Theatre aside, the kitchen and bar is excellent. Top quality small plates and interesting local…read morebeers.

I've been coming to the old vic for many years so not only is it a great venue but for me it holds…read moremany great memories and is where my love of theatre began. The shows you get to see at the old vic are a far cry from the tacky unoriginal touring shows you get at the Hippodrome. Showcasing its own in house productions you find a lot more edgy and original theatre, so it's a must for all theatre lovers. On this occasion I took my one and half year old son to his first ever theatre production, Magic Elves. The show was in the small theatre downstairs and was perfect for small children and adults alike! He was engaged and mesmerised from the off and I hope this starts a similar love of theatre...

I just love independent community theatre companies like this!…read more They've been running since 1996, and they have one major production each year as well as smaller events. They're really friendly and welcoming to anybody who fancies finding out more about it and joining. Their next and upcoming production will be 'Bad Girls' the musical, booked into the theatre at Filton College in October. In fact it's not too late to get involved in this production if you like the idea of it! Tickets are reasonably priced.

Surely the best hidden gem Bristol has to offer…read more Its not often Sam N and I find ourselves in the very centre of Bristol. Historically the haven of neon bars, scantly dressed girls and hot headed lager louts. However, to be fair, the centre has changed somewhat in recent years, and while those places still exist, there are a lot more reasons to visit the centre than to avoid it these days. Smoke and Mirrors lies on Denmark street, a seemingly uninteresting road just beside the hippodrome and the main cluster bars, chicken shops and kebab houses. Its, almost clandestine, location suits it perfectly and it just wouldn't have quite the same amount of charm if it was anywhere else. It labels itself as a theatre pub and I guess thats as a fair description as any. I fell in love with it as soon as I entered. It just feels like a hidden gem immediately, even before you are struck by all the quirkiness that lies within. Quirkiness aside, the place itself is a rather old fashion, small, but quint pub. The whole place is an oxymoron in as much as the very fact that it doesn't try to be 'cool' makes it one of the coolest places I know. Despite its small size there has been live music several times we've been there. Its a very non offensive variety of live music, the kind you can get involved with, enjoy as a backdrop or ignore completely. I feel like there are few places left like this, where you can drink to the backdrop of live music rather than it being so in your face. Last time we were there we had an absolute blast shouting endless requests at the guitarist, who indulged every one of them. He was so good we grabbed a card off him. The bar itself serves all manner of fairly mainstream drinks, it would perhaps be more fitting for it to serve one or two local drinks from the many of the firmly established local breweries bristol has to offer. There is a happy hour on cocktails, my recollection of such times is understandably hazy. They also have a rather tasty array of bar snacks. The scotch eggs and sausage rolls are really rather lovely and basically mean that you never have to leave :) Not surprisingly its a Saturday evening is when its at its peak, and can get rather busy, however it does so without ever feeling too busy, perhaps this is down to the magicians that roam through the crowd blowing everyones minds with various card tricks. Its great fun and never feels over the top. It just adds to the mood, and one of the many compounding factors that make it such a special place in my eyes. There is a small room the back which they use for intimate shows, the dates of which they mix up a bit. It appears that generally Monday it is an open mic comedy night where as Fri and Sat usually hold performances from the house magicians. However they are frequented by special guests so I guess its worth keeping an eye on the events calender. All in all, smoke and mirrors is a great place to go and by far my favorite place in central Bristol.

Great old fashioned theatre Tradional seats Though some on the higher levels are quite smallHas a…read moregood varity of shows from the Musicals, Childrens plays to Agatha Christie mysteries(my favourite) Prices if going in the mid week or matinees are not much dearer than the cimema and as mentioned in a previous post the Ice creams are scrummy and a lot cheaper than cimemas popcorn/sweets refreshments

I've been to the Everyman a few times now, mostly to watch the productions for children, although…read morewe did also go to see Dick Wittington the panto last Christmas and it was excellent - a really good day out. The building is stunning and it's very comfortable inside. It's conveniently located in the town centre, with an entrance from the street and another from inside Regent's Arcade, so it's not difficult to find at all. I can't wait for my next visit!

Snappa are a rock band. Snappa do rock covers. That's what they are, that's what they do. These…read morelocal lads just cover classic and modern rock tunes, from Hendrix to the Stereophonics and plenty in between (including Johnny Cash - pretty damn fine). The reason I'm mentioning 'em is that they're just fantastic. I've seen plenty of covers bands in my short life and hopefully will see plenty more, but will they have the exuberance, talent and sense of humour that Snappa seem to exude at every performance? Snappa rocked the crowds silly mine & my hubbie's summer wedding. It was down in Somerset in middle of nowhere - they're willing to travel in their van and get booked up for weddings and parties all summer long, so if you want them book them now. For a two hour live set split with a DJ/disco hour in between they charge £500 (payable on the night). A lot of dosh, but most bands I looked at were atleast twice the price. And how they were worth it - my dad was up on the dancefloor for hours, as was one of our 2 year old guests and all my friends - they're just cracking entertainment for all ages.

This is a great place to go watch a show. Very enjoyable experience watching bedknobs and brooms…read moresticks, slight technical problem but still enjoyable. The seats were comfortable and view was great. Staff friendly and helpful. Great experience and thoroughly enjoyed will return to watch another show.

A little while ago I went to this venue to see Aled Jones take on the role of Caractacus Potts in…read more'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', and finally got to see this splendid new building from the inside. Most people who are at all familiar with Cardiff would recognise the armadillo/woodlouse outer shell of the Wales Millennium Centre, and the giant lettering gracing its sides. But, unfortunately, few people seem to have actually ventured inside. The space is modern and clean, without looking barren, as so easily might have happened. The theatre itself has excellent leg-room, comfortable seats and pretty much unrestricted views. I sometimes struggle with low volume when attending musicals, but the acoustics were excellent, and every word clear as a bell. As well as shows and events, there are also food outlets and guided tours available. There are also free performances most days on the Glanfa stage, which are certainly worth checking out.

I've been to St David's hall a couple of times now, mainly for comedians like Ross Noble and Sean…read moreLock. As a venue, it plays hosts to a huge variety of acts and entertainment. In the coming week alone you can see acts as varied as Stan Stennett (?), Brian Conley, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Roy Chubby Brown. It's not the most aesthetically interesting or pleasing venue in Cardiff, being beaten hands down by the Millenium Centre in the Bay, but it nevertheless remains the favoured venue for most acts, probably due to it's slightly larger seating capacity of 2000 (as opposed to 1897 in the Millenium Centre). It still hosts the annual Welsh Proms aswell. My own experiences have all gone pretty smooth, with very little queuing and helpful, professional staff. I suppose it's good that there's nothing of note I can really say here, as the things that would tend to stick in your mind about something as general as a concert hall would in all likelihood have been bad experiences anyway. It's a top venue though and it's important to Cardiff as a city to have somewhere encouraging the arts and being constantly active in doing so.

I have always found St David's Hall to be a little bit of a strange venue. That's not to say it's…read morenot good. Just odd. I think that's because it was, when built, quite a modern design, and that design was not universal enough to quite stand the test of time. What remains is an odd mixture of wood, green carpets and wide areas which make sense when they're full of people, but which are just tired when not. That being said, the selection of music, comedy, ballet and theatre in this venue is great. The theatre itself is vast, but seems much more intimate because of their carefully tiered seating. Seats encompass the stage, and there is a massive organ on display. Unfortunately, I've always found this venue to a little dampening to sound. Or the speakers aren't loud enough, or something. A good venue though.

This place is very special. Super quirky programme here. Super diverse! This is a really fabulous…read morelittle theatre space and we are very fond of it in Bath. It's beautifully designed too. A cosy space with a good rake, so you'll all be able to see well. Informal and delightfully arty. Lovely little bar too.

the best place for theatre in Bath. Love the fact that they are now running a rep series for the…read morenext three years. Caught Iphegenia a couple of weeks ago! great. Please support this very brave studio space.