Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School was opened in 1946 by Laurence Olivier as a training school for the Bristol Old Vic Company. It initially started its life in one room in a pretty though cramped building behind the Bristol Old Vic stage door. It was affectionately then known as the fruit school as it was close to the fruit and vegetable markets, which surrounded the theatre. In 1954, Dorothy Reynolds and Julian Slade wrote for the Theatre School, the musical Salad Days. It went on to achieve enormous though completely unexpected success, with extended runs both in the West End and on Broadway.