Mayfest is an annual contemporary theatre festival that takes place in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

for two weeks in May. It is best known for presenting contemporary theatre but also dance, site specific, experimental, interactive and participatory theatre as well as music events. The festival hosts national, international and local artists and is run across various venues throughout the city of Bristol, including

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

Arnolfini Arnolfini is an international arts centre and gallery in Bristol, England. It has a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, artist's performance, music and dance events, poetry and book readings, talks, lectures and cinema. There is also a ...

Tobacco Factory Theatre Tobacco Factory Theatres is located on the first floor of the Tobacco Factory building on the corner of North Street and Raleigh Road, Southville in Bristol, England. The theatre itself is a studio-style space, with a low ceiling and fixed gri ...

Circomedia Circomedia is a school for contemporary circus and physical theatre based in Bristol, England. The school offers a variety of training courses and workshops that teach circus skills in the context of physical theatre, performance and creativity. ...

and others. Mayfest has received funding from Arts Council England through Grants for Arts. It is co-produced by Bristol Old Vic. It was described in 2012 by The Guardian as "the place to go to see work that pushes hard at what theatre can be"

History

Mayfest was established in 2003 by the then Artistic Directors of Bristol Old Vic David Farr and Simon Reade, and between 2003 and 2006 was largely based in Bristol Old Vic's Studio Theatre. In 2007, the festival was taken on as an independent venture by Kate Yedigaroff and Matthew Austin, produced in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic. In 2011, Yedigaroff and Austin launched a producing organisation, MAYK, which continues to produce the festival with Bristol Old Vic. There has been no Mayfest since 2020. List of companies and artists who have performed in Mayfest:

2013

The Suitcase Royale, Banana Bag and Bodice, Kieran Hurley,

Kae Tempest Kae Tempest (formerly Kate Tempest; born 22 December 1985) is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. At the age of 16, Tempest was accepted into the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in ...

, Ockham's Razor, Richard Allen, Jo Bannon, Benji Bower, Lucy Cassidy, Laura Dannequin, Sam Halmarack, Kathy Hinde, Tom Marshman, Sleepdogs, Tom Wainwright, Jeremiah Krage and Heidi Dorschler, Sleepwalk Collective, Jo Hellier, Stand+Stare, Jenna Watt, Andy Field, Tumbling Hat Theatre, Hannah Sullivan, Stephen Voake & Troy Orchard, James Wheale, Chris. Dugrenier, Amy Louise Webber, Carrie Rhys Davies, Il Pixel Rosso, Ridiculusmus, Ontroerend Goed, John Moran, Beady Eye, Berlin Nevada, Ella Good & Nicki Kent,

Neon Neon Neon Neon is a collaborative project from producer Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys, the frontman for the Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals. They began work on the project in October 2006 originally under the moniker Delorean. In March 2008 the duo, by ...

and

National Theatre Wales National Theatre Wales (NTW) is a theatre company known for its large-scale site-specific productions and its grassroots work with diverse Welsh communities. It is the English-language national theatre of Wales, and refers to Theatr Genedlaet ...

, Hannah Jane Walker and Chris Thorpe, Paper Cinema, Made in China, Chris Goode and Company, SkaGeN, Clod Ensemble, Jane Packman Company, Rik Lander, Belarus Free Theatre, The Beautiful Machine, Bodies in Flight, Heatsick.

2012

Andrew Dawson, Andy Field, Belarus Free Theatre, Bryony Kimmings, Chris Goode and Company, Frauke Requardt, Gary McNair, Jo Bannon, John Moran, Kieran Hurley, Kindle Theatre, Little Bulb Theatre, Mark Bruce Company, Melanie Wilson, Mercurial Wrestler,

National Theatre of Scotland The National Theatre of Scotland, established in 2006, is the national theatre company of Scotland. The company has no theatre building of its own; instead it tours work to theatres, village halls, schools and site-specific locations, both at h ...

, Richard Allen, Stand+Stare, Tania El-Koury, The Other Way Works, Tom Marshman, Wardrobe Theatre

2011

Bryony Kimmings, Dan Canham, Darren Johnston, Debbie Pearson, Dora Garcia, Faulty Optic, Greg McLaren, Guy Dartnell, Jo Bannon, Leo Kay, Little Bulb Theatre, Made in China, NIE, Probe, Prototype Theater, Sam Halmarack, Search Party, Sleepdogs, Stand+Stare, Sylvia Rimat,

Will Adamsdale Will Adamsdale (born 1974) is an English actor, comedian and writer. Adamsdale was educated at Eton College and the Oxford School of Drama. In 2004, he starred in a self-penned one man show called ''Jackson's Way'' at the Edinburgh Fringe. Th ...

2010

Ausform, Beady Eye, Bodies in Flight, Cartoon de Salvo, Curious, Dancing Brick, Edward Rapley, Forest Fringe, Jasmine Loveys, John Moran, Jon Haynes, Kings of England, Little Bulb Theatre, Lone Twin Theatre, Mark Bruce Company, Nic Green, NIE, Ontroerend Goed, Orbita, Peggy Shaw, Requardt & Rosenberg, Stacy Makishi, Sylvia Rimat, The Invisible Circus, The Master Chaynjis, Wattle and Daub,

2009

Adriatic, Inspector Sands, Edward Rapley, Ontroerend Goed, imitating the dog, Skutr, Paper Cinema, John Moran, Cartoon de Salvo, Chris Goode, Stan's Café, Tmesis Theatre, Orbita, Invisible Circus, The Other Way Works, Duncan Speakman.

2008

Action Hero, Al Seed, Augusto Corrieri, BlackSkyWhite, Drunken Chorus, Duncan Speakman, FairGround, Gravity and Levity, Green Eyed Zero, Itta Howie, Kettle of Fish, Lost Spectacles, Mem Morrison, Niki McCretton, Precarious, Ridiculusmus, Rosie Dennis, Rotozaza, Search Party, Stewart Wright/Craig Edwards, Sue Palmer, The Special Guests, Tim Crouch, Tinned Fingers, Tom Marshman.

2007

Al Seed and Ben Faulks, Brenda Waite and Kyra Norman, Company FZ, Gonzo Moose, Inspector Sands & Stamping Ground Theatre, Ivan Marcos, Jackie Kay, Mark Hankins, Peoples in Pieces, Search Party, Soap Soup Theatre, The Special Guests, The TEAM, Tom Marshman, Tom Wainwright.

2006

Al Seed, Big State, Circomedia, Dave Fish Theatre Company, Eva Magyar, Hoipolloi, Jonothan Pram, Laura Dannequin & Dan Canham, Matilda Leyser, Miren Theatre Company,

Ockham's Razor Theatre Company Ockham's Razor Theatre Company is a British aerial theatre company. Their critically acclaimed work combines circus and theatre, and they specialise in creating physical theatre on original pieces of aerial equipment and create stories from the vul ...

, out of inc, Publick Transport, Sketty Productions, Tom Marshman.

2005

Brenda Waite, Dave Fish Theatre Company, Dende Collective, Full Beam Visual Theatre, Julian Fox, The Lucy Show, Paper Birds, Rotozaza, The Special Guests, Sue Lee and Kosta Andreas Theatre Company, Third Angel, Tom Wainwright, Volcano.

2004

Big State Theatre, Rotozaza, Nola Rae, Full Beam Visual Theatre, Oddbodies, Deer Park, Tara Arts, Tom Wainwright, Bodies in Flight, Opera Circus, Cartoon de Salvo, People Show, The Special Guests, The Gogmagogs.

2003

Big State Theatre,

Clod Ensemble Clod Ensemble is a multi-award winning performance company and registered charity based in London, UK. Founded in 1995 by director Suzy Willson and composer Paul Clark, the company creates performances, workshops and other events in the UK and in ...

, Dark Horse, Hoax Productions, Horse+Bamboo, Living Pictures, Marc Von Henning, Miren, People Show, Point Blank, Ridiculusmus, Tim Crouch.

References

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External links

Mayfest
Culture in Bristol