REVIEW: Drive your plow over the bones of the dead - Bristol Old Vic

We attended the Press night of the critically acclaimed Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead at Bristol Old Vic, and spoiler alert... we were stunned!

When you see a tour coming up from Complicité, you know you are in for one hell of a ride, and you will be presented with utterly stunning, thought-provoking, and simply outstanding theatre. This did not disappoint, and while being an uncomfortable watch, it left us with literal goosebumps from start to end.

Based on the Nobel Prize-winning author Olga Tokarczuk’s novel of the same name, you find yourselves in the depths of a cold, dark, brutal winter near the Czech-Polish border. Although men are dying in strange circumstances, they all also happen to be avid hunters. The finger of "Who done it" points in many places and towards the hunted. The animals? Could the wild, majestic beasts who spend their lives being hunted by these very same men, be behind this string of suspicious murders?

Is that even... possible?

This poses the question... Why is the hunting of animals for fun, but when the tables are turned... why is this murder? Is there a human murderer on the loose or... does this serial killer have hooves rather than feet?

Starring the utterly incredible Kathryn Hunter (who is not only theatre royalty but you may also recognize from the screen in Harry Potter and Rome, to name a few) has you in the palm of her hand from the second she steps foot on stage to the second she leaves (and she is on stage for the entire performance almost). You have to remind yourself several times that she is in fact acting, and this is a character you are watching as she quite simply makes you forget that what you are watching isn't in fact... real life. The supporting cast are equally as wonderful as Kathryn, and you can see why Complicité has such a prestigious reputation for consistently producing outstanding theatre. 

Moving away from the story itself, visually, the set design is so insanely clever yet beautifully simple. The light, shadows and interpretive acting with fluid transitions for many of the cast between human and animal are seamless. The use of every single prop, every single light effect, multimedia use, and shadow has such significant meaning and is so well done; it simply immerses you more into the story itself rather than being a distraction.

As a vegetarian, this was an emotive watch and the subject matter might put some people off, but I urge you not to let it. Regardless of your personal views on hunting and meat consumption, this is a fantastic, piece of gold-standard theatre that is an essential watch for any theatre lover.

It was such a privilege to watch this brilliant production in such a prestigious venue as Bristol Old Vic which is renowned for its world-class theatre along with its rich history in the tapestry of British theatre itself. 

This is running till Feb 11th 2023, but there are also some live streams of the show with limited tickets available.

Find out more on the Bristol Old Vic website here.

You can also find out where the tour is heading next here.

Written by Laura Sophia Rose Bennett - @mamma.massive or www.mamamassive.co.uk 

Laura is a highly experienced Blogger, Copywriter, Content Creator, and Marketing Manager based on the outskirts of Bristol / North Somerset where she lives with her partner, daughter, and cats.

She has over a decades worth of experience within the world of social media, advertising, and marketing in both a corporate and freelance capacity having worked across a multitude of industries including music, construction, and leisure. She currently also runs her own successful blog / Instagram where she covers topics such as parenthood, lifestyle, and reviews of both products and places.

Laura applies a creative flair and strategy to whatever she does and has an extensive portfolio of creative work backed by data-driven results.