Theatre / News
Bristol Old Vic’s longest serving member of staff named unsung hero at Stage Awards
Mike Elliott has worked behind the scenes at Bristol Old Vic for almost 40 years.
His hard work has now been recognised at the prestigious Stage Awards where he was named winner in the Unsung Hero category at a ceremony in London.
Maintenance manager Mike’s four-decade career looking after the Old Vic makes him the King Street theatre’s longest serving permanent member of staff.
is needed now More than ever
“For all that time, without applause from audiences, awards or celebration, he’s kept our 258-year-old building heated, plumbed, lit, clean, safe and welcoming,” says Mike’s citation from his colleagues.
“We couldn’t do any of our jobs without Mike. He is the total embodiment of ‘behind the scenes’.”
Mike Elliott has been described as “the total embodiment of behind the scenes” – photo: Bristol Old Vic
Mike’s citation continues: “Everyone repeats the mantra when he goes on holiday: ‘Mike’s away, don’t break anything.’
“We have no idea what we’ll do without him when he finally hangs up his tool belt, as the idiosyncrasies of this place are truly mysterious.
“He’ll fix 200-year-old elements with Heath Robinson levels of ingenuity and wrestle with 21st-century building management systems with equal calm.
“His relationship with the theatre goes well beyond the 9-to-5.
“He’s dealt with biblical flooding, blackouts, boiler breakdowns, the horrifyingly named ‘backing up’ of systems that will remain nameless.
“He’s lent a hand to any department that needed help (working as stage crew, carpenter or driver over the years), and helped any staff member that needed it too – including emergency weekend callouts to people’s homes when they’re not sure how to fix something.
“He’ll drop everything and just help us out. Mike is a friend and supporter of us all.”
From the thunder run in the eaves to the foundations below, there is nowhere at Bristol Old Vic that maintenance manager Mike Elliott does not know like the back of his hand – photo: Bristol Old Vic
“Mike possesses the ability to always be on top of the urgent and huge to-do list, working as the ONLY maintenance person at Bristol Old Vic.
“He’s also unwaveringly positive about the work on our stages and the people that make it happen.
“Even though he’ll tell you that working here came as an accident – as he’d planned to move abroad – he’s made the theatre an integral part of his life, and himself a hugely valued and integral part of the theatre.
“He’s woven into the fabric of the building and is respected by all that work here.
“He also took on some major celebrity status for the team during our capital project from 2016 to 2018.
“Each week, ‘Onsite with Maintenance Mike’ would give a photographic update on progress – making even the new pipe lagging take on mythic levels of wonder for the rest of us.”
Even Mike couldn’t prevent Brian Blessed from breaking the ceremonial silver trowel at the Bristol Old Vic’s topping out ceremony in 2018 – photo: Martin Booth
“It’s a family affair for Mike. He fell in love with his wife Rieko at Bristol Old Vic back in the 1990s, only realising she felt the same way 20 years later.
“They finally married in Japan in 2019, holding a reception for friends and family at BOV when they returned to the UK.
“His son Alex became part of the Young Company when he was struggling with bullying at school, and during BOV’s 250th birthday fundraising appeal, Mike bought a seat in the auditorium in Alex’s name to express his gratitude for how the theatre helped his son.
“Well, Mike, this is our turn to show gratitude to you.
“Thank you for everything you do, every day, every night. We couldn’t do it without you.”
Main photo: Bristol Old Vic
Read next:
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
