Bristol Old Vic Theatre School appoints new Principal

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School today announces that Fiona Francombe has been appointed as the School’s new Principal/CEO. Currently Director of The Bottle Yard Studios, Francombe will take up her new position at the School ahead of the autumn term.

Francombe trained in technical theatre at Rose Bruford College, before embarking on a career in stage management, working at Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. She moved into the TV industry in 1990 in London, joining the BBC’s Drama department as a runner.

Following her move to Bristol in 1993, Francombe worked both for the BBC and as a freelancer for a variety of television dramas as a location manager and producer, before going on to manage production liaison for South West Screen and Creative England. In response to the BBC’s 2009 decision to relocate production of dramas such as Casualty to Cardiff, she successfully lobbied Bristol City Council for support in retaining production industries in the city. In 2010 she went on to establish The Bottle Yard Studios in previously disused warehouses on a seven-acre site situated on the southern outskirts of Bristol. The Council-owned studios are now established as one of the leading production facilities in the country, contributing greatly to the millions generated by the media sector for the local economy each year.

Over the past decade, more than 60 titles have been produced at the Studios, including high-end TV dramas Poldark, Broadchurch, Wolf Hall, The Trial of Christine Keeler and The Pale Horse, light entertainment programmes such as The Crystal Maze and Tipping Point, and children’s favourites such as the green-screen series Andy’s Adventures. In addition to a permanent tenant community of more than 20 creative businesses, Francombe has also established on site classrooms which now house more than 60 16–19-year-olds studying Film & TV Production and Stage & Screen Production Arts Diplomas in a working environment. She has consistently championed Bristol as an international hub for film and TV production and was instrumental in the city’s successful bids to become a UNESCO City of Film in 2017 and a Channel 4 creative hub in 2019.

'BOVTS is a gem of an institution and part of one of the UK's leading conservatoires,' Francombe said, 'I have always respected and admired its extraordinary reputation for nurturing excellent talent, from my years starting out in theatre stage management, to my subsequent move into television and more recently as visiting guest lecturer for the BOVTS Film/TV department.

'I'm very excited to be joining the team, and personally pleased to be bringing my professional career full circle. I have always wanted to make a difference for Bristol; this move will allow me to continue to do so after ten years developing The Bottle Yard Studios into a competitive film and television hub the city can be proud of.'

www.oldvic.ac.uk