ordinary country folk at home on an Aussie outback farm.  

Intermingled with these casual photos, there are a handful of formal shots that we have been privy to before and have been digitized by the library. I have also noticed some photos taken in the same setting, which are from these series, in private collections.

The hundreds of casual photos cast a light on a side of the tour that is not conveyed in the mirage of newspaper articles, formal and press photos, video footage, and in Garry O’Connor’s book. There are many photos missing and some are disintegrating. There was also no information on the back of the photos I checked.

What one does see in the images is a company that truly had an authentic experience, a photographer that captured the amazing uniqueness of Australia, who appreciated its people, land, native flora, animals. The images illustrate a couple that played games, frolicked in the sun and sand, and looked after their company as God and Angel (the name the crew gave them). Most poignantly captured are the special but ordinary moments of happiness that speak a thousand words, and which they must have remembered for years afterward.

If I had to pick one picture that stays in my mind from this album, it will be the one of Vivien walking by herself on a hilly country road, far away, back to the camera, sun light streaming through the trees and ferns. She’s walking away, she’s leaving. Whoever took the picture was watching her from a distance. Maybe it was Olivier that captured this moment and maybe that was the moment he lost her in Australia.

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Kendra has been the weblady at vivandlarry.com since 2007. She lives in Yorkshire and is the author of Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait , and co-author of Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies (Running Press). Follow her on Twitter @kendrajbean , Instagram at @vivandlarrygram , or at her official website . View all posts

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Comments (11)

This is an amazing find at the Australian Library in Canberra. It must have been a thrill for Shiroma when she first had it in her hands but also disappointing at the poor condition of some of the photos and the album itself. …thank you so much for such an interesting account on this subject ,giving further insights on the Oliviers tour of Australia Audrey

Wow – truly a rare find and a rare treat! Is there any way to persuade the library to digitize this album so that it’s safe? What a shame if these rare photos disintegrate! Did Shiroma more pictures of them we could look at?

This is an amazing album to have seen, I bet it was worth every hour of the flight and drive! Sounds like you had the opportunity to see something that many of us won’t, a trip into that private year of theirs. I felt quite sad at your description of the last picture, I feel for them all in different ways. Thanks for sharing this with us Shiroma xxx

A love that lasted an eternity. For Vivien.

love the pics, well done shiroma.

Fine post, thank you Shiroma for sharing this experience with us. it’s so sad that such great stars seem now to be so neglected

Thanks for that brilliant description,Shiroma.I have visited Canberra from Sydney on many occasions ,both for business & pleasure & can’t believe that I have been so very close to this spectacular album and not known about it.My parents-in -law worked there for many years and eventually owned a beautiful property about 40minutes out of Canberra which I and my husband frequently spent the weekend ,or if lucky,longer visits. It is the same as most cities in that if you are lucky enough to have a guide who is also a local, you will be party to many places only known to “the locals”.I loved visiting in Autumn when the many deciduous trees, not native to the rest of Australia , displayed every beautiful shade until they fell to the ground.As Australia`s capital city, the planning by it’s architect Walter Burley Griffin, is evident in the long avenue which lines up the War Memorial with Parliament House.When deciding on the location for the countries capital,there was apparently much competition between Sydney and Melbourne,until it was decided with questionable wisdom(?) that the new Capital be located approximately in the centre between the two cities.Therefore,unlike most cities, it was carefully planned and even the massive lake ,although it flows from a large river, was artificially created.By the late 1980`s it had settled comfortably into it’s surroundings,the many beautiful European trees had grown ,and with it`s many beautiful public public gardens , National Art gallery featuring Australia`s largest indigenous art collection and many international art tours, it had become a very unique place to visit. I have visited the High Court & National Library , which holds many important Australian documents, and as I am now aware,this very special album featuring candid (my favourite type!) shots of the actress I have been a great fan of, since I was twelve years old.I am now very keen to once again visit Canberra ,next Autumn/Winter (I have MS and the hot weather does not agree with me) & make an appointment to visit this special album.In the meantime,I will attempt to contact the National Library and encourage them to begin digital preservation at least; and preferably conservation of the album itself. I will advise you of my results!! Nene

Dear Janine

We’re you successful in your attempts to have the album digitised?

I believe peter Cushing and his wife Helen beck where also in the old Vic company on the tour and terence Morgan and his wife I can’t recall her name unfortunately. Morgan and cushing where both in Olivier’s film of hamlet made in 1947.

Also on this tour the Olivier’s met peter finch.

Old Vic Backstage

Old Vic Backstage offers paid placements on an Old Vic production to six 18–25 year olds from backgrounds underrepresented in the arts.

Participants shadow an industry professional across 12 sessions and get hands-on experience across a range of disciplines. Lamesha focused on Stage Management during her placement and told us about the experience.

Author The Old Vic

Published 13/07/2022, early rehearsals.

I’m Lamesha and I’m a third-year history student with a passion for the performing arts, especially theatre. Ever since school, I have been interested in the backstage aspect of theatre. When I got to university, I was introduced to the role of stage manager and how integral they are to a production. Since then, I’ve been eager to look for experiences, especially in London, where I can learn more about the role and develop my skills. When I saw Old Vic Backstage advertised on Paapa Essiedu’s Instagram, it instantly caught my eye.

I was so glad to see that The Old Vic were taking the initiative to get people from under-represented backgrounds into backstage roles. Representation doesn’t stop on stage. It’s important that a plethora of voices are taking on creative backstage roles as it encourages a diversity of productions, content and creative outputs. Moreover, A Number is a superb play, beautifully written by Caryl Churchill. Whilst on the surface it appears to be a play about cloning, at its core it deals with trust and second chances which are themes we can all relate to. 

During my placement, I focused on stage management. According to Wikipedia, stage management is ‘ the practice of organisation and coordination of an event or theatrical production’ . The stage management association put it more succinctly as ‘people management’. This includes thinking about contracts, organising external sessions, practical paperwork, maintaining props, sorting out rehearsal spaces etc. 

For my placement, my mentor was Company Stage Manager Laura Draper. Shadowing Laura, I allocated dressing rooms; greeted external practitioners such as vocal coaches and photographers and got them to the right location at the right time; and sat in on rehearsals, noting down the blocking for the show including entrances, exits and strikes (clearing pieces of set or props between scenes). 

As well as working with Laura, I also had the opportunity to learn and speak directly with Fran (Deputy Stage Manager) and Shakira (Assistant Stage Manager) to understand their roles and journeys into their careers. The DSM is the person who calls the show, delivering all the cues for the actors and technical operators, whilst the ASM is running the show backstage. 

I was most struck by everyone’s enthusiasm. Everyone wanted to make the show the best it could be and from the first day, came into rehearsals brimming with ideas and ready to bring their expertise to the process. A pretty sweet gig, I must say.

When doing any show you need a lot of stamina and most definitely in ‘tech week’. Technical rehearsals, or ‘tech week’ is the week before a production starts, when everyone enters the auditorium for the first time to bring together all the elements of the production. 

My favourite part of tech week was seeing the ‘blinder’ (someone who appears on stage momentarily as another character to allow for a seemingly immediate costume change) in person. Ever since our first chat with Lyndsey in December, I’d been excited about her idea to use a ‘blinder’ to help with transitions but I couldn’t really picture how it would work. It was only when I saw how effective the transition was that I realised how essential that seemingly small element was to bringing the production together. 

It was interesting to see how the set came alive as the props team added all their details and how the beautiful lighting and sound design brought the show to life. I thought it was amazing watching the actors in the rehearsal room but with everything together, it just blew me away.

A part of the week I found challenging was the long hours. You can find yourself waiting around in tech week as the team work on an area of the production you’re not involved in, but I had the luxury of ‘comms’ (headphones that creatives use to keep in touch when they’re located in different parts of the auditorium), so I always knew what was going on; why we were stopping; what needed polishing. Being with everyone also gave me the opportunity to speak to the rest of the Old Vic Backstagers, find out their interests, why they applied for the programme and what they want to do in the future. It created a rare opportunity to speak with likeminded people with the same passion as me who come from similar backgrounds.

In a nutshell, tech week is putting together all the elements of a production. It’s the chance to see the potential of the show and how it could be pushed further. The week is carefully planned to allow work time for every department and it was fascinating to see how every second was used to further enhance the show. The team never took anything for granted and pushed themselves every day to make the show even better.

After Old Vic Backstage

And just like that my time as an Old Vic Backstager came to an end. It was an amazing experience that I am eternally grateful for. From our first Zoom meeting to my last Front of House call, I grew so much, having been given the space to develop the skills needed for stage management in ways I didn’t even realise. 

Old Vic Backstage provides a space for those from the global majority who haven’t had access to traditional drama school paths to work on a professional show. Through the programme, I have discovered so much about myself, the theatre world and stage management. 

I have gained a solid understanding of the expectations of the stage management team from the first day of rehearsals to the start of the show. Laura (Company Stage Manager) went through what is needed for the first day of rehearsals and provided me with a checklist. Fran (Deputy Stage Manager) went through the way she adds cues to a script and her sticky notes system is something I’ll certainly use in the future. Shakira (Assistant Stage Manager) demonstrated how alert you must be in rehearsals to reset props as they’re needed and that energy is just one of the many things I’ll take away from the programme. 

The scheme has absolutely solidified my passion and interest in stage management and I certainly want to pursue a career in it after university. My dream is to work in London and especially to work with my fellow Old Vic Backstagers to produce new work that highlights our disciplines and what we learnt through the scheme. I met some amazing people who I would love to work with again. 

In three words, Old Vic Backstage was motivating, energising and awe-inspiring. The scheme constantly pushed us to learn, develop and understand how we could use all these skills in the future. The energy from everyone involved in the production was electric and watching professionals deliver such stellar work was incredibly inspiring. It was a real privilege to be part of the process, helping take rehearsal room ideas to reality in the final production. I feel privileged to have played a role in that.

Learn about Old Vic Backstage

Jonathan spector on eureka day.

Jonathan Spector’s multi award-winning Eureka Day wowed critics and audiences across the pond. With a global pandemic throwing new light on the central question of ‘to vaccinate’ or ‘not to vaccinate’, we caught up with the writer to hear more about the play on its road to The Old Vic, in our brand new production starring Academy, Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets, The Sessions, Mad About You) and directed by Katy Rudd (Camp Siegfried, The Ocean at the End of the Lane).

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