Bristol Arts Projects Overview > Bristol Old Vic Theatre School Brunel – A Drama for Schools The once proud ss Great Eastern has become a showboat, moored in the Mersey estuary. A motley troupe of actors, musicians and acrobats are challenged to perform a show commemorating the greatest hero of their times, the visionary creator of the ship, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Melodrama, music hall, circus and engineering collided in this joyous celebration of the life, times and monumental achievements of the man who helped to build modern Britain. Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is renowned for producing some of the best actors in theatre, radio, TV and film in the world. As part of their training, students take a production out on tour to local Bristol schools every January and February. In 2006, writer and director Toby Hulse worked with two teams of students in two simultaneous theatre-in-education tours to primary and secondary schools, with over 40 performances for audiences between 200 and 400. Brunel 200 funding enabled the Theatre School to extend their tour and offer ten free performances to schools which could not normally afford the shows. Contact the School via: www.oldvic.ac.uk St Ursula’s pupils enjoying the show. Links www.oldvic.ac.uk Photography: Mark Simmons.