09/06/2026
Did you know that Closer Each Day began with just five performers and five audience members? 💙
Back in 2011, 18 year-old Tom Brennan had an idea: create a regular improvised soap opera for Bristol’s newly opened .
Inspired by the Canadian show Die Nasty, he put out a call for performers, and a small group gathered for a workshop above the White Bear pub.
Many people weren’t sure what to make of the idea of a completely unscripted soap opera, and some decided it wasn’t for them. But a handful stayed, took a chance, and created the very first episode.
The first performance featured five actors on stage and, fittingly, just five audience members. Yet from those beginnings, something special was born.
Nearly 15 years later, Closer Each Day has become the UK’s longest-running improvised soap opera, reaching over incredible 250 episodes and building a loyal following along the way.
What started as an experiment above a pub has become a Bristol theatre institution!
We’ve just wrapped on Season 32 and Season 33 is on sale now beginning every other Monday from 14th Sept 🙌
