REVIEWS FOR PAST WORK

Equally devastating is Hannah Bristow’s Chava, the bookish daughter rejected for falling in love with somebody from outside the faith. Bristow invests her with a rich, palpable inner life, a charming goofiness and a core of steel that belies her fragile appearance: she’s remarkable. AJHLOVESTHEATRE, 2024

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

as Chava in Jordan Fein’s 2024 production at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre, designed by Tom Scutt and Choreographed by Julia Cheng.

Specific mentions for Hannah:

Dannheisser leads a strong cast who both act and sing with fervent conviction, especially Liv Andrusier, Hannah Bristow and Georgia Bruce as daughters Tzeitel, Chava and Hodel respectively. They bring fury and fear to Matchmaker, Matchmaker; as penniless girls, they could end up married to a violent brute. But there are also vivid moments of joy and quirky humour. THE TELEGRAPH - 5 Stars ★★★★★

Equally devastating is Hannah Bristow’s Chava, the bookish daughter rejected for falling in love with somebody from outside the faith. Bristow invests her with a rich, palpable inner life, a charming goofiness and a core of steel that belies her fragile appearance: she’s remarkable. AJHLOVESTHEATRE - 5 Stars ★★★★★

The bite of Fein’s Fiddler makes a thrilling impression. He still brings a degree of radicalisation to his staging, notably with the cast frequently observing from the sidelines when not performing. He also ensures the comedy remains present, but often with an aftertaste that blindsides you. Take the song Matchmaker, Matchmaker, in which the sisters Hodel, Chava and Tzeitel sing about their dreams for a husband and which includes Harnick’s killer lyric: “You heard he has a temper. He’ll beat you every night. But only when he’s sober, so you’ll be alright.”

Some productions glaze over this in delivery, but by Fein trusting the score – and, crucially, Stein’s book – he implicitly turns his production on a dime to deliver such powerful and unexpectedly jarring moments that his audience can’t help but pay attention to the text. I have never seen this number performed better than it is here by last year’s The Stage Debut nominee Liv Andrusier, alongside Hannah Bristow and Georgia Bruce. As a result, I gained a new appreciation of it, which is not easy to achieve for a work that’s had multiple productions. THE STAGE - opinion piece

But Fein’s arrestingly intelligent second-act directorial decisions, particularly around a clarinet-playing Chava (Hannah Bristow) and her disastrous marriage choice, deepen and darken the action and make the show richer and stronger than any recent London revivals. THE STAGE - 5 Stars ★★★★★

Finally, Hannah Bristow gave my favourite performance of the night as Chava. She was captivating and secure in her character and showcased some stunning vocals. The family unit was completely believable, and they all showed care and compassion towards each other like a normal family would do. THEATREANDTONIC - 4strs★★★★

Hannah Bristow brought Chava to life as one of Tevye’s favourite daughters. She defied her father and married out of faith, resulting in her being banished from the family. The pain of being dead in her father’s eyes – his daughter marrying a man who is not Jewish is one tradition that Tevye cannot betray – was conveyed through her clarinet duet with the fiddler and was more moving than any scripted words could convey. LONDON UNATTACHED - 5 Stars ★★★★★

Virtuosic Raphael Papo weaves throughout the action as the enigmatic Fiddler, performing a thrilling duet with Chava (Hannah Bristow), Tevye’s third daughter, on clarinet. Chava brings about his most painful crisis yet. Marching off through the alien corn, he leaves large questions — the nature of faith, family, homeland — for the audience to resolve. FINACIAL TIMES - 4 Stars ★★★★

The daughters are all wonderful, Liv Andrusier’s Tzeizel, Georgia Bruce’s pleading Hodel and Hannah Bristow’s magnificent defiant Chava each distinctive in their confrontations with the furious but adoring father as they marry for love even – in Chava’s case – breaking with race and faith.  THEATRECAT - 4 Stars ★★★★

AS YOU LIKE IT

as Amiens, Jaques de Boys and Player in Omar Elerian’s 2023 production in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at the Royal Shakespeare Company. Also on as cover Celia for one week.

“a series of setpieces that lend themselves to fine performances - fortunately, they get them. Hannah Bristow stepped in for Maureen Beattie (indisposition being a foreseeable risk across this cast) and her Celia, now young enough to be Rosalind’s granddaughter, is very funny in her disdain for her friend’s playacting to woo Orlando.” - Broadway World

“The ‘young blood’ performers, Hannah Bristow, Tyreke Leslie, Mogali Masuku and Rose Wardlaw, sheepishly introduce themselves at the start of the play and initially seem overshadowed by the confident, experienced actors surrounding them. As the story unwinds, this relationship is revealed to be more complex, with the generations supporting and teaching each other in their own way. It’s a touching reminder of the innumerable performers who have gone before, and of their legacy, which resonates into the future.” - WhatsOn Birmingham

“The cast are supported by younger performers Hannah Bristow, Tyreke Leslie, Mogali Masuku and Rose Wardlaw, which gives the piece a more rounded feel to it and the presence of their trees and logs make for a playful atmosphere. The point Shakespeare was trying to make in this play was, after all, that in order to explore ourselves we have to play.” - WestEndBestFriend

FIVE CHILDREN AND IT

★★★★ The Stage

“Five Children and It… maintains The Egg’s proud tradition of delivering beautiful Christmas treats.”

“Their Peter-and-Susan seriousness contrasts well with Hannah Bristow’s excellently petulant Robert, a spoilt Edwardian brat in a sailor suit, who, at points, sounds either like Little Lord Fauntleroy or Stewie from Family Guy.”

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

as Hero, dir Elizabeth Freestone. A Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory Production at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol and Wiltons Music Hall, London.

★★★★★ - Fantastic casting - Bryan Mason, StageTalk Magazine

★★★★ - Hannah Bristow as the wronged bride-to-be and Christopher Bianchi as her father, Leonato, find a seriocomic poise that grounds the frolicking… This production. however, renders [the slut shaming of Hero] with a stillness and a sadness that is the making of it. - Dominic Maxwell, THE TIMES

Hannah Bristow’s Hero is suitably sweet and her relationship with Claudio is so well matched that the break up is made all the more convincingly awful. - Bryan Mason, StageTalk Magazine

★★★★ - The plot to discredit Hero is this production’s main preoccupation, and Freestone highlights its prickliness and problematics - Ben Kulvichit, The Stage

[Claudio] doesn’t frankly deserve the articulate, intelligence Hero, played with much strength and affection by Hannah Bristow. - Joseph Winer, London Theatre1

NAPOLI, BROOKLYN

as Francesca, dir. Lisa Blair. Playing at the Park Theatre, London and touring the UK with the Original Theatre Company.

★★★★ “two hours of immaculately conceived and beautifully realised new work, shining with hope for a browbeaten humanity… Hannah Bristow’s impeccably performed Francesca is the rebellious tomboy in love” - Reviews Hub

“Madeline Worrall as Luda, Hannah Bristow as Francesca are superb.” - Slough Express

“Hannah Bristow as Francesca is excellent – her strength and rebellious spirit, her love, her joys and sorrows, all play out with classic teenage melodrama, and yet she never tips the balance into over-acting.” - Stage Talk Magazine

“A delightful portrait of a teenage relationship, drenched in wide-eyed hope and ambition… Hannah Bristow is superb as the rebellious daughter that confronts what she can’t accept” - Daily Info

★★★★ “Hannah Bristow is feisty and conveys teenage angst so brilliantly … the theatre is left stunned to silence with her powerful aggression towards her father. Bristow’s use of timing in this scene is impeccable as it packs a real punch” - Amy Stutz

★★★★ “Bristow has an emphatic energy on stage that grabs all the attention.” - Behind the Arras

★★★★★ “faultless moving storytelling and a message for all of us” - Pocket Size Theatre

JANE EYRE

as Adele/Helen/Diana, dir. Sally Cookson, National Theatre and UK Tour

★★★★★ "driving emotional energy, courage and depth... we receive it in full in this tremendous and unforgettable stage version by director Sally Cookson and her company" - The Scotsman

★★★★★ “A special mention should also go out to Hannah Bristow, who, as Helen Burns, Adele and various other characters, takes on multiple central roles and makes them completely distinct. Her performances – all four of them – are stand-out.” - The National Student

★★★★★ “Hannah Bristow is the stand out performer for me. Her portrayal of no less than five roles is remarkable. A lady of pure talent.” - Theatre FullStop

“Such wonderfully detailed physical and vocal work from @hannahcbristow in @janeeyreonstage - really great stuff” - @LocalGirl, TWITTER

★★★★★ "the ensemble of 10... act their socks off as they race from one character to another" - Manchester Theatre Awards

KINDERTRANSPORT

as Faith, dir. Anne Simon, Queens Theatre Hornchurch, Theatre de le Ville, Luxembourg and Seladoor UK Tour

★★★★★ "The universal strength of the acting makes the show particularly engaging... a deeply poignant and an emotionally intelligent production" - LondonTheatre1

★★★★★ "The acting from all six performers is outstanding." - LondonTheatre1

★★★★★ "Bristow is a splendidly simmering firebrand." - DELANO, Luxembourg

★★★★★ "The cast is a five star one, composed of five women and one versatile man."- ActDrop

RUDOLF

as a devisor and playing Rudolf, dir. Anna Girvan with Pins and Needles Productions and the Midlands Arts Centre

“Rudolf, played by the endearing Hannah Bristow, has landed at the safari park and just can’t figure out how she fits in.” - WhatsOnBrum

“Hannah Bristow really made you fall in love with her character Rudolf - TheWillowTree

“Hannah Bristow is hugely entertaining as Rudolf” - MaMaGeek.co.uk

“Bristow brings a tear to my eye with her portrayal of loneliness” - ReviewsGate

WHO CARES

as Nicole, dir. Matthew Woodhead, LUNG Theatre and The Lowry, Salford

"All three actors do a terrific job and they graciously step aside at the end to allow the real stars of the show to take a bow – the young people on whose lives this play is based... These are authentic stories that not only deserve to be heard, they need people to listen." - Manchester Theatre Awards

THE TROJAN WOMEN

as Hecuba, dir. Sally Cookson, Bristol Old Vic

"Encouragingly, the emerging theatrical talent regularly ran rings around established names: Sally Cookson’s The Trojan Women adapted for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School showcased Hannah Bristow’s shattering and dignified Hecuba – certainly the strongest and most memorable performance of any show in Bristol this year." - Rosemary Waugh, Exeunt 2016

"Hannah Bristow’s shattering and dignified Hecuba – certainly the strongest and most memorable performance of any show in Bristol this year." - Exeunt

"Hannah Bristow carries the weight of Troy in her broken heart and shattered body... She is both queen and Everywoman." - The Fine Times Recorder

"Hannah Bristow is a still and powerful figure as Hecuba, a fighter who will do whatever it takes to survive" - Reviews Hub

"Hannah Bristow gives a commanding, heart-wrenching performance as Hecuba, most especially in her final great soliloquy" - Stage Talk

PLAYHOUSE CREATURES

as Mrs Betterton, dir. Jenny Stephens, Tobacco Factory Theatres

"Hannah Bristow’s Mrs Betterton was what we spoke about the most after we left. She was magical. She was everything she needed to be, from hamming up Shakespeare like a bad panto, to quietly mourning her own youth and career, she was completely wonderful and affecting. Her fall throughout the second half was tragic, culminating in a really beautiful interpretation of Macbeth that reflects her own descent. She brought a dignity and loftiness to Mrs Betterton that was equal parts humorous and heart breaking, and was able to project the characters age and ageing subtly and poignantly, which was a big ask from someone so young." - Western-Super-Mum

SWALLOW

as Sam, dir. Chloe Masterton, Alma Theatre, Bristol

"An intense 70 minutes in the tiny Alma space, the main reason for seeing this piece is for the committed and highly accomplished performances from its three performers... Bristow... imbues Sam with a masculine swagger and cheeky charm that masks the fear and uncertainty underneath." - ReviewsHub