Located right in the heart of the city centre, the grand old dame of Bristol’s theatres regularly packs in the punters with touring West End productions. Now owned by the Ambassadors Theatre group, the Hippodrome is at its best when the jazz hands are in the air – think 'The Lion King', 'Singin’ In The Rain' and 'Barnum'.
January 2015 saw a rare transfer from the National Theatre in the form of 'War Horse', following hot on the heels of 'One Man, Two Guvnors'. But there’s also opera, ballet, big-name comedians, tribute acts and large-scale children’s shows.
Actors will tell you that the Hippodrome is a surprisingly intimate space, with no audience member too far from the action in the steeply sloping seats. Regular tours behind the scenes from knowledgeable theatre staff are organised and come highly recommended. One actor who cut his teeth here (albeit back stage working as a call boy) was the young Archibald Leach, who went on to find fame and fortune in America after changing his name to Cary Grant.