The Bristol Hippodrome

This rating is not for the show itself as the showing was ace. But unfortunately the seats and viewing wasn’t the best. We were sat in the stalls in the ground level towards the right hand side of stage and the seats were not any raised at all than the row in front so i litrally could see the back the ladies head in front of me the whole way through having to constantly move left to right to see when they moved around the stage. And we actully paid alot more to have those seats than be on the upper level.
I know this place is like 100 years old and listed so there isnt much they can do about it. As i do love the grand apprearance of the outside and inside with the deep red interior and gold detail. But its worth considering what seats your buying. Plus prepare for a numb bum as they not comfy at all. Maybe the venue could invest just in new seats!
The sound was also abit unclear in some places but not sure weather it was due to a background speaker right near beside us.
The staff seemed friendly and helpful towards making sure you get to your correct seats. You can pre order your drinks for the break which you pay for at the bar and then on the break its on the side under your booking name ready poured which is a nice touch as you dont waste time having to queue.
I would go again but next time different seats and a cushion in my bag!

Okay, so this review comes from the depths of my mind and is actually, probably, too out of date to add up. But I’m feeling nostalgic, so indulge me.
Any ten-​year-​old girl wants to feel like she can play with the big kids, and since my mum had taken my older brother all the way to that London to see a show for his birthday, I demanded to go to the theatre. I’ve no idea why I got Bristol and he got London, but there it is – I guess I did grow up in Gloucestershire, so it’s closer.
All told, I think we came to see two shows here: 42^nd Street and Cats. And there a brief love affair with musical theatre began. I used to love sitting in the upper echelons of this beautiful theatre, marvelling at the singing and dancing, and being swept away in the grandeur of it all. I’m pretty sure that’s when I started wearing vintage red lipstick and channeling Betty Davis. My tastes in theatre may have changed since, but I’d actually love to come back and see a show here.
I understand the programme is more tuned to the tastes of pop theatre (think big musicals, mainstream comedians, etc), but that doesn’t take away from a strong history of delivering good, old fashioned entertainment. And the building’s a beaut. Indulge yourself and see a show.

A lovely old theatre in great condition. We were down in the stalls, so I can’t really comment on what the folks behind and above me went through. We were in row G, and had no problem seeing. Due to the way the rows are placed, I should think that for humans of average size, then there should be no real problem viewing the stage.
Its location is right in Bristol City Centre.

I’m a former theatre major, and a complete theatre junkie. This just did not get up to par for me.
The theatre itself is lovely. It seems to get some great shows. But the upper circle seating is WRETCHED! It’s also a pain in the neck to get in and out of the place. (minus a star)
It’s probably rather unfair of me to take another star off for the audience, but I have to. Never have I need in a show with such a loud, tacky lot of people. Yelling out lines before actors could finish them. Singing the songs along loudly. Yelling «you go girl» in the middle of a show. If any of this had happened in a Broadway theatre, the people would’ve been asked to leave. I would never see a play or musical here again b/​c there is no respect for theatre in the crowd.
Could be a great venue for a concert though.

Went to see new jersy nights, show was slick and well performed but the whole event was marred by the very high prices, don’t buy anything inside ie bottled water £2 and what really spoilt the whole evening was the ushers running around all over the place shouting at people who wanted to take photographs, the amount of effort they put into it I had to wonder if they were on a bonus (or are they just frustrated wannabe security gaurds). I couldn’t see the problem with that after all said and done it was only a tribute act.
If you go see a group live no one has a go at you for taking a photo whilst there on stage.

I used to be an usher here for a year, so know the ins and outs of the place quite well. It’s a real old-​style theatre like you’d find in the West End of London, right down to the binos in the back of the seats. Mostly it has touring versions of the Andrew Lloyd Webber type of stuff i.e. mainly for middle-​aged and old-​aged lowbrow audiences. There are some things of more general interest though like recently Spamalot the Monty Python musical. Although visually pretty sumptuous the facilities are a bit of a letdown in some ways, with seats not always the comfiest, viewing positions sometimes not unobstructed by the back of the head of the person in front, and the toilets grossly inadequate. Usually half the people are complaining about it being too drafty while elsewhere in the auditorium they’re saying it’s sweltering. It’s all part of it being such an old building that it can’t be updated without going through all sorts of channels. Although the bar and refreshment prices are hefty the actual tickets can be as little as £12 for a seat in the upper circle. If you choose your moment astutely e.g. for a midweek matinée you are quite likely to find yourself upgraded from there to the front stalls on arrival. Little insider tip for you there.

All round great old fashion theatre, could be that back in the old days theatre goers that short legs because for real i had serious leg room issues going on, the play was awesome of Peter Pan with the mega awesome Hoff Man, excellent fun.
The red interior decoration of the theatre is very warm and welcoming.
This historic theatre is situated in the very heart of the city of Bristol, be preparred to find a parking lot as there are no parking anywhere on site.

If you’re looking for a big, brassy, London West End style evening, come and see something at the Hippodrome. It’s a huge, ornate, gorgeous auditorium inside, and it hosts large-​scale musicals, plays and ballets. I came to see Sleeping Beauty here a few years ago and it was completely wonderful. At the moment they’re showing Calendar Girls just for a week. They never have very long runs of any show, unlike big theatres in London.
It strongly contrasts with its friend across the road, The Bristol Old Vic. The Hippodrome is for big, glitzy theatre, not new writing. Nothing’s got much edge or bite at the Hippodrome, but that’s not what you come here for.
I like the way they pump out the music of the current show throughout the day so you catch a tune as you walk by; it helps alert you to the theatre being there at all, as it’s not that extravagant from the outside. A little bit of show music as I walk along the water is enough to put a real skip in my step and remind me to have a look at what’s on.

Beautifully grand, the Hippodrome is Bristol’s première theatre (along with nearby Colston Hall) situated in the centre of the city.
The theatre itself is a very opulent space, all maroon walls and gold painted carvings. There are three levels; the stalls, grand circle and upper circle. If there is a full orchestra then the first few rows are removed so don’t be disappointed if you end up with a seat in the middle of the stalls, as you’ll be close to the action.
If you can afford a seat in the stalls or grand circle then buy it — the upper circle doesn’t have proper seats, rather just curved benches with a slight ridge between seats. Due to the age of the building there is very little room up this high and sitting through three hours of ballet can really take its toll on your back and legs!

The Bristol Hippodrome is an opulant pre-​war Grade II listed building. It actually doesn’t look all that special from the outside but its pretty gorgeous inside. I’ve only been here once and that was to see The Mighty Boosh live tour. It was incredible fun and a fantastic setting. We got all dressed up and was happy to see there were plenty of Spirits of Jazz and Old Greggs also dressed up in the audience.
It has a lot of West End Shows as well as Ballet Performances and Riverdance esque extravaganzas. I’d really like to see more contemporary dance shows here. Currently if I want to see some interesting dance shows I’m having to travel to Sadlers Wells. There was a dance show I wanted to see recently and I was disappointed to see it wasn’t coming to Bristol, the nearest place i could go to see it was Frome.
Lovely building though, bringing popular West Endshows to Bristol.

This grade II listed historical building is Bristol’s top musical theatre venue, sat right in the heart of the city centre and hosting a packed calendar of top touring West End theatre shows, an annual new year pantomime, and some magical musicals.
The first time I sat in the audience at this venue I was a very reluctant spectator of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the musical — yet I was completely turned around by the spectacular venue, the mind-​blowing sets, and the top-​rate acting — so much so that I didn’t even mind all the singing (which I usually can’t stand when I catch musicals on TV).
Designed by Frank Matcham, a famous English theatrical architect, the theatre was opened in December 1912 and has been a major city landmark ever since, even though it’s fairly tucked away amongst the other buildings lining the Hippodrome.
Inside, the theatre is quite spectacular, with seating on three levels for a total capacity of 1951 people, some in ornate private boxes. There’s a bar where you can grab a drink during the interval, and being right in the city centre there are plenty of places nearby for a pre– or post-​theatre drink or bite to eat.
If you go to see a show here, don’t forget to look up and around you at the elaborate decoration, the elegant arches, and the beautiful, domed ceiling.

The most distinctive looking and sometimes sounding of Bristol’s venues (that is until the Colston Hall was revamped and covered in gold decking), the Hippodrome has a real timeless air about it. Don’t be surprised to walk past to the sound of Queen or some Motown numbers blasting out as they tend to get all the touring shows, including We Will Rock You, That’ll Be The Day and even Les Miserables. They also get a lot of comedians stopping off there, including Ricky Gervais, Frankie Boyle and Al Murray. Very occasionally they secure a decent musical act — I saw Richard Hawley there last year. The sound is amazing and the grand old hall is exactly what you’d want from a city hippodrome. Remarkably, despite the size, illusionist Derren Brown still managed to make his Frisbees get all the way to the back of the Grand Circle to select his next victim.

The Hippodrome in Bristol is almost an institution! It’s a lovely old building with lots of character just around the corner from the University. Plenty of bars and restaurants nearby for pre theatre nourishment!
It’s quite a big theatre, with intricate and ornate decorations throughout the three tiers of seating. The Gods are up at the top and the cheapest seats but you can still see everything well, the stalls are down in the front and this is a good sport to choose as no risk of your view being obscured. As the main theatre in the area it gets some big name shows like Mamma Mia and the Lloyd Webber productions.

Th Bristol Hippodrome is located right at the heart of the Bristol, in the newly designed area locally known as ‘The Fountains’. There is always something going on here, ranging from the classic pantomime performances of ‘Snow White’ etc, to the beautiful ‘Madam Butterfly’. Tickets are roughly £30 which is a bit pricey for Bristol, but you are almost always guaranteed to see a ‘celebrity’ performing.
Inside, Bristol Hippodrome is very luxurious with red carpets and gold decorations everywhere you look. Some may find this a bit OTT, I however think that it makes your evening that little bit more special! I especially love the location of the Hippodrome. It is a stones throw away from the Floating Harbour, therefore a lovely evening walk after the show is definitely worth doing.

If you’re looking to see a headline act or the latest touring theatre productions there are two places you’re likely to go in Bristol: Colston Hall or The Hippodrome. Situated just a two minute walk away from each other, The Hippodrome is better known for booking big theatre productions, often being referred to Bristol’s answer to a West End theatre.
Among the shows the theatre has played home to include Blood Brothers, Whistle Down the Wind and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as headline comedians like local boy Bill Bailey and not so local boy Lee Mack. But these big names often come with a big price tag with most shows costing around the £30 mark for a stalls ticket.
Luckily, as most of the productions tend to do at least two or three nights at the Hippodrome you’re more than likely to get ticket if you book early enough. Keep an eye on the website for upcoming shows and try and get a stalls seat if your budget allows as circle seats tend to give you a limited view.

For the minute or two it takes to walk past this music/​theatre venue you are transported into the sonic landscape of the current production showing; at the moment it’s various productions from the Welsh National Opera. This is Bristol’s top musical theatre venue, featuring touring productions straight out of the West End theatres in London.
Tickets are pricey, expect to pay something around the thirty pound mark, that’s before you think about a pre show dinner, after show drink and cab home, but the Hippodrome wouldn’t book venues any less than top notch.

‘Bristol’s theatre in the West End’ is how they like to market themselves — they’re trying to bring a touch of the London theatre experience to parochial Bristol. This is a commercial theatre, with a rosta heavy with pantomime and musicals to bring in the crowds, and with lots of little details to make an evening here feel like an event. Bristol city centre, although it did have a face lift a few years ago, doesn’t make putting on a glamorous evening easy. The Hippodrome does its best though.
It’s plush red carpet everywhere when you get in. The box office (which does have a few reasonably priced tickets if you don’t mind having to squint) is decked out. I wouldn’t say they’ve over done it here, it’s nice to go somewhere that goes all out to make your night out feel special.
The quality of the theatre varies from season to season. You can’t really judge the theatre so much; it more depends on what’s touring at the time. The pantomime, with standard celebrity lead, is usually a safe bet though. The Hippodrome isn’t quite as swish and swanky as it would like to be, but is still a good West-​end imitation.

This is Bristol’s largest theatre venue, which means that you get some of the biggest shows playing here, though at the same time, unless you’re in the stalls, you could find your view to be a little restricted.
Repertory theatre (along with opera and comedians) is the order of the day here, with a constant cycle of big name productions of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang variety flying through on their way around the country. This is fine for those who want to see fading TV stars and can’t afford to go to London, but if you prefer something edgier with a little more integrity, the Old Vic’s homegrown productions may be more up your street.

I visited the Hippodrome to see ‘Footloose’ earlier this year and found it to be so much better than anything in Leicester. There is a really old fashioned look about the place and it pulls you in to a completly different world. The staff and everybody who wroekd there were helpful and easy to talk to about the shows and such and the prices were also very good considering the amount of huge shows they have playing there. The theatre manages to bag quite a lot of big shows especially those that play in London and ythere are loads of seats as well as quite a few boxes scattered around the main theatre.
Overall it was a pretty plesant and wonderful experience and the Hippodrome really opens up your mind to the world of the threatre and arts.

Needs a lick of paint, but is a classic traditional theatre setting. There aren’t enough exits to avoid a scrum when it’s full and the show ends, especially when the merchandise stall is set up in the entrance.
One of these days I’ll work out how to book a box seat.