The Old Vic - one of those not very well-known theaters of London, where you can find something really interesting and not too spoiled by mass tourism. Most of the British go here, many of whom know this name since childhood - there was a lot of serious things going on here.
The Old Vic Theater was founded in 1818 . as the Royal Small Theater ("small" theaters were called, opera was one of the two main theatrical genres at the time) . Since then the theater has been Shakespearean, musical, anti-alcoholic, rock-n-roll and much more . Rock and roll concerts have ceased, from the antialcohol company Morley College has grown - one of the largest centers in London before olnitelnogo education for adults, the troupe was formed from a number of serious theatrical foundations, but Shakespeare was - his plays here put still .
Originally the theater was called differently, and in the "Victoria Theater" it was renamed later - not in honor of Queen Victoria, she was still a child, and in honor of her mother, her name was the same. This theater was created initially for "light genres", but it quickly overgrew them and for a long time specialized in Shakespeare's performances
Theater
The real glory came here in 1824 when one of the most famous actors began to play here in history The theater, whose performance of Shakespeare's roles is still considered unsurpassed - Edmund Keene. In parallel with Shakespeare were instructive plays about the dangers of drunkenness. Then the repertoire was changed again, and the theater was headed by the famous actor Lawrence Olivier, but Shakespeare remained the main one. The theater was closed and opened again, but it still works.
Program
Usually there are 3-4 pieces in the program at the same time. There are so-called performances of one actor, musical performances, and even this theater has several studios that are located in the former tunnels of the metro - there is usually something atypical (small plays, concerts or exhibitions).
Building
A separate attraction - building. It was built in 1818, it was built for the theater and you can see it. The building is included in the British National Heritage Sheet, looks very peculiar, and is not usually associated with the theater in appearance.
The theater is non-touristic, let's say so, but very famous in Britain. You should come here if you want to see what the British are watching, and at the same time necessarily non-profit.
Practical information
Address: London, SE1 8NB, The Cut, The Old Vic. Three subway stations are suitable for the trip: Waterloo, Southwark and Lambeth North
This theater positions itself as "non-commercial", so the price level here is very moderate, but tickets in this case it is better to buy in advance.