Heartfelt and hilarious, Starter for Ten at Bristol Old Vic was a nostalgic delight

Heartfelt and hilarious, Starter for Ten at Bristol Old Vic was a nostalgic delight

Starter for Ten - adapted for the stage from David Nicholls’ debut novel by Emma Hall and Charlie Parham - brings a rare freshness to the anticipated beats of a coming of age story.

As a University of Bristol graduate, I know it is a rite of passage to watch Tom Vaughn’s Starter for Ten (2006) on a hungover Thursday morning during Freshers' Week.

Despite my university days being behind me I was elated to see Starter for Ten on the bill for Bristol Old Vic’s Autumn shows and hoped this new production would evoke the same excited trepidation for new beginnings as it did the first time watching James Mcavoy’s portrayal in those early days of university.

The story follows Brian Jackson, a Bristol first-year