Mayflying at the Open Stage

Intern Alison, attended the Open Stage at Bristol Old Vic taking along her Mayfly…

Bristol Old Vic held a brilliant day of theatrical and musical activity; inviting local acts from around Bristol to perform on the main stage in celebration of the theatre’s 250th birthday. Unlike usual trips to the theatre where phones are asked to be switched off, the compere urged the audience to take photos, videos and use the twitter #openstage to spread the word of the celebratory performances taking place on the historic stage. I attended the whole day and felt so immersed in the excitement and energy from the performers that, like the audience who were excitedly filming their friends and families performing, I too grabbed my phone, opened the Mayfly App and began to capture sounds and memories from the day. 

A really magical recording I managed to get was the Gurt Lush choir. Recorded from the side of the stage, this recording makes me recall how I felt on hearing the incredible, epic sound from 150 voices...

As well as musical acts, there were local poets; the Bard of Knowledge West, Edson Burton and Miles Chambers to name just a few, performing original poetry. There was plenty of comedy throughout the day, including local improv troupe Degrees of Error and I captured a snippet of improvised comedy...

From choirs and musicians to encapsulating storytellers and poets, my Mayfly journal suddenly feels full of life as I listen back to the recordings a few days later. This wonderful day, celebrating the theatre and Bristol’s talented citizens, will now always be accessible in my Mayfly journal.