From the beginning the policy was to present the great classics, modern plays of merit, and first productions of good new works, from the national and international repertoire.
Some productions were also seen in London, and earned important revenue, including Salad Days and The Killing of Sister George.
A major part of the Companys policy was to build up an ensemble of actors, who performed together long enough to develop a distinctive style. Among those developed and matured by the Bristol Old Vic, were Peter O Toole, Dorothy Tutin, Paul Rogers, Susannah York, John Neville, Richard Pasco, Paul Eddington, Timothy West, and many graduates of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
The scope of this policy was considerably increased in 1963 when the City Council invited the Bristol Old Vic to take over the Little Theatre, then part of the Colston Hall. For the first time a regional company was running concurrent seasons at two theatres, with a co-ordinated programme, united under one artistic policy.
Also in 1963, when the London Old Vic as a theatrical organisation was disbanded and became the National Theatre, the Bristol Old Vic achieved complete independence for the first time, with its own charitable status to advance the education of the public in the appreciation and understanding of the dramatic and musical arts. From 1963 onwards, it also undertook a considerable programme of touring at home and abroad.
By the time of the Theatre Royal Bicentenary in 1966, it was quite clear that the expanding work of the Company had outgrown the backstage facilities that were available in King Street, and in 1967 an Appeal was launched for funds for a major redevelopment programme.
Appearing this month in 1817
Title: Venice Preserved Author: Il Diavolo Antonio