King Street Bristol - Entertainment in Bristol

There may well be a King street or Queen street in almost every town in the United Kingdom but there are few that match up to this one. Bristol King Street has an abundance of theatres, stores and pubs that populate the old cobbles that line the street. This one you are taking a metaphoric stroll down with us in the city of Bristol has more to offer than just bridges and being the home of the Great Western Railway. If you are looking for a good night out in Bristol, grab a play at the Old Vic and then a pint in the Old Duke and Llandoger Trow pubs on your way home.

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As to the play, well, we let you choose. The Old Vic theatre, recognize the name? That is because there is one in London as well, which is more famous and often plays host to celebrities either performing in or attending a play. But, the Old Vic in Bristol is older and has laid claim to being the oldest continually operated theatre in the country, which is pretty impressive when one considers that theatre companies are a dime a dozen and rarely last long possibly due to artistic disagreements. It opened its doors on 30 May 1766.

The Bristol Old Vic theatre has been up and running longer than any other.

Two buildings make up the Old Vic: the Theatre Royal and the Coopers' Hall. What is a cooper? It was a person who makes and repairs wooden containers, such as barrels, casks and crates. The Floating Harbour is just a stone throw away. Highly appropriate, wouldn't you say? The Coopers' Hall was built in 1744 but the guild lost it in 1785. It would change hands quite a few times: public assembly room, wine warehouse, Baptist chapel and fruit warehouse. The theatre failed to obtain a royal license on its operating night and had to call itself a concert with a specimen of rhetorick, but everyone knew what it really was. When the license finally arrived in 1788, it officially became the Theatre Royal.

Despite a new gallery and ceiling, the XIXth Century was successfully difficult as the same company performed in both Bath and Bristol up to 1819, but owners' interest rose and fell. A major setback occurred when James Chute opened the Prince's in 1867. The loss in favour would last until the Second World War when bombing destroyed the Prince's. It almost closed down permanently in 1942 only to be saved by public appeals, which resulted in it being linked with the Old Vic in London, thus changing its name. In 1972, a major redesign was completed by Peter Moro, which included tearing down neighbouring buildings to make space as well as the original stage and adding the New Vic Studio theatre.

Did you enjoy the play and hear the rolling of cannonballs? Excellent! Let us go to a pub and you can tell us why.

The Old Duke in Bristol is a fab jazz club that still goes wild today with live sounds as it has for years

The Old Duke honours Duke Ellington; it is a jazz and blues club specializing in the New Orleans style. Live music is played every night. Pay attention to the calendar so that you arrive when it is the home of a jazz festival.

The Llandgoger Trow Kings street Bristol has been a lively spot with a lot of history.

Directly opposite is the Llandoger Trow. Its name comes from the village of Llandogo that is north of Bristol and was home to trows, which are flat-bottomed barges. No music can be found here, but plenty of history. The pub was built in 1644 and nearly did not survive bombing during the Second World War. Two anecdotes: some of the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island was found here, but we will not tell you which seat their authors were at or where the smuggling tunnels are