Playtime
The Last Baguette
There’ll be silliness, play-acting, games and music in this play-along theatre adventure... Expect to play, move, watch and laugh.
Ratty has a lot of ideas but sometimes things don’t go according to plan....can you help her by playing along and working together? A fun and gentle introduction to theatre with play-along storytelling, original music, puppetry, theatre games, movement, and lots of imaginative play.
The show lasts 1 hour including a stay-and-play, and is created for ages 2-6 and their grown-ups. Younger and older siblings welcome!
6th April 2026: A Woodland Wonder
Join Ratty as she learns about the environment and plant your very own seeds!
19th May 2026: Pie Rat Island £8 (Group tickets available)
Wearing The trousers:
the True story of Vesta tilley
Seizing The Day
Wearing The Trousers: the true story of Vesta Tilley’ plots the life of one of the most successful cross-dressing music hall stars that most of the world has never heard of. Spanning Vesta’s life from childhood to her mid-seventies, the play brings her story to life in a series of flashbacks, using original music and songs from Vesta Tilley’s playbook.
Seizing The Day is a Bristol theatre company that gives a voice and opportunities to mature professional performers.
Written by Dyanne White
Directed by Craig Edwards
23th April 2026
7.30pm £15
Later life letter
Luke Wright
Later Life Letter tells the story of Luke Wright’s adoption – the life he leads, and the one he might have done.
Wright navigates his audience through a warm and honest hour of poems and stand-up with the wit, pathos, and silliness that has made him one of the most popular live poets in England.
Expect raucous laughter, tear-stained cheeks, and a little smattering of drum n bass.
24th April 2026
7.30pm £15
“A streetwise panache and a sardonic comic verve to rival Stewart Lee.”
★★★★★ Telegraph
“His poems shoot arrows through the heart, or leave you dazzled by their virtuosity”
★★★★★ List
widdershins
David Mynne
Welcome to WIDDERSHINS: a long-forgotten village buried deep in a dark, wild corner of Cornwall. Here, Bob Droll (local raconteur, folklore enthusiast and village-hall caretaker) will take you on a tour of a place where mystery lurks about every corner. But beware. The deeper Bob leads you into his forest of far-fetched fables, the more lost you might get. Widdershins. Tis hard to find but even harder to leave...
Expect stories told with a sting, poetry cracked and darkly comic, unforgettable characters and physical theatre, alongside the usual irreverence, wit and silliness.
Dark, delirious and delightful, Widdershins is an exciting original work, scripted specifically for David, by renowned writer Carl Grose and directed by Olivier Award winner Simon Harvey.
Age recommendation 12+
29th April 2026
7.30pm £15
"Mynne's performance is exquisite: a masterclass in the telling of tales, it needs to be seen."
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Ciaran Clarke: Arts End of Nowhere (on 'Dracula')
The day i got the horn
Jacob Aldcroft
John Binjuice lived a quiet life, until everyone in his town suddenly transformed into terrifying beasts. With horns. Big, scary horns.
Now, John is the last human left. He has, so far, resisted the horn. But with the beasts smashing down the walls (of the very theatre you’re sat in), his humanity is fading… A horn never looked so good. Watch as John attempts to save ALL HUMANITY through song, dance, and running around and shouting about soup.
An riotous comedy about life after catastrophe and hope in the face of absurdity. Prepare to laugh (a lot), cry (a little), and pee (your pants).
8th May 2026
7.30pm £15
★★★★★ “Hysterically funny, feral, and full of feeling"
Broadway Baby (Edinburgh Fringe 2025 review)
“Ridiculous in the best way” ★★★★
West End Best Friend
instant wit
The Quick-Fire Comedy Improvisation Show
Instant Wit, the best in improvised comedy. Fresh and inventive, each show throws up new nuggets of hilarity crafted by a company of the highest calibre. It’s a pick-me-up tonic with unexpected twists and a dash of sauce.
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There’ll be sketches, songs and general silliness – and all of it based around audience suggestions. And if you’re too shy to shout anything out? Well don’t worry, you’ll have the chance to write things down in the interval. We’re the ones who’ll look daft, not you!
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Instant Wit – a bunch of very Unusual Suspects who are forever on the run from the Comedy Police.
16th May 2026
7.30pm £15
"These are conspicuously skilful performers - everyone is exhilarated
on stage and off!"
The Guardian
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“Instant Wit produce a show of surreal, mad-cap improvised hilarity that will leave you aching with laughter, chuckling with the stupidity of it all and, no doubt, wanting to go again.”
The Bristol Eight magazine
How it all began
Creation myths from around the world
Wild Words
Wild Words bring you the oldest stories known to humankind - from raging fire to freezing ice, the endless blue of sea and sky, scheming gods, greedy demons and generous giants. Storyteller Michael Loader will be spinning out these age-old tales while multi-talented instrumentalist Martin Solomon shapes the musical landscapes.
With your help and a very random selection of eclectic objects we will also create our own momentous myth, in the moment! Meet the instruments in our pre-show participative Playshop and draw the mythical beasts that inhabit your imagination​
Wild Words have been touring the South West for over 20 years with shows for all ages, including a residency at St George' Bristol for over a decade.
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Age recommendation 6+
17th May 2026
2.00pm £8
“A gorgeous jewel of a performance. I loved the way the whole piece hung together. The stories flowed and the music rang.”
Site Festival Stroud
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Older. Bolder.
Sally-Anne Hayward
Sally has never felt more comfortable in her own skin. Especially now it’s that bit looser. This award-winning comedian tells tales of juggling lovers, dodging societal expectations and thriving without kids. Ageing isn’t a crisis – it’s an upgrade.
Sally-Anne Hayward appears as UK and international tour support for Sarah Millican. She is the winner of Best MC Comic’s Comic Award and an ARIA Nominee for Best Radio Comedy 2024.
We're thrilled to have her back at Theatre Shop after her sell-out show in 2023.
29th May 2026
7.30pm £15
‘You’ll struggle not to laugh’
British Comedy Guide.
‘Hilarious’ Chortle.
‘Exceptionally funny’ The Independent.