This year our theatre company celebrates 25 years of producing live theatre. In that time, we have produced 101 live theatre shows (a few of them live online during Covid lockdowns).
To mark this special anniversary, we decided to make our third, and most ambitious trip yet to the greatest theatre festival in the world. In August 2022, we took no fewer than SIX productions to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Six months of planning and preparation, with previews in London, Clevedon and Bristol led up to 48 performances of our six shows in just 9 days in Edinburgh over the first two weeks of the Fringe Festival.
A dedicated 24 strong team of Stepping Out Artists and Ambassadors, alongside our production partners Harpy Productions and Pear Productions, filled the stages and worked the streets to ensure audiences, making invaluable connections with other companies doing similar work in the UK and elsewhere, and enjoying the thrill of being immersed in the greatest theatre event on the planet.
Here's to the next 25 years.
Formed in 1997, based in Bristol and with over one hundred productions to its credit, Stepping Out Theatre is the country's leading mental health theatre group. It has produced a wide range of work on mental health themes and is open to people who have used mental health services and their allies.
Mark Rylance, Patron
"The work Stepping Out Theatre is doing should be supported by all interested in a society that is healthy. Stepping Out understands and does not shy away from the possibility that theatre, the ancient art of these islands North West of Europe, is a transformative and healing activity which brings joy into people's lives. If you want to hear something true, go and hear what Stepping Out Theatre are saying. I only found myself in theatre, and I hear that Stepping Out is helping other people do the same. I have great hopes for this company and deep respect for what they are doing right now."
The Theatre of War Project
An online reading of Natalya Vorozhbit's Bad Roads was the first of a series of Ukrainian plays to be read by Stepping Out Theatre in partnership with Worldwide Ukrainian Playreadings, the Playwrights Theatre of Kyiv and the Centre for International Theatre Development. In particular, we are building a partnership with the writers of the Playwrights Theatre of Kyiv, and four playwrights from the group joined us live on the evening of May 2nd.
Supporting art and culture in Ukraine is a vital strand in supporting their independence as a country. All monies raised through these events goes directly to theatre artists in Ukraine and the charities they nominate who are supporting the war effort.
Theatre of War Project Logo Design - Liudmyla Tymoshenko
Please consider supporting future events both online and staged in this initiative, which we will keep you updated about here.
LONG LIVE THE FREE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE!
2nd May 2022 - Bad Roads by Natalya Vorzhbit
30th May 2022 - Seven Against Moscow
4th November 2022 - HIMARS1 To Russia with Love
02 May 2022 to 31 Mar 2026
*** LIVE ONLINE ***
Mother Christmas ticket details
Dec 2023
Festive fun from Stepping Out Theatre in a charity fundraiser raising money for SALVE International who work with street children in Uganda's second city of Jinja.
Showing for 2 nights only!
Hen and Chicken, Southville, 3rd Dec at 8pm
Backwell Playhouse, Backwell, 4th Dec at 8pm
For tickets, please donate £5 to Stepping Out Theatre using the link here. Please leave your name, address and email address and tickets will be emailed out to you.
Doctor Semmelweis at the Bristol Old Vic and Meeting with Mark Rylance
Feb 2022
Twenty members of our group watched Stepping Out Theatre Patron Mark Rylance perform in the title role of the Bristol Old Vic's brilliant production of 'Doctor Semmelweis' on Feb 7th. After the show Mark joined the group in the bar for a chat about the play. He is pictured here with Diversity Ambassador Charlie Ekpaloba and other members.
Stepping Out Theatre
13 Creedwell Orchard
Milverton
Taunton TA4 1JY
Registered Charity (CIO) 1179310 (since July 2018), Formerly Charity 1117912 (since February 2007)
e. info@steppingouttheatre.co.uk
m. 07790 980688