Theatek

Slightly off the beaten track of, well, Bristol, Theatek is a little company that provide equipment for theatres, music shows and general audience focused performances. Their absolute key is their ridiculously low prices — they’re extremely cheap, and as such provide equipment for high quality venues like the Hippodrome. My own trip here involved hiring a few microphones for a night I was putting on, which elsewhere in Bristol could have cost me anywhere from £45. Theatek, though, massively beat that, giving a price of just over £18. I was totally, totally, sold.
It’s only a few pounds to hire a microphone and necessary peripheries, whereas in most places you’ll be talking £15 each for the same set up. They have a really wide selection of high tech (and low tech, simple stuff!) audio and lighting products, so whatever the event they’ll have the equipment needed — hence their employment for big shows at the hippodrome.
My only grudge, though, was their absence when I went to pick up the equipment; having made the trip over there, there was no-​one present and the shop was closed — which was annoying (especially without warning), but I don’t think the abominable weather added much positivity to the situation. So I’m not going to let that ruin my opinion of them — they’re an excellent, small company doing a massive service to all involved in the performing arts, at such highly competitive rates they blow all the other competition entirely out of the water.