In 1817 a female convict ship, ‘The Friendship’, sailed from England to Australia with 101 women, ten of them from Bristol Newgate prison – now the site of The Galleries Shopping Centre in Bristol.

In late 2023, with funding from Historic England and the University of the West of England, we explored the forgotten lives of these women.

Read all about our project exploring their, then watch the film we made imagining their voices…

Forty years ago this year the biggest heist in British history happened – and Bedminster was up to its neck in it.

This is part one some of the extraordinary local history featured in our BLOOD AND BUTCHERY IN BEDMINSTER theatre walk.

‘THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY’ — the Brink’s-Mat robbery — was forty years ago this year.

This is part two some of the extraordinary local history featured in our BLOOD AND BUTCHERY IN BEDMINSTER theatre walk.

Huge Congratulations to Bedminster Lantern Parade on their 10th anniversary.

The Smyths of Ashton Court were delighted to be part of this year’s massive celebration — the rain stayed away but the people didn’t — if you missed it, you missed a treat but there’s a flavour here…

Princess Caraboo, daughter of the King of Javasu? This is her true, remarkable story.

4pm & 6pm Friday 25 March, 4pm & 6pm Saturday 26 March, 11am and 3pm Sunday 27 March

At Home With The Smyths for Bristol Open Doors

Ashton Court Mansion 10-12 September 2021

It’s not a lunchtime panto? Oh Yes It is!
It’s not only a fiver for 2 people? Oh Yes It Is!
It’s not Angie Belcher? Oh Yes It Is!

Performances 1pm & 2pm, Saturdays 7th, 14th and 21st December 2019

We’re joining forces with Closer Each Day Company to take you on a Steampunk journey through time and space.

THE STEAMPUNK MISTRESS AND THE TIME MACHINE is on board Brunel’s SS Great Britain 30 June – 4 July 2019 at 7.30 with the opportunity to explore the ship from 6.30pm.

Sarah Guppy — the first woman to patent a bridge and the first to formally design one. 

Missed her in November? Catch 10 minutes free on Saturday 2 March when Sarah’s at The Council House as part of International Women’s Day. 10 minute shows 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. See full details here »

11 October 2017 @ Bristol Harbour Hotel

Meet the Cradocks at the fabulous new Bristol Harbour Hotel on Corn Street. Dine in the extraordinary Sansovino Hall — previously a banking hall in the financial heart of the city — inspired by 16th century Venetian architecture, complete with remarkable historical detail and magnificent skylight.

Tickets and more information here »

Delighted to win Best Live Performance at the Creative Bath awards for FRANKENSTEIN IN BATH.

A powerful commitment and presence in Bath. Their performances are spellbinding and thought-provoking. And we praise their campaign for a blue plaque for Frankenstein author Mary Shelley”

Enjoy a three course meal with Fanny & Johnnie Cradock as they cook up a storm at The Kitchen In Poole Park, Dorset.

Book tickets here »

Great to be working with lovely neighbour Windmill Hill City Farm to celebrate their 40th birthday.

A weekend of outdoor performances, all over the farm, to celebrate their 40th birthday (and our 30th!).

Eight great short shows, and four wonderful actors playing all sorts of creatures – spot the crime solving mole, a fox with bags of attitude, and a dove with huge ambitions. Leela Bunce, Rachael Fagan, Kirris Riviere and Chris Yapp bring these and more to life — all weekend, and all free.

Shows 10.30–4.30 both days

Download the map and performance schedule »

To mark the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Sheila Hannon, has researched, written and produced a new theatrical walking tour of Bath, where much of the novel was written. She shares here some insights into the city’s significant role in the development of Shelley’s classic work.

Read more on Bristol Festival of Ideas »

FANNY & JOHNNIE CRADOCK
COOK THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

With Kate McNab & John Telfer as the Cradocks

Friday 29 April 2016
Bristol Food Connections – College Green, Bristol

Friday 20 May 2016
Three Course Dinner & Show – The Beaufort Arms, Hawkesbury Upton

Saturday 21 May 2016
Three Course Dinner & Show – The Beaufort Arms, Hawkesbury Upton

48 free shows, Burnham-on-Sea, Saturday 16 April 2016, 10.30am-4.15pm.

12 great short scripts in 15 shops and places around the town centre and seafront.

The perfect gift for someone you want to see more of: lunch or dinner with Fanny & Johnnie, guaranteed to put a smile on a February face. Fanny always told viewers, “This won’t break you” – just like our 5 star show.

Love, Sex and Violence on the Streets of Bedminster on Saturday 9,16 and 23 of May.

Part of Bristol Walking Festival and funded by Bedminster Town Team.

Download the flier »

Venue ★★★★ review – 24 Sept ’10, Issue 928
read the review

this is Bristol ★★★★ review – 24 May ’11
read the review

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

FANNY & JOHNNIE CRADOCK COOK THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

With Kate McNab & John Telfer as the Cradocks As seen on BBC TV: The Hairy Bikers.

John Telfer & Kate McNab return as Fanny & Johnnie Cradock in our sell ot dinner theatre show. With outrageous recipes and fabulous musical talent they’ll be cooking up a storm near you.

Check our Facebook pages for updates:

Show Of Strength Group
Show Of Strength Facebook

Working with Wells Festival of Literature on a new version of Trading Local turned Wells high streets into theatres – on Saturday 21 March 2015 we presented 12 great short scripts with six great actors: William Bateman, Kirsty Cox, Rachael Fagan, David Reake, Lynda Rooke and Chris Yapp.

A couple of many great reviews:

“Wells comes alive with street theatre”

www.wellsjournal.co.uk

“Simple but brilliant…beautiful little snapshots of ordinary lives”

www.theftr.co.uk

48 free shows, Wells City Centre, Saturday 21 March 2015, 10.30am-4.15 pm.

We’re working with Wells Festival of Literature on a new version of the project that turns high streets into theatres.

12 great short scripts have been selected from nearly 40 submissions.

13-25 January 2015

Walking the Chains CIC in association with Show of Strength Theatre Company and Circomedia present:

WALKING THE CHAINS

Roll up! Roll up! Celebrate the 150th birthday of Bristol’s best loved landmark!
8 actor musicians, 4 circus performers, a band and a choir telling—and singing—the stories and secrets of Brunel’s glorious Clifton Suspension Bridge. And it’s happening in another Brunel masterpiece: The Passenger Shed.

You can download the flyer here » or click below for more information and a video.

Free shows in the Docks this Saturday & Sunday, 11am–5pm.
Part of Docks Heritage Weekend with 4 new shows. There’s Kate McNab on a ferry, Angie Belcher on the steam crane, Gerard Cooke on a blind date at the Underfall Yard, and Will Bateman on his bike. Four great new scripts from Bruce Fellows, Martin Fey, Andrzej Wawrowski and Andy King.

More information here: www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed/whats-on/docks-heritage-weekend
And here: www.bristol.gov.uk/press/bristol-celebrates-docks-heritage-weekend

In May the much loved Frenchay & Southmead hospitals closed and the new, state-of-the-art Brunel Building, opened. We ran writing workshops with staff at both hospitals and have developed 8 new pieces of work.

Shows in the atrium of the new hospital 11am-5pm SATURDAY 18TH OCTOBER.

M SHED’s new exhibition is about how Bristol was affected by the First World War.

MOVED BY CONFLICT runs from 11 October to 1 March. We’ve developed an education project for schools, to support the exhibition. Workshops start in October and will be available for the rest of the year and possibly into 2015.

Details here on the new Bristol Museums website »

WHY DON’T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD?
Love, Sex and Violence on the Streets of Bedminster returns.

Shows Sat 26 April (free for BS3 residents), Sat 3 May and Sat 10 May.

Aldred Daw Collard, ‘Poet Butcher’ of Bedminster, celebrates the survival of his shop at 57 North Street.

Crewkerne is a lovely Somerset town with some great shops.

We worked with writers in and around the town and there’ll be live performances all over the high street so put Saturday 31 May in your diary.

Join us in Crewkerne when six professional actors stage 48 FREE live performances in shops in the town centre.

Fanny Cradock was an innovator: blue hard-boiled eggs and green mashed potato to name but two. If you’d like to know a bit more about her cooking here’s a few of her recipes, starting with the famous Prawn Cocktail…

The phenomenally successful Cradock dinner theatre show heads to BITE, the Cotswold Food Festival in Chipping Campden, then Valentines Weekend at Southville’s Hen & Chicken, then to London’s Bermondsey Square Hotel in May.

Show of Strength’s hit show FANNY & JOHNNIE CRADOCK COOK THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK returns to Bristol and the South West from Friday 24 May 2013.

Booking now closed

Click here for more booking information »

As seen on TV: The Hairy Bikers, BBC2, 7pm, Thurs 25 April

If you haven’t had dinner with the Cradocks and fancy an autumn break, Forestdale/Akkeron are offering a great deal when they play their hotels.

SHOW OF STRENGTH are back with more free theatre in Bedminster shops on Saturday 30 March 2013 as TRADING LOCAL returns to East and North Streets.

Download a flier and performance schedule here »

Show of Strength return to the Southville Centre with a brand new family show for Christmas – RECYCLED STOCKINGS II

SHOW OF STRENGTH are bringing TRADING LOCAL to the North St and East St Christmas Fayres in Bedminster this Saturday and next. See 18 FREE shows in shops on Sat 8 (North St) and Sat 15 Dec (East St) between 10am-1pm. Find out where and when by clicking HERE to download a programme.

SHOW OF STRENGTH launches five months of free theatre in Bedminster shops on Saturday 24 November as TRADING LOCAL returns to East and North Streets.

Download a flier and performance schedule here

Show of Strength launches five months of free theatre in Bedminster with TRADING LOCAL on Saturday 24 November.

The Cradocks are singing in the rain this morning.

Show of Strength take to the water with THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATES on board the Matthew on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July.
Book tickets online here »

Taking ‘Celebration’ to Exeter University as part of the EXEtreme festival. A chance to see highlights from Celebration.

Back by popular demand

Why don’t we do it in the road? — love, sex and violence on the streets of Bedminster

In autumn 2009 we previewed a new outdoor show and it was so successful we’re making it a regular Sunday event throughout the autumn from September 19th to October 24th 2010.

Venue ★★★★ review – 24 Sept ’10, Issue 928

Download the programme

Show of Strength Theatre Company in association with
Staple Hill Regeneration Partnership, Taste Food Festival and local traders present:

TRADING LOCAL – THEATRE IN SHOPS, STAPLE HILL

SATURDAY 2ND OCTOBER
18 plays in 19 shops — 10am – 4.30pm

Download the programme

The venue we started in 1998 and where we performed till 2003

Bristol Festival of Ideas in association with Show of Strength and the Tobacco Factory Theatre:

Thursday 27 May 2010, 19.30-21.00
Antonia Fraser and Ian Rickson on Harold Pinter

Show of Strength Theatre Company in association with Brislington Community Partnership present:

TRADING LOCAL – THEATRE IN SHOPS, BRISLINGTON

SATURDAY 8TH MAY

18 new plays in 18 shops, 54 free shows 10am — 4.30pm

Download the programme

Show of Strength Theatre Company in partnership with
The Westbury On Trym Society present:

TRADING LOCAL – THEATRE IN SHOPS, WESTBURY ON TRYM

SATURDAY 24TH APRIL

54 new shows in 18 shops — 10am – 4.30pm

Download the programme

SHOW OF STRENGTH & TRAVELLING LIGHT Theatre Companies join forces for the first time on a brand new festival of shows for young people and families (from 8 years) at The Create Centre, Hotwells, Bristol.

From 10am-5pm brand new short plays will be happening all over the building. Over a dozen writers have created work especially for the event. Audiences will get a map showing the performances, and can choose what to see when. And the Create Centre café will be open throughout.

TRADING LOCAL is 12 new pieces from 12 writers in 12 shops on Sidwell St, Exeter. Some writers are experienced, for some this is the first time they have written for theatre…

- Love, Sex & Violence on the Streets of Bedminster -

PREVIEWS 3pm 18 & 25 October & 1 November 2009

Our new show is a theatrical walk with some of the most extraordinary people – and animals – you’ll ever meet. And every word is true.

Inspired by the 1809 opening ceremony and party enjoyed by the Irish builders and Bristol citizens, the Friends of the Avon New Cut (Franc) clebrated the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Cut.

MAY 4th 2009 by Brunel’s SS Great Britain
The Cut was dug by Irish and other travelling labourers or “navvies” and Show of Strength joined FRANC to present
PERFECTLY FRANK the man that dug the cut.