Theatre / Bristol old vic
‘We hope the city loves our new take on this classic Bristol tale’: Bristol Old Vic sets sail for ‘Treasure Island’
Ahoy there, me hearties: it’s nearly time for the much-anticipated seasonal spectacular at Bristol Old Vic, which this year takes audiences on a musical adventure to Treasure Island.
To find out more about the show, Bristol24/7 spoke to the duo behind it – Jake Brunger (book and lyrics) and Pippa Cleary (music and lyrics) – as well as to Adryne Caulder-James, who plays a gender-swapped Jim Hawkins.
They discussed the art of a successful musical theatre partnership, the fun of the rehearsal room, and the place where it all began.
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Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary
Pippa and Jake – you have had some amazing success in musical theatre – can you tell us how you got here and also what’s the secret to your successful partnership?
PC: “That’s so kind of you to say, thank you. Jake and I met at Bristol University, where he was studying Drama and I was doing Music. We were introduced by a mutual friend who was in Jake’s class – a student called Luke Sheppard, who has since gone onto be one of the biggest musical directors in the world (Paddington anyone?). We wrote a show in our final year of university called Jet Set Go! – which Luke directed – and took it to the Edinburgh Fringe. Luckily for all of us it sold out and transferred to London, and we’ve worked together ever since.”
JB: “The secret to our partnership is that it’s genuinely like a marriage – we love each other deeply, but also argue and bicker like an old married couple too! It’s only ever to do with the work though – we’re friends outside of writing together and are scarily similar people.”
PC: “I think we’re lucky to have met when we were just 20 years old, as we have such an innate shorthand of how to write together, having learnt how to do it in tandem with the other. I think people become much more stuck in their ways as they get older, so we’re fortunate to have collaborated so early on in our careers.”
Why did you decide to take on Treasure Island and what can audiences expect?
JB: “Unlike our adaptations of Adrian Mole or Bake Off, where we both knew and loved the source material inside out, we (shamefully!) didn’t really know the original Treasure Island novel at all when we were asked to adapt it. We quickly realised that it was crammed full of iconic moments and characters, but that we could also put our own feelgood spin on it too. Hopefully we’ve created a funny, accessible, toe-tapping new musical, albeit with a few scary bits too, of course – but nothing that will give kids nightmares, don’t worry!”
PC: “The music straddles all sorts of genres: whether that be the traditional musical theatre ‘I want’ song, a more sea shanty type sound in places, and there’s even a sort of soft rock song for the pirates in Act Two. We have a cast of exceptional actor-musicians, meaning they play all the instruments live on stage as well as acting, singing and dancing. We’ve heard them in rehearsals and their talent is absolutely mine-blowing. And we’re lucky enough to have the Tony Award-winning orchestrator Sarah Travis taking charge of it all – she is literally the best in the world at what she does.”
JB: “Writing for Bristol comedian Jayde Adams has also been really fun too – she plays multiple parts and has a completely zany number in Act Two where she’s gone a bit doolally and thinks the coconuts are her friends – I did say we put our own spin on it! For fans of the book, we’ve also added a subtle little back story about Jim’s Dad that kickstarts her quest. Oh and yes – by saying ‘she’ you’ve probably clocked that we’ve made Jim a girl too! You find out the reason she’s called Jim in the show…”
Christina Tedders (Hands)
When rehearsals start, is it hard to hand your ‘baby’ over to the team?
JB: “The more musicals we write – and I think this is about our ninth or tenth together – thankfully the easier it gets. We’ve learnt when it’s our time to step back and let them all get on with it, and we genuinely have one of the best teams in the biz behind this – Paul Foster directing, Tom Rogers designing (who did our Adrian Mole musical in the West End) and Sarah at the helm of the musicians, so we literally couldn’t be in safer hands.”
Sioned Saunders (Dr Livesey)
Adryne, what did the world of Treasure Island mean to you before your involvement in this production – and how has the show shaped your appreciation of the world it represents?
A C-J: “I’ll be honest, I didn’t know Treasure Island too well before this! Now I love how much heart and bravery it has – and it’s been fun bringing a female Jim to life and giving her a fresh, vibrant energy.”
Can you introduce us to the character of Jim Hawkins?
A C-J: “Jim’s journey is all about discovery of the world and of herself. She wants to find out what happened to her father and goes on a pirate journey and comes face to face with her past! Working on her songs and musical moments has really helped me understand her passions and dreams and bring her story to life in a more personal way (that I can actually relate to!)”
Colin Leggo (Long John Silver), Adryne Caulder-James (Jim Hawkins)
What has been most fun about the rehearsal process so far?
A C-J: “Meeting the cast and creative team has been the best part for me. We have had many giggles together, which brings us together and everyone is so brilliant – I cannot wait to get this up on its feet.”
For you, how does the music help to bring the story to life?
A C-J: “The music just brings everything to life – it’s bold, exciting, and full of heart. Not to mention, Pippa and Jake have written such brilliant, catchy tunes that make it impossible not to get swept up in the adventure.”
Morgan Val Baker (Black Dog)
Finally, what do you all find most fulfilling about being part of such a big festive production?
A C-J: “What I find most fulfilling is how this show brings everyone together. It’s not just a Christmas production – it’s a big, exciting adventure with so much heart. I love that it has something for everyone, from the comedy and music to the emotion and energy of the story, all set right here in Bristol.”
PC: “Although we spend many months and sometimes years writing our shows, once they’re in rehearsal, it’s so nice to step back and see the show take on a life of its own. As former University of Bristol students, I also don’t think we realised just how much it would mean to us to be coming full circle and returning to the city 20 years after we both started as freshers. It really has been magical. We love Bristol so much.”
JB: “Bristol Old Vic also means a great deal to me as I was a student rep for the theatre when I was a drama student – which meant promoting the shows around the campus – and I also attended the Southwest Scriptwriters group, which was based at Bristol Old Vic, where we would share new material each month.”
PC: “We couldn’t be more delighted to be spending Christmas and the New Year here and we really hope the city loves our new take on this classic Bristol tale.”
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Treasure Island (age recommendation 7+) is at Bristol Old Vic on December 4-January 10 2026; times vary. Tickets are available at www.bristololdvic.org.uk.
All photos: Johan Persson
Read next:
- Kid Carpet on his forthcoming Noisy Animals panto: ‘I’m making a type of theatre that I pretty much detest’
- ‘I have been laughing so much during rehearsals’: Peter Barker on playing Dickens’ most famous grouch in ‘Moulin Scrooge’
- Jayde Adams to make professional stage debut in Treasure Island at Bristol Old Vic
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