Nancy Medina directs a 40th anniversary revival of Leave Taking, Winsome Pinnock's debut play, at Bristol Old Vic, running 23 September - 16 October 2027.
A major revival of Leave Taking runs in Bristol Old Vic's main house, 23 September - 16 October 2027. Tickets start at £11 and go on general sale at 12 noon on Wednesday 14 October 2026. It is recommended for ages 12 and over.
The theatre's Artistic Director, Nancy Medina, directs. The staging marks 40 years since the play was first seen, and it is Bristol Old Vic's own production.
The play is set in North London. Enid, a British-Jamaican mother who came over with the Windrush generation, is bringing up two teenage daughters, Del and Viv. Keeping the family in one piece is hard work, and for guidance she turns to Mai, an Obeah woman, and to Broderick, an old friend of the household.
It began at Liverpool Playhouse in 1987 and won the George Devine Award in 1991. In 1994 it went to the National Theatre, where no play by a Black British woman had been produced before.
Pinnock has been writing for the stage since 1985. Her plays include Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange and BBC Radio 3), Mules at the Royal Court and, more recently, The Authenticator at the National. In 2024 Bristol Old Vic made her the first of four writers on its Five Year Commitment residency. The Guardian has called her "the godmother of Black British writing".
Leave Taking is one of three headline productions in Bristol Old Vic's 2027 season, alongside the world premiere of Disco Dracula and Rikki Henry's Uncle Vanya.
