The Bristol Old Vic is the oldest working theatre in Britain, its main house, originally the Theatre Royal, built in 1766 by William Halfpenny. You happen upon it like a jewel that has strangely parted company from a ring. But dilapidation – however severe – is not the theatre’s most pressing concern. For the truth is – although everyone is too polite to be forceful about it – that the Bristol Old Vic has been an artistic casualty for years now, suffering from underfunding and weak leadership.” But now, finally, things might be looking up…