The Old Vic and Laurence Olivier as its stars, performing mainly at the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) until the Old Vic was ready to reopen in 1950. In 1946, an offshoot of the company was established in Bristol as the Bristol Old Vic. In 1963, the Old Vic company was dissolved and the new National Theatre Company, under the artistic direction of Lord Olivier, was based at the Old Vic until its own building was opened on the South Bank near Waterloo Bridge in 1976. In July 1974 the Old Vic presented a rock concert for the first time. National
The Good Companions Cheeseman commissioned Bob Eaton (Book and Lyrics) and Sayan Kent (Book and Music) to write a new stage musical version for the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle Under Lyme. It was directed by Bob Eaton. It has since been performed at the Theatre by the Lake, Keswick in 2002, directed by Ian Forrest, the New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich in 2003 directed by Peter Rowe and in 1998 it was the 40th Anniversary production at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry, where Bob Eaton was Artistic Director (1996 to 2003). The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School produced an all new musical version, at the