Those who followed our Hungarian adventure tire series (the first post of which is available at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/07/26/hungary-2022-part-one/) will know that our last adventure to Bristol definitely did not go to plan! As a mid-point change-over on route to Bristol airport, we stopped at Bristol bus station only to discover that my suitcase that was stored in the hold area was no longer there. This meant I had to make the journey to Hungary with a backpack containing only my passport, an IPad, two pairs of flip-flops and a hat. Luckily the suitcase was returned to my Cardiff home but while in Hungary this caused me a lot of stress! This time I was adamant this would not happen again so I not only spent the entire journey clutching onto any bag I took with me but also booked with a different travel provider. I personally believe that the classic saying “you get what you pay for” was originally invented purely for the mega bus services. Those who have used this transportation company before will know that it isn’t the most glamorous way of getting from A to B but usually is a fraction of the price when compared to the likes of trains etc. As a frequent Megabus-er, I know that the company have stripped back on the luxuries so that they can offer affordable travel and so have adapted a habit of falling asleep on the bus so that time seems to move quicker. When booking you pay your small fee (which has increased slightly from previous years) and you usually know what to expect ….. but not this time! I boarded the bus and marched to the back of the coach, which is my preferred seat, only to notice a makeshift kitchen located at the back of the vehicle. There was a sink, countertop (with an array of plugs) and shelves almost as if in this bus’ past life it was used for touring bands. Also, every seat on the bus was a part of a four-person table that had cup holders! I do have to say however that this trip did not go without its hurdles with a serious crash on the M4 causing forty-minute delays but when the bus was so fancy, it didn’t seem like that much of an issue for myself!
Due to the short delay in arriving at Bristol me and my friend then had to take a short like race across Bristol in order to make it to Revolution in order to make it to our bottomless brunch experiences. Me, my mother and sister all went for bottomless brunch a few much ago in Turtle Bay which was absolutely terrific so I was excited to see how Revolution would compete with the Caribbean restaurant. The first thing to notice about this bottomless brunch experience is that it is around thirty pounds per person and so is not something you could viably do every week. However, this price does include a selection of a meal from their set menu, endless Prosecco and as many cocktails as you can handle. When you consider that the average drink at revs is around eight pounds you only need to drink four to get the money back. I decided that for my drinks in this experience I would go with a “blank slate” which is a standard drink of vodka, lemon and soda and you add one of these fabulous flavour shots. As a massive fan of a bubble flavoured anything (check my recent review of blue and pink bubble gum earrings available at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/09/24/kats-jewellery-product-review/ to hear about my love of bubble gum) I knew this had to be my first drink followed by pornstar martini flavouring and finally birthday cake. The last of those flavours was by far my favourite but I appreciate this would not be the same for everyone as it was extremely sweet! The eagle-eyes readers will notice that this is only three drinks (plus half a bottle of Prosecco) and I said that four drinks would get the value of your money back but this bit of quick maths is totally ignoring the addition of food, which I opted for fried chicken and bacon waffles (with an egg) which I have to admit was not my favourite brunch meal I have had bit, my friends, pizza did look absolutely gorgeous so next time I think I would go for that!
To end the day we decided to take a quick walk over to the Bristol Hippodrome to check out six the musicals. It has shocked many people that as a reviewer I have never visited this venue before as it is a staple of UK-based musical theatre. On top of this, this was the first time I have ever experienced the musical six as I initially thought that it was not the type of show I usually enjoy (as I have heard rumours about the concert style structure) but I could not have been more wrong! The show itself is an almost pageant presentation of which of Henry the eight wives had the worst experience which each character getting the opportunity to share what happened to them through song! I thought that the song “don’t lose your head” sung by the incredible Jennifer Caldwell was so ridiculously catchy (especially the sorry not sorry bit) that I found myself singing it days after being in the audience! This character was debatably the most modern character in the show pulling out a phone at one point which tells the audience that this is not so much of a history lesson but instead a retelling of the stories of the people involved! We went from this catchy and ornate song to “Heart of Stone” (performed by the wonderful Casey Al-Shaqsy) which is a wonderfully powerful and emotional song about how she was the only one of the line-up to actually love the monarch but died of natural causes. This number was flawlessly performed by Casey so much so that I wanted to stand to applaud after the number but the show moved so quick that this was not appropriate within the theatre. In one of the strangest transitions I have seen in a long time, we went from a love ballad to techno, club-infused number called “Hause of Holbein” with every performer (including the band themselves) donning neon sunglasses and ruffles which was an incredible surprise to everyone watching! It is also worth noting that in this production the band stay on stage the entire time (due to the absence of an intermission) which forces the audience to focus on and appreciate the musicians which is never a bad thing!
Overall, my first official journey into the heart of Bristol was incredible fun with a bottomless brunch that was worth way more than what I paid for it and a musical that dispelled some of my perceived ideas. Now, Six is not your typical musical as it contains a unique concert-style structure with pop-infused numbers but this all makes sense within the narrative of the show and is actually explained to the audience right at the beginning. The vocals of everyone involved was a clear highlight throughout and despite all the theatrics etc this remained the focus until the closing moments of the show. It is a short , fun-filled show that at its heart is about female empowerment and coming together! Overall , my experience in Bristol was so much more enjoyable than the stressful moments I experienced last time and I would rate my trip to Bristol 4.5 stars out of 5!
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