Promotional photograph, Up The Feeder, Down The 'Mouth

In 1996 Andy Hay, then artistic director of Bristol Old Vic, commissioned A. C. H. Smith to write a play about the Bristol docks. Smith spoke with nearly 50 old dockers and their wives and wound up with a hundred close-typed pages of material.

The production involved a professional cast of 11, plus five musicians, and 34 extras as dockers and chorus. Many in the audience had never been to a Theatre . Liverpool dockers on strike came to the Theatre , and told the creative team that they recognised every docking dodge and slang phrase.

Four years later, Hay revived the play on Prince's Wharf with real ship docking, cranes and a shunting engine. The revival booked out its entire run before the opening night.

This item was digitised by the University of Bristol Theatre Collection as part of Bristol Old Vic’s “Protecting and Sharing the Heritage of Britain’s Oldest Theatre ” project, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.