Join Bristol Uni’s best, boldest drama society! Shaxsoc brings early modern theatre to life for serious actors and newcomers alike.

Shakespeare Society (A.K.A Shaxsoc) is Bristol's  hottest  performing arts society

But isn't Shakespeare boring? Outdated? Irrelevant? - Not with that attitude! 

We are the theatre performance society dedicated to breaking new ground in the early modern era, with our main focus on the 38 plays and 400 year legacy of playwright William Shakespeare.

So what do we do??

ACTING WORKSHOPS

Throughout the year our Acting Rep hosts several acting workshops to help you get to grips with performing Shakespeare, sometimes featuring professional guests from outside the university to lead them. These are designed to improve your versecraft and help you prepare extracts for auditioning for shows.

SHAXCASE

Every October we put on a showcase of four pieces of Shakespeare, each abridged to ~20 minutes and given a fun, modern twist. In the past we've done Macbeth at a Halloween party, Twelfth Night as Eastenders and The Tempest as a folk horror. It always starts our year off with an accessible, low-pressure and ridiculously fun show that brings so many people together and changes your perspective on what Shakespeare can be!

 MAIN SLOT SHOWS

We put on three main slot shows a year at different venues around Bristol, including Cotham Parish Church and Kelvin Players. These are full-length Shakespeare plays, usually 2+ hours long. We hold proposal votes so any Shaxsoc member can pitch a play they want to try and direct. In the past we've done Twelfth Night, King Lear, Julius Caesar and many more! We look for the freshest and boldest stylistic adaptations to put on each year and our committee will support you every step of the way! 

 SH!TFACED SHAKESPEARE

At the end of each academic year we put on a summer showcase inspired by the touring group 'Sh!tfaced Shakespeare'. Our version takes three abridged plays with super silly twists and casts one performer in each piece to be drunk on stage. Most recently we did Titus Andronicus at a food-fight picnic, Shrek-themed Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet turned into the musical Hamilton! It's a completely free and low-pressure show that's a great and chaotic way to end off the year!

 TRIPS & SOCIALS

And of course we wouldn't be a student society without socials happening all year round! From relaxed pub trips or sober study socials to speedy scavenger hunts and winter balls. You can be sure there is always something on where you can catch up with your friends or dip your toes into our society. Each year we also try to put on an affordable theatre trip, such as our 2025 trip to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon to see Titus Andronicus! 

We also have an exciting new show called 'SLAM' in the works. This will be held in November so join our WhatsApp group and follow us on Instagram for updates on that! Join Bristol Uni’s best drama society! Shaxsoc brings early modern theatre to life for serious actors and newcomers alike.