Kneehigh Theatre's 'Tristan & Yseult' at Bristol Old Vic

Earlier this week me and Andrew and my friends M and C had a spectacular evening out at Bristol Old Vic Theatre for the first night of Kneehigh Theatre Company's legendary show - 'Tristan and Yseult'.

 

 

 

For M and C it was their first time at a Kneehigh performance and I think they've both now been successfully transformed into Kneehigh 'groupies!'

 

I'm one of those annoying people who can claim to have been a fan long before everyone else found Kneehigh - I first fell in love with them back in 1997 when they peformed 'The King of Prussia' at the Merlin Theatre in Frome (although even that was 17 years after they were founded).

From then on I looked out for their name and whenever they took a show on tour I went to see it as often as I could.

 

 

 

I've lost count of the amount of times I've seen them; I think I've seen most of their productions about 3 or 4 times each, both the national tours and the village hall tours.

I know I've seen both 'The Red Shoes' and 'Tristan and Yseult' 8 times each - and with 'Tristan and Yseult' I've seen the show from the opening night in 2003 at Restormel Castle, to the Eden Project and Minack Theatre, to London and back to Bristol several times.

I'm sure Kneehigh put some sort of drug in their dry ice smoke - a drug that leaves you thinking

"I must see this again!"

 

It's hard to describe how amazingly brilliant, inventive and magical their shows are.

'Tristan and Yseult' in particular will have you both laughing and crying, often at the same time.

The whole cast are engaging, talented and completely believable in every role they play.

Their use of costumes, props and the stage is incredible and there's quite a bit of audience participation thrown in as well.

It's the sort of show that's so overwhelming you have no idea you're actually sat in a theatre full of other people until you've finished clapping at the end.

 

 

 

 

'Tristan and Yseult' is playing at the Bristol Old Vic until Saturday 20th July 2013.

I don't think there's a huge amount of tickets left but if you get a chance to see this, or any other Kneehigh production in the future then please, please, please go and see them - you won't regret it!