WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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WHAT’S ON GUIDE
SPRING 2020
Oxford Playhouse January 2020 to April 2020
DIARY
Date Day Production Time(s) Venue Access Page
Welcome April (cont)
28 Tue The Cherry Orchard 7.30pm OP 43
As Jane Austen would have said, it is a truth universally acknowledged that the 29 Wed The Cherry Orchard 7.30pm OP 43
Oxford Playhouse has squeezed the pips out of its 80th anniversary year. We celebrated 30 Thu The Cherry Orchard 7.30pm OP 43
with an unforgettable star-studded 80th anniversary gala, no less than seven national
touring co-productions over 18-months, and the revival of the Playhouse Plays Out May
Tent, which pops up in unusual places to deliver free family fun right on your doorstep.
1 Fri The Cherry Orchard 8pm OP 43
Oxford Playhouse productions were seen last year (2018-19) by a staggering 244,602 2 Sat The Cherry Orchard 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 43
people, both in Oxford and on tour – up from 165,000 the year before. Our brilliant 5 Tue I Think We Are Alone 7.30pm OP 44
6 Wed I Think We Are Alone 7.30pm OP 44
Participation Department worked with almost double the number of children in Oxford
7 Thu I Think We Are Alone 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 44
City schools than the year before too. The scale and range of the work done
8 Fri I Think We Are Alone 8pm OP 44
by that department is simply breathtaking, which is a testament to the visionary
9 Sat I Think We Are Alone 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 44
leadership and formidable organisational skills of Mezze Eade, our Participation 17 Sun Adam Buxton Rambles… 7.30pm OP 7
Director. Mezze has decided to move on but will be handing over an Education and
Outreach programme which reaches just about every possible part of Oxfordshire! June
Thanks to her for everything she’s achieved over the last five years.
9 Tue The Kite Runner 7.30pm OP 45
This season sees so many old friends back with us, from Pam Ayres and Stewart Lee 10 Wed The Kite Runner 7.30pm OP 45
to theatrical innovators like Gecko and Frantic Assembly. When asked what an Oxford 11 Thu The Kite Runner 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 45
12 Fri The Kite Runner 8pm OP 45
Playhouse Production looks like, I usually mutter something about reinventing classics,
13 Sat The Kite Runner 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 45
and there is simply no better example of that than our co-production of Pride and
16 Tue A Bunch of Amateurs 7.30pm OP 46
Prejudice* (*sort of), which lands in Oxford in March after a trail-blazing tour telling the
17 Wed A Bunch of Amateurs 7.30pm OP 46
story of the Bennet girls from the point of view of the household servants. Funny, daring
18 Thu A Bunch of Amateurs 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 46
and challenging in equal measures, it’s the perfect Playhouse show. Another highlight 19 Fri A Bunch of Amateurs 8pm OP 46
will be our world premiere co-production of Alone in Berlin, a beloved modern classic 20 Sat A Bunch of Amateurs 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 46
brought to the stage in a fresh, punchy script by Alistair Beaton, arguably the best
political satirist in the country. July
A final mention for the humongous range of shows we present for families too, with a 2 Thu Così Fan Tutte 7.30pm OP 47
special plug for Daniel Naddafy and OP’s The Flower in the BT Studio at Easter as part of
our annual Young Players Festival. Daniel is a recent alumni of our Artists on Attachment
scheme, Evolve, and his enchanting adaptation of John Light’s magical storybook is a
perfect Spring-time treat!
Did you know...?
• We have free Sennheiser hearing loops and infa-red systems for any audience members
who would benefit from amplified sound. They work for people with and without hearing
aids, ask at the Ticket Office.
Louise Chantal • If you are blind or partially sighted we offer regular Audio-Described performances and
Director/CEO accompanying Touch Tours.
• We hold regular Relaxed performances where the house lights remain on and the
atmosphere in the auditorium is more relaxed. Each performance has an accompanying
These shows have been created Theatre and events especially for visual story for the show which is available in advance. This year we are holding our first
here in the county, either by families. Come and play in the foyer ever Relaxed schools performance for Beauty and the Beast.
Oxford Playhouse or by local area before and after the show.
artists, amateur and professional.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 69
Don't forget...
Mon 11 to
THE LOVELY BONES Sat 16 Nov
The world-famous novel on stage
Mon, Tue, Wed,
Susie Salmon is just like any other young girl. She wants to be Thu & Sat 7.30pm
beautiful, adores her charm bracelet and has a crush on a boy. Fri 8pm
There’s one big difference though – Susie is dead.
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel The Lovely Bones is a
unique coming of-age tale that captured the hearts of Tickets
readers throughout the world. £10 to £30
No discounts Fri & Sat eves
This acclaimed adaptation is an unforgettable play about except Access
life after loss. With a cast of thirteen versatile and talented
actors, visually stunning staging and a spellbinding FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
soundtrack, this wonderfully creative production is an 50%OFF
exciting, emotional and uplifting theatrical tour de force. MON &
SAT MAT
★★★★ ★★★★ Age guideline 14+
“Spellbinding adaptation.” “A mesmerising, moving
The Daily Mail and truthful tale.”
The Telegraph
★★★★ ★★★★ Access performances
“A mesmerising spectacle.” “Brimming with life.”
The Guardian The Times
See pages 60-61
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 1
AN OXFORD PLAYHOUSE PANTOMIME
Friday 29 November 2019 to Sunday 12 January 2020
Written and directed by Steve Marmion
Beautiful beasts and where to find them...
Meet Beauty – smart as a whip, bold as brass, with a heart
of pure gold. She’s the opposite of the Beast – gruff, rough
and in need of a shave. But when Beauty finds herself
trapped in a magical castle with the Beast, the two of
them have to learn to get along.
Will they meet a beastly end? Or have a beautiful ‘happily
ever after’? One thing’s for sure, our mismatched pair will
need a hand from you to make their dreams come true.
Full of super singing, dazzling dancing and lashings of
slapstick silliness, this year’s panto is brought to you by the
team behind Dick Whittington and His Cat and Jack and the
Beanstalk. So get ready to boo and cheer – another smashing
panto is here!
For everyone
aged 5 to 105!
★★★★★
© Illustration: www.korkypaul.com
“An absolute triumph.”
Oxford Mail on Dick Whittington and His Cat 2018
Tickets
★★★★★ from
“A joyous upbeat contemporary £15
panto for our time.”
Stage Talk on Dick Whittington and His Cat 2018
See www.oxfordplayhouse.com for times and prices
A Story Pocket Theatre and Oxford Playhouse Co-production
THE JOLLY CHRISTMAS
POSTMAN Based on the book by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.
Thu 12 Dec 2019 to Sun 5 Jan 2020 LIMITED
AVAILABILITY –
Join the Jolly Christmas Postman Tickets £8 to £11 BOOK NOW
on his final delivery of the year as he Times vary, please visit our website
visits well-loved characters such as Age guideline 3 to 8
Miss Riding Hood, Humpty Dumpty
All dates/times are
and many others, with a gift for all R relaxed performances
this Christmas time.
Story Pocket Theatre brings
this timeless Christmas tale and
colourful characters to life in a brand “The Burton Taylor Studio
new show full of music, puppetry has never let me down when
and magical storytelling, adapted it comes to kids’ shows.”
from the best-selling book by The Guardian
Janet and Allan Ahlberg.
© Illustration by Janet Ahlberg By arrangement with Penguin Books Ltd, a Penguin Random House Company
– P L AY H O U S E P L AY S O U T – Fri 15 to
Sun 17 Nov
Pif-Paf and Oxford Playhouse present
Secret Oxford City
Centre Location
CELESTIAL Details to be
SOUND CLOUD announced!
Part of Oxford's Christmas Light Festival, don't
Free
miss Celestial Sound Cloud, an interactive digital
sound and light sculpture inspired by clouds of dust Come after dark for
and gases in which stars are formed. the best effect!
Its beautiful mirrored and infinite looping form is
tantalisingly suspended, enabling you to interact
with the sculpture by singing, moving and dancing
underneath to create your own visual experience OPINION
and soundscape. "This beautiful installation
will ignite and intrigue your
senses this Christmas.
Don’t miss!"
Laura Elliot
Programme Director
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 5
COMEDY
PAM AYRES Sun 10 Nov 5pm
Up In The Attic
Pam Ayres has been making the nation Tickets £26
laugh for over 40 years. Returning Access discounts only
to the Oxford Playhouse by popular “Pam Ayres is
demand, she’ll perform poems from absolutely essential
her new book Up In The Attic, along to British humour,
with classic poems and stories from reminding us all
Photo: Trevor Leighton
to be tickled by
her long career. the small joys and
ridiculousness of
everyday life.”
SOLD OUT The Mail on Sunday
OXFORDSHIRE MIND Sat 18 Jan 2.30pm & 7.30pm
COMEDY GALA
Oxfordshire Mind and Jericho Comedy Tickets £22
are taking over Oxford Playhouse for two Access discounts only
performances of comic brilliance. Previous
line-up includes Nish Kumar, Ed Gamble, Age guideline 16+
Rachel Parris, James Acaster & Ivo Graham.
Raising money for the vital support
UK's Top 6
Oxfordshire Mind offers those with Comedy Nights
mental health problems, don’t miss this
Chortle Comedy
hilarious line-up of comedy! Awards 2019
ARDAL O'HANLON Sun 16 Feb 8pm
The showing off must go on
Where Ardal O’Hanlon (Death in Tickets £24
Paradise, Father Ted, My Hero) comes Access discounts only
from there is nothing worse than
showing off. So why does he continue
Age guideline 16+
to do it? Because in this age of the
collapsing middle-ground, Ardal
is forced to saddle his horse and
ride fearlessly into the culture wars,
with comedy as ever being the best
emergency response to extreme events
that there is.
6 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
COMEDY TOMMY TIERNAN ADAM BUXTON tomfoolery RAMBLES… Thu 5 Mar 8pm Sun 17 May 7.30pm A brand new show which sees the now Comedian Adam Buxton reads from his 50-year-old comedian and Derry Girls star new book which incorporates rambles back on stage with an exhilarating mix of highly on topics including formative cultural personal and flamboyant storytelling. Age influences of the 80s, confrontations has not dulled him, in fact he seems more full on trains, boarding school trauma and of fire and mischief now than he ever was. He David Bowie. He may even answer some wonders aloud about God, sex and family in a very BIG questions. To be honest, that’s way that seems equally sacred and profane. unlikely but it should be fun anyway. Tickets £23 Tickets £20 Access discounts only Access discounts only Age guideline 16+ Age guideline 16+ “Tiernan can drop in turns of phrase so exquisite that you could call them a sound installation and enter them for the Turner prize.” The Times www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 7
8 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Mon 20 to
Sat 25 Jan
Oxford Operatic Society presents
CRAZY FOR Evenings
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu,
YOU Fri & Sat 7.30pm
Matinee
Sat 2.30pm
The new Gershwin musical comedy
In a world of showgirls and cowboys, George Gershwin’s Tickets
musical comedy is the classic tale of a city boy and a £10 to £24
country girl who fall in love and try to save a theatre... the Discounts available
old-fashioned way!
FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
Stage-struck banker Bobby Child desperately longs for 50% OFF
a career in show business. Whilst working out-of-town, MON &
SAT MAT
Bobby falls for postmistress Polly Baker, whose father owns
the crumbling Gaiety Theatre. Bobby decides to save the
theatre and win Polly’s heart, but will his plan be a success? Age guideline 12+
Award-winning local company OXOPS return with this
feel-good show, featuring the hits Someone To Watch Over
Me, Slap That Bass and I’ve Got Rhythm. Music and Lyrics by
George and Ira Gershwin
★★★★ Book by
“Brings a slice of Broadway magic to the Ken Ludwig
Playhouse stage.”
Daily Info on Sister Act 2019
★★★★
“Terrific, with some magnificent
performances.”
The Oxford Times on Fiddler on the Roof 2018
The worldwide copyrights in the music of George and Ira Gershwin for this presentation
are licensed by the Gershwin Family.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 910 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Wed 29 Jan to
Sat 1 Feb
University of Oxford Student Company
Theatre Goya presents
Evenings
MERRILY WE Wed, Thu & Sat 7.30pm
Fri 8pm
ROLL ALONG Matinees
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
by Stephen Sondheim Tickets
A bittersweet story about youth, friendship and hope. £10 to £20
Told backwards. Discounts available
Student and under 18 tickets
Set in the glittering world of American showbiz,
£11.50 until the Sun
Merrily We Roll Along follows the journey of three before the show
extraordinary friends as they grow up, and grow apart.
Beginning in 1976, their friendship lies in tatters. Frank is a
FULL CIRCLE
musical genius who has sold out. Charley is an idealist still AND ENJOY
clinging to his dreams. Mary is a brilliant novelist who has 50% OFF
WED &
given up writing entirely. The show traces their friendship SAT MAT
through the decades back to 1957, when they were young
and believed they could change the world.
Age guideline 8+
With its extraordinary score, powerful story and sharply
comic script, University of Oxford students present
Stephen Sondheim’s rarely-performed musical
masterpiece, which includes the hit songs Not a Day Music & Lyrics by
Goes By, Old Friends, Our Time and Good Thing Going. Stephen Sondheim
Book by
George Furth
This amateur production is presented in association with Musical Theatre International.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 1112 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Tue 4 to
Sat 8 Feb
Willy Russell's
EDUCATING Evenings
Tue, Wed, Thu
RITA
& Sat 7.30pm
Fri 8pm
Starring Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson Matinees
Wed, Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Winner of the Olivier Award for best comedy
When married hairdresser Rita enrols on a university course
Tickets
to expand her horizons, little does she realise where the £10 to £42.50
journey will take her. Discounts available
Her tutor Frank is a frustrated poet, brilliant academic and FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
dedicated drunk, who’s less than enthusiastic about taking
25% OFF
Rita on, but the two soon realise how much they have to TUE
teach each other. & SAT MAT
This hilarious and heart-warming comedy won the Olivier Age guideline 12+
Award when it was produced in London’s West End by the
RSC and was adapted into the multi award-winning film Post show talk Wed
which starred Julie Walters and Michael Caine.
Spotlight Thu
Written by Willy Russell, one of our greatest playwrights, More info on page 56
Educating Rita stars Stephen Tompkinson, one of our best-
loved actors and introduces Jessica Johnson as Rita.
“One of the best British comedies ever.” OPINION
The Times "Delighted to welcome
this critically acclaimed,
hilarious production,
starring British treasure
Stephen Tompkinson."
Louise Chantal
Director/CEO
Access performances
See pages 60-61
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 1314 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Wed 12 to
Sat 15 Feb
University of Oxford Student Company
Stupid and Brave Productions present
Evenings
SHADOWS Wed, Thu & Sat 7.30pm
Fri 8pm
OF TROY Matinees
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Shadows of Troy is a bold new adaptation of two giants Tickets
of ancient theatre - Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis, and £10 to £20
Sophocles’ Ajax. A new translation presents these plays in
Discounts available
tandem, creating a truly epic narrative of the most famous
war in Western history. Student and under 18 tickets
£11.50 until the Sun
Under pressure to begin their campaign in Troy, the Greeks before the show
wait to set sail. Military tension erupts into familial agony
when a seer declares that Agamemnon’s daughter Iphigenia FULL CIRCLE
must be sacrificed before the army can depart. A battle AND ENJOY
of military honour and filial devotion follows, leaving 50% OFF
WED &
Agamemnon and his wife Clytemnestra ravaged by doubt SAT MAT
and guilt.
In the second act, Sophocles’ Ajax is radically adapted, Age guideline 14+
with Agamemnon taking the place of the title role. As he
descends into madness, the ensuing plot explores the
extremes of human anguish, anger, and compassion.
Adapted from Iphigenia
University of Oxford students present these two seminal
at Aulis by Euripides and
works in one bold adaptation, full of power, politics and
Ajax by Sophocles in a
passion which resonate as strongly today as ever.
new English translation
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 15CELEBRATE
a birthday with a trip
to Oxford Playhouse!
Beauty and the Beast
29 Nov to 12 Jan
The Slightly
Annoying Elephant
Wed 19 to Sun 23 Feb
Room on the Broom
Sat 4 & Sun 5 Apr
Tiddler & Other
Terrific Tales
Mon 13 to Wed 15 Apr
The Flower
Wed 8 to Sun 19 Apr
Parties include tickets to the show,
a private room and delicious party food.
Email chris.robins@oxfordplayhouse.com
for more information
Minimum 8 Children. Prices from £18 per person
01865 305305
www.oxfordplayhouse.comConfucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University presents Tue 18 Feb
CHINESE NEW YEAR 7pm
Tickets
FESTIVAL SHOW £10 to £20
Come and join the Chinese New Year celebrations as the Discounts available
Kaifeng City Acrobats Troupe returns with thrilling new acts
to Oxford Playhouse.
Join us for this unique, colourful and action-packed show,
wonderfully entertaining and suitable for all ages. OPINION
"Delighted to welcome
Celebrating the biggest festival in the Chinese calendar,
Oxford Brookes back to
Chinese New Year Festival Show is a spectacle showcasing
celebrate Chinese New
the best of Chinese performing arts and a colourful party of
Year in style with thrilling
Chinese cultural tradition.
acrobatics and colourful
spectacle."
“The annual Chinese New Year Festival was
Laura Elliot
pure entertainment and a triumph all round... Programme Director
I await next year with baited breath.”
Daily Info 2019
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 1718 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Wed 19 to
Sun 23 Feb
A Little Angel Theatre production
David Walliams’
Times
THE SLIGHTLY Wed 2pm & 4pm
Thu, Fri, Sat & Sun
ANNOYING 11am & 2pm
ELEPHANT
Tickets
£10 to £14
Access discount only
What’s big, blue, bossy, and turns up uninvited?
Age guideline 3+
A slightly annoying elephant, of course! One day Sam gets
a very big surprise as a tired, hungry, antique-loving, cycling
enthusiast elephant turns up on his doorstep. Adopting
an elephant at the zoo turned out to be a lot more than
he bargained for as he didn’t realise the elephant would
actually come to live with him – silly boy!
This hilarious story by comedian and author David Walliams
and illustrated by Tony Ross, is brought to life through
puppetry.
“It definitely hit the mark
for a 7-year-old.”
London with a Toddler
“A magical and funny
children’s show.”
West End Wilma
This play is based on the original book The Slightly Annoying Elephant written by
David Walliams and illustrated by Tony Ross. Illustrations © Tony Ross 2013.
Licensed by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 1920 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Mon 24 to
Sat 29 Feb
David Johnson & John Mackay in association with
Debi Allen/Curtis Brown present
Evenings
STEWART LEE Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu,
Fri & Sat 7.30pm
Tickets
Snowflake/Tornado
£26
Legendary comedian and Oxford Playhouse patron
Discounts available
Stewart Lee returns with a double-bill of two new sets,
Snowflake and Tornado, performed back-to-back.
FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
Tornado questions Stew’s position in the comedy
marketplace after Netflix mistakenly lists his show as
25% OFF
MON
“Reports of sharks falling from the skies are on the rise again.
Nobody on the Eastern Seaboard is safe.”
Age guideline 14+
Snowflake questions Stew’s worth in a society demolishing
the liberal values he has been keen to espouse in a fairy-tale
landscape of winter wonder.
★★★★★
“There’s no-one else to touch him.”
Mail on Sunday
★★★★★
“Lee remains one of the best stand-ups
in the country.”
Metro
★★★★★
“The world’s best living stand-up
comedian.”
The Times
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 2122 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Tue 3 &
Wed 4 Mar
A Gecko and Mind the Gap co-production, commissioned
by HOME, Manchester and The Place, London.
Evenings
A LITTLE Tue & Wed 7.30pm
SPACE
Tickets
£10 to £25
Discounts available
What does it mean to you to have a little space?
FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
A little space where we can escape the world and be
ourselves. Where we can say whatever we want, do
25% OFF
TUE
whatever we feel and where no-one will ever bother us.
But it can be an unpredictable space too, where voices are Age Guideline 12+
funnelled away, fears leak through the floorboards, songs
Post show talk Tue
light up the room and you never know who’s listening
behind the door. A place where whispers come to life and
one kind gesture could change everything.
A Little Space combines Gecko’s (The Wedding, Missing)
unique blend of theatre, choreography and stunning OPINION
imagery with incredible performers from Mind the Gap, one "Delighted to welcome
of Europe’s leading learning disability theatre companies. Mind the Gap to the
Playhouse for the first
time in collaboration with
★★★★★ award-winning Gecko,
in a show that promises
“It's glorious, honest and funny,
to be a visual,
performed with heart and presented choreographic feast."
with distinct style.” Laura Elliot
Official London Theatre on Gecko's The Wedding Programme Director
“Mind the Gap always produce excellent
and absorbing theatre.”
Reviews Hub
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 23IT’S YOUR PLAYHOUSE
BECOME A MEMBER
With generous ticket discounts, priority booking and exclusive access
to our beautiful Members' Room, membership allows you to enjoy
more of the theatre you love, for less.
Membership starts from £50 a year
Find out more at www.oxfordplayhouse.com/become-a-member
CAT
D HIS
AN
ON
GT
IN
TT
HI
W K
DIC
BE OUR FRIEND
Oxford Playhouse is for everyone. By becoming a Friend, you can help us show world-
class theatre, keep tickets affordable, nurture the next generation of theatre-makers and
provide arts activities for thousands of children across Oxfordshire.
Friendship donations start from £500 a year
Photo: Geraint Lewis
Find out more at www.oxfordplayhouse.com/support-us
For more information
contact Emily Lister, Membership Relations Coordinator,
on 01865 305353 or email membership@oxfordplayhouse.com
24 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comMarlena Devoe as Mimi. Photo David Rowland
Oxford Opera Fri 6 to
Sun 8 Mar
LA BOHÈME Fri & Sat 7pm
Following the sell-out success of Carmen last spring,
Oxford Opera return to Oxford Playhouse with Puccini’s
Sun 6pm
La Bohème. Tickets
A stellar cast of professional principals lead a company £10 to £35
featuring a chorus starring local children and students to Discounts available
present what is often described as “the world’s favourite opera.”
Age guideline 8+
Puccini's moving love story is directed by Paul Carr, with the
Oxford Chamber Orchestra, and starring Sam Furness as Mini Opera
Rodolfo and Marlena Devoe as Mimi. for Families
Sat 2pm
A one hour, reduced
“Stunning Carmen. Exciting to have this length performance of
company in Oxford. A real triumph!” La Bohème, suitable for
The Oxford Times on Carmen 2019 children aged 4+.
Mini Opera tickets
“They make opera accessible, providing unique
8 and under £5
opportunities for local children. They have my Under 18 £10
full support.” Adults £20
Layla Moran MP Sung in Italian with
English surtitles
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 25Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic. 26 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Tue 10 to
Sat 14 Mar
Oxford Playhouse and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
present Tron Theatre Company and Blood of the Young’s
Evenings
PRIDE AND Tue, Wed, Thu
& Sat 7.30pm
PREJUDICE*
Fri 8pm
Matinees
(*sort of) Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Love’s irrelevant – we’re talking about marriage. Tickets
£10 to £30
This is an adaptation like no other. Drawing on over 200 years
Discounts available
of romantic pop history this is Blood of the Young’s unique
take on a beloved novel - the hugely acclaimed Pride and FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
Prejudice* (*sort of).
25% OFF
Six young women have a story to tell. You might have seen TUE &
SAT MAT
them, emptying the chamber pots and sweeping ash from
the grate; the overlooked and the undervalued making sure Age guideline 12+
those above stairs find their happy ending.
Post show talk Wed
Men, money and microphones will be fought over in this
loving and irreverent all-female adaptation of Jane Austen’s Spotlight Thu
unrivalled literary classic. Let the ruthless matchmaking begin! More info on page 56
★★★★★
“As richly layered as a wedding cake.” Written by
Isobel McArthur
The Telegraph after Jane Austen
★★★★★
“A total blast of hilarity from start to finish.” OPINION
"Our first co-production
What’s On Stage
of 2020 is the critically
★★★★★ acclaimed, hilarious,
feminist retelling of this
“A riotous, joyful and ground-breaking piece literary classic.
of work that embodies the spirit of Austen A joy for Austen and
non-Austen fans alike!"
and blasts her into the 21st century.”
Laura Elliot
Broadway World
Programme Director
★★★★★
“The funniest play you’ll see this year.” Access performances
Bristol Post
With co-producers Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Leeds Playhouse, See pages 60-61
Northern Stage and Nuffield Southampton Theatres
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 27Photo Credit Tristram Kenton 28 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Mon 16 to
Sat 21 Mar
Susan Hill’s
THE WOMAN Evenings
Mon, Tue, Wed,
IN BLACK
Thu & Sat 7.30pm
Fri 8pm
Matinees
Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Join the millions of theatre goers worldwide who have
experienced “The most brilliantly effective spine-chiller you Tickets
will ever encounter” (Daily Telegraph). £10 to £42.50
No discounts Fri & Sat eves
A lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been except Access
cast over him and his family by the spectre of a Woman in
Black engages a sceptical young actor to help him tell his FULL CIRCLE
terrifying story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It all AND ENJOY
begins innocently enough, but then, as they reach further 25% OFF
MON &
into his darkest memories, they find themselves caught up SAT MAT
in a world of eerie marshes and moaning winds.
Age guideline 12+
Susan Hill’s acclaimed ghost story comes dramatically
alive in Stephen Mallatratt’s ingenious stage adaptation.
This gripping production, directed by Robin Herford, is
a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion and
controlled horror.
“A real treat. Entertainment at its very best.”
The Daily Telegraph
“A masterpiece.”
The Guardian
“The audience were jumping
out of their seats.”
The Observer
“Guaranteed to chill the blood.”
Evening Standard
“Casts a powerful spell on the audience.”
The Oxford Times Access performances
See pages 60-61
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 2930 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Tue 24 to
Sat 28 Mar
Produced by Royal & Derngate and York Theatre Royal
in association with Oxford Playhouse
Evenings
ALONE IN Tue, Wed, Thu
& Sat 7.30pm
BERLIN
Fri 8pm
Matinees
By Hans Fallada Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Translated and adapted by Alistair Beaton Tickets
Directed by James Dacre
£10 to £30
Based on Hans Fallada's bestselling novel about true Discounts available
events in wartime Germany, Alone in Berlin is an enthralling
portrait of a society gripped by the fear of a night-time FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
knock on the door. 50%OFF
TUE OR
This timely story follows Otto and Anna as they negotiate SAT MAT
the insidious effects of absolute power on every aspect of
daily life. When they decide to make a stand in their own Age guideline 12+
unique way they find themselves players in a deadly game
Post show talk Wed
of cat and mouse with the Gestapo – a game that will
eventually lead them down through ever-narrowing circles Spotlight Thu
of totalitarian hell. More info on page 56
A co-production with Oxford Playhouse, this will be the first
time Fallada's masterpiece has been seen on a British stage.
“The greatest book ever written about OPINION
German resistance to the Nazis.” "What a treat! A brilliant
wartime thriller, adapted
Primo Levi by one of Britain's sharpest
theatre and TV writers (he
“Fallada has created an immortal symbol of wrote Spitting Image!),
those who fight back…and so redeem us all.” and directed by Oxford
favourite James Dacre
The New York Times (The Tale of Two Cities,
The Herbal Bed). This is a
“Alistair Beaton's sharp new translation.” must-see production."
The Guardian on The Arsonists, Louise Chantal
translated by Alistair Beaton Director/CEO
Access performances
See pages 60-61
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 3132 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Tue 31Mar to
Thu 2 Apr
An Oxford Playhouse 17|25 Young Company production
DOCTOR Evenings
7.30pm
FAUSTUS Tickets
£10 to £15
Faustus. A brilliant scholar and man of learning. So clever Discounts available
he can conjure up the devil. Absolute knowledge, infinite
power, sorcery and magic are all within his reach. But in FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
return, he must give up his soul. 50%OFF
TUE
Following their performances of Nell Gwynn and Jane Eyre,
Oxford Playhouse 17|25 Young Company present a A limited number of
£5 tickets are available
zestful and energetic ensemble production of Marlowe’s for OPTin! members.
remarkable drama. See-sawing between comedy and
chilling darkness, this epic struggle between good and evil Age guideline 14+
is a play for our own time and the uncertain world in which
we live. Post show talk Tue
★★★★★
“The acting was polished, the set
imaginative and the ensemble pieces
beautifully choreographed.”
The Oxford Times on Jane Eyre
“A rambunctious, energetic cast... Written by
it was thrilling to watch the ensemble.” Christopher Marlowe
Daily Info on Nell Gwynn Directed by
Jo Noble
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 33FREE
Café
Bar
OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
CAFÉ BAR
Now Open
weekdays from 9am
BREAKFAST
PASTRIES
HOME-MADE
SANDWICHES
& SOUPS
FRESHLY
BAKED CAKES
LOCALLY
BLENDED TEAS
AND ARTISAN
COFFEE
Don’t forget to pick up your OP Café Bar Loyalty Card!David Johnson & John Mackay present Fri 3 Apr
FASCINATING AÏDA 7.30pm
They’re back at last! Tickets
£25
Dillie Keane, Adèle Anderson and Liza Pulman are heading Access discounts only
out on tour with a selection of old favourites, songs you
haven’t heard before, and some you wish you’d never heard Age guideline 14+
in the first place. The songs are hilarious and topical - the
glamour is unstoppable.
With three Olivier Award nominations and over 25 million
YouTube and Facebook hits for Cheap Flights and their incredibly OPINION
rude Christmas song, how can you possibly miss them? "Simply the funniest, most
outrageous comedy vets
★★★★ ★★★★★
we know. FA (as they are
“Outrageous... seductive.” “Cabaret Heaven.” affectionately known) have
The Guardian Metro sold out more Edinburgh
festivals than they have
★★★★★ ★★★★ sewn sequins, which is a lot.
“I can’t recommend this “Hilarious.” I can't wait!"
show highly enough.” The Telegraph Louise Chantal
Mail on Sunday Director/CEO
★★★★★
“Engages the brain as well as the funny-bone.”
The Times
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 35Sat 4 & Tall Stories presents
Sun 5 Apr
Sat 2pm & 4pm
ROOM ON THE BROOM
Sun 11am & 2pm IGGETY ZIGGETY ZAGGETY ZOOM!
Tickets Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in
£10 to £14 Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom,
Access discount only the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and
Axel Scheffler.
Age guideline 3+ The witch and her cat are travelling on their broomstick
when they pick up some hitchhikers – a friendly dog, a
beautiful green bird and a frantic frog. But this broomstick’s
not meant for five and – CRACK – it snaps in two... just as
the hungry dragon appears!
Will there ever be room on the broom for everyone?
Find out in the magical Olivier Award nominated show
for everyone aged 3 and up.
★★★★★
“A truly theatrical feast.”
The List
Access performances
★★★★
R
“Perfect introduction to the theatre.”
See pages 60-61 Sunday Express
36 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comFreckle Productions presents Mon 13 to
Wed 15 Apr
TIDDLER & OTHER Mon 4.30pm
TERRIFIC TALES Tue & Wed 11am & 2pm
Four terrific tales – one superb show! Under the sea, out Tickets
on the farm and into the jungle, these terrific tales are £10 to £14
woven together with live music, puppetry and a whole Access discount only
host of colourful characters from Julia Donaldson and
Axel Scheffler’s best-loved titles: Tiddler, Monkey Puzzle, Age guideline 3+
The Smartest Giant in Town and A Squash and a Squeeze.
Funky moves, toe tapping tunes and giggles are guaranteed!
This delightful production is the perfect treat for all ages!
★★★★★
“Brings such joy to children and adults alike.
The show was so captivating that no one wanted
to miss a moment.”
The Spy in the Stalls
★★★★★
“An hour-long feast of storytelling that thrills
children and parents alike. A masterpiece.”
Broadway Baby
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 3738 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Wed 8 to
Sun 19 Apr
A Daniel Naddafy and Oxford Playhouse co-production
THE FLOWER At the BT Studio
Times
From the tiniest of seeds to the biggest of changes. 11am & 2pm
Brigg lives in a small room in a big city. A city with no flowers,
(no show Mon 13 Apr)
where everything is grey. But one day Brigg comes across a Tickets
picture of a flower and some tiny seeds in an old junk shop. £9 | children £7
Full of hope, Brigg plants the seeds and waters them, setting Age guideline 3 to 7
off a chain of events which changes the world Brigg lives in
forever.
Oxford Playhouse Artist on Attachment Daniel Naddafy
(Glisten) brings John Light’s magical children’s story to life
in this enchanting and heart-warming production for young
audiences.
“Naddafy's performance remains
entrancing.”
Children's Theatre Review on Glisten
OPINION
"This beautifully delicate
piece of story-telling
directed by former Evolve
artist Daniel Naddafy is a
magical and heart-warming
joy for families."
Laura Elliot
Programme Director
Reproduced by kind permission of Child's Play (International) Ltd
The Flower
Text © John Light 2006
Illustrations © Child’s Play (International) Ltd 2006
First published in 2006 by Child's Play (International) Ltd
All rights reserved.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 3940 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.com
Wed 8 to
Sat 11 Apr
Musical Youth Company of Oxford presents
CHESS Evenings
Wed, Thu, Fri
& Sat 7.30pm
Multi award-winning Musical Youth Company of Oxford
(MYCO) return to Oxford Playhouse with their stylish Matinee
reimagining of the hit musical Chess. Sat 2.30pm
Competitive gamesmanship, super power politics and Tickets
passionate liaisons combine in a gripping story set against £10 to £30
a background of the Cold War. An arrogant American and Discounts available
an earnest Russian meet at a high-stakes international
championship in a show full of shadowy intrigue and FULL CIRCLE
romantic rivalries. AND ENJOY
50%OFF
Considered by many to be one of the best musicals ever WED &
SAT MAT
written, Chess is a powerful rock opera featuring lyrics by
Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita) and music by Benny
Age guideline 8+
Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from ABBA. Its dazzling
score features well-known and much-loved hits including
I Know Him So Well, One Night in Bangkok and Anthem.
Chess is a must-see for ABBA fans and musical theatre Director Choreographer
lovers everywhere. Guy Brigg MBE
Musical Director
“Slick, polished and intoxicating.” Julie Todd
Oxfordshire Drama Review on Godspell 2018
“Richly entertaining and immensely
impressive.”
The Oxford Times on 42nd Street 2016
This amateur production is presented by arrangement
with Music Theatre International (Europe).
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 41Coming soon...
Tue 21 to The Everyman Theatre Company presents
Sat 25 Apr
Tue, Wed, Thu
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Written by Harold Pinter
& Sat 7.30pm
Directed by Paul Milton
Fri 8pm
Harold Pinter’s most popular and widely performed play
Thu & Sat 2.30pm comes to Oxford in this dramatic new re-imagining.
Tickets Set in a dilapidated seaside boarding house, the mysterious
from £10 Stanley Webber receives a visit from two sinister strangers,
Discounts available Goldberg and McCann. They arrive on Stanley’s birthday –
or is it? What do they want and why do they want to turn
Post show talk Wed Stanley’s quiet world upside down?
FULL CIRCLE The Everyman Theatre Company present Pinter’s darkly-
AND ENJOY
25% OFF comic masterpiece following a two year celebration of his
TUE & work in the West End.
SAT MAT
Age guideline 14+
“60 years on, The Birthday Party has lost none
of its capacity to intrigue.”
The Guardian
“Mr Pinter’s terrifying blend of pathos and
Access performances hatred fuses unforgettably into the stuff
of art.”
See pages 60-61 The Sunday Times
42 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comComing soon...
Oxford Theatre Guild presents Tue 28 Apr to
Sat 2 May
THE CHERRY ORCHARD Tue, Wed, Thu
All Russia is our orchard. The land is great and & Sat 7.30pm
beautiful, there are many marvellous places in it. Fri 8pm
When Madame Ranevsky returns to her family estate after Sat 2.30pm
an absence of five years, the cherry orchard is as glorious
as ever. But unpaid debts and family strife have brought her Tickets
ancestral home to the brink of ruin. The tide of change is from £10
coming, and a civilised and complacent culture is on the Discounts available
brink of collapse.
FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
The Cherry Orchard is the 60th play that Oxford Theatre
Guild has presented at Oxford Playhouse. This elegant
50%OFF
TUE &
production balances the wry humour and touching SAT MAT
melancholy of Chekhov’s bittersweet masterpiece which,
more than a century after it was written, is as popular and
Age guideline 12+
pertinent as ever.
“Very highly recommended indeed.” By Anton Chekhov
The Oxford Times on Blithe Spirit Translated by
“A terrific production performed Julius West
by an excellent cast.”
The Oxford Times on Love's Labour's Lost
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 43Coming soon...
Tue 5 to A Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth
Sat 9 May production, co-produced with Curve, Leicester
Tue, Wed, Thu
& Sat 7.30pm
I THINK WE ARE ALONE
Fri 8pm
By Sally Abbott, co-directed by Kathy Burke
and Scott Graham
Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Tickets Frantic Assembly have thrilled Oxford audiences with their
electric productions of The Unreturning and Things I Know
from £10
to be True. Celebrating their 25th Anniversary, they return
Discounts available
to the Playhouse with a brand new production, I Think We
Post show talk Wed Are Alone by Sally Abbott, co-directed by Kathy Burke
and Scott Graham.
Spotlight Thu
More info on page 56 I Think We Are Alone is a delicate and uplifting play
about our fragility, resilience and our need for love and
FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
forgiveness.
50%OFF
TUE &
SAT MAT
★★★★
“Genuinely haunting and fervently
Age guideline 14+
recommended.”
The Independent on Things I Know To Be True
★★★★
“Beautiful and devastating.”
The Stage on Things I Know To Be True
44 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comComing soon...
Originally produced by Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Tue 9 to
Company and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Sat 13 Jun
THE KITE RUNNER Tue, Wed, Thu
& Sat 7.30pm
There is a way to be good again. Fri 8pm
From London’s West End, The Kite Runner is an outstanding Thu & Sat 2.30pm
and unforgettable theatrical tour de force, back in Oxford by
popular demand. Tickets
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling from £10
novel, this haunting tale of friendship spans cultures and Post show talk Wed
continents and follows one man’s journey to confront his
past and find redemption. FULL CIRCLE
AND ENJOY
Afghanistan is a country on the verge of war and best friends 25% OFF
are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul, TUE &
SAT
the skies are full of colour and the streets are full of the
excitement of a kite flying tournament, but no one can foresee Age guideline 14+
the terrible incident that will shatter their lives forever.
★★★★★ ★★★★★
“The best page-to- “The Kite Runner
stage show since is a truly contemporary Access performances
War Horse... a spell- cultural phenomenon.”
binding production.” The Sunday Express See pages 60-61
The Stage
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 45Coming soon...
Tue 16 to Trademark Touring, Anthology Theatre, Karl Sydow and
Sat 20 Jun the Everyman Theatre Company present
Tue, Wed, Thu
& Sat 7.30pm
A BUNCH OF AMATEURS
Following the success of The Wipers Times, the Everyman
Fri 8pm Theatre Company is proud to present Ian Hislop and Nick
Thu & Sat 2.30pm Newman’s hilarious new comedy A Bunch of Amateurs.
Tickets Keen to boost his flagging career, fading Hollywood action
from £10 hero Jefferson Steele arrives in England to play King Lear
Discounts available in Stratford – only to find that this is not the birthplace of
Shakespeare, but a sleepy Suffolk village. And instead of
Post show talk Wed starring alongside Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench,
FULL CIRCLE
the cast are a bunch of amateurs trying to save their theatre
AND ENJOY from ruthless developers.
25% OFF
TUE & Jefferson’s monstrous ego, vanity and insecurity are tested
SAT
to the limit by the enthusiastic am-dram thespians. As acting
Age guideline 14+ worlds collide and Jefferson’s career implodes, he discovers
some truths about himself – along with his inner Lear!
“Funny, touching and uplifting.”
Written by
The Oxford Times on The Wipers Times 2018
Ian Hislop and
Nick Newman from an
“Another winner for Hislop and Newman...
original story by
Jonathan Gershfield it's a real crowd pleaser.”
and John Ross WhatsOnStage on Trial by Laughter 2018
46 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comComing soon...
Welsh National Opera presents Thu 2 Jul
COSÌ FAN TUTTE 7.30pm
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Tickets
from £10
This summer Welsh National Opera takes you back to Discounts available
school with a brand new production of Mozart’s comic Sung in English
opera Così fan tutte aka School of Love. Set in the early
1970s, four sixth formers discover that falling in love can
be incredible, dramatic, awkward and complicated in this
coming of age tale.
Welsh National Opera makes a welcome return to the
Oxford Playhouse stage following their hugely successful
Rhondda Rips it Up! and Don Pasquale.
★★★★★
“Great for anyone new to opera as well as more
familiar with the form. A real job well done and
a production which proves that Welsh National
Opera really are world class.”
Buzz Magazine on Don Pasquale
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 47BURTON TAYLOR STUDIO
COMEDY
DRAMA
POETRY
FAMILY
Oily Cart presents
Sat 11 & Sun 12 Jan
ALL WRAPPED UP 11am & 2pm
Unwrap a world of imagination with Oily Tickets £8
Cart’s mischievous, wintery show. Magical Discounts £6
characters, hilarious creatures and hidden
Age guideline
lands are brought to life through light,
Under 5s
shadow and music. Join us as we uncover
the sensory stories hidden in scrunched up
paper, and create your own after the show.
48 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comOXJAMS Sat 18 Jan
The Endless Scream 7.30pm
The Oxford Jazz Masters Series presents a Tickets £10
cocktail of improvised music, spoken word Discounts £8
and visual projection in this journey into the
world of artist Edvard Munch (The Scream).
Featuring saxophonist David Jackson (Van
der Graaf Generator) along with poet and
artist Alan O’Cain, who worked in-residence
in the preserved Oslo studio of Edvard
Munch. With George Haslam (reeds),
Richard Leigh Harris (keyboards) and
Steve Kershaw (bass).
BEST OF BE FESTIVAL Mon 16 Mar
7.30pm
“An exhilarating medley of storytelling, Tickets £10
dance and physical theatre all in one Discounts £8
astounding evening.”
Age guideline 14+
Each year, BE FESTIVAL packages up
three of their favourite shows from their ★★★★★
international festival and sends them on “A whirlwind of
a tour of the UK. Three companies from thought-provoking
pieces of pure
Belgium, Spain and Hungary will showcase performance art,
snapshots of storytelling, dance, physical theatrical, musical
theatre, in three, 30-minute shows all in and comedic
one exhilarating evening. brilliance.”
What’s On 2018
A Made In China production Tue 17 & Wed 18 Mar
SUPER DUPER CLOSE UP 7.30pm
Conceived, written and performed by Jess Latowicki
Get set for a looping, live-filmed ride, Tickets £10
through the anxieties of an unsettlingly Discounts £8
ordinary woman’s existence. A tragicomic
Age guideline 16+
and hypnotic explosion of film, movement
and words, Super Duper Close Up asks
Photo: John hunter at RULER.
what a girl is to do when everything is
virtual, and virtually everything is for sale.
★★★★
“A swirling molten
pool of sadness
and rage.”
The Stage
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 49Signdance Theatre Pioneers; Signdance Collective presents Thu 19 Mar
IN BETWEEN SPACES 7.30pm
A live show which combines image, music, Tickets £10
dance-theatre and spoken word poetry to Discounts £8
create a unique experience for an audience.
Age guideline 14+
The story follows a journey of two souls
perambulating in a world outside of time.
Are they the first humans on Earth? Are
they the last? Are they even human or just
echoes of a digital mind?
COMMONISM Fri 20 Mar
7.30pm
Commonism is a meeting of two people Tickets £10
from different countries in search of Discounts £8
some common ground. It’s a performed
Age guideline 12+
conversation that asks questions about
nationality, internationality, theatre and
politics. Andy Smith and Amund Sjølie
Sveen think about who we are and where
we are going, and make some suggestions
for the future – for our common future.
A show by Marcello Chiarenza
Lyngo Theatre presents Sat 21 Mar
PUSS IN BOOTS 11am, 2pm & 4pm
Adapted and performed by Patrick Lynch
Would you trust a talking cat? You never Tickets £8
know, he might turn you from a pauper Discounts £6
to a prince just like the hero of this story,
Age guideline 4+
brought to vivid life on our incredible
sloping stage by Patrick Lynch from
Cbeebies. Using smoke and mirrors and
hidden trapdoors, he’ll show you how this
sure-footed feline fools both the King and
the Ogre to put his master at the top. With a
host of puppets, a working windmill and an
avalanche of fruit and nuts, come and see
this classic furry tail. It’s the cat’s whiskers!
50 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comWildchild Productions presents Mon 23 Mar
MADAME OVARY 7.30pm
It's January. Rosa is only just over her Tickets £10
hangover and is writing her New Year’s Discounts £8
resolutions. But before she's had time
Age guideline 14+
to delete her dating apps and get into
downward dog, she's diagnosed. With
ovarian cancer. And it's spread. Suddenly ★★★★★
ThreeWeeks,
faced with hospitals, chemotherapy and Edinburgh Reporter,
her own mortality, Rosa's new goal for the Young Perspective,
year ahead is to survive it. Madame Ovary Broadway Baby
explores the typical struggle a 20-something
has with trying to stay relevant and the less “Devastating and
beautiful and true.”
typical struggle of trying to stay alive.
Caitlin Moran
A GIRL IN A SCHOOL Tue 24 & Wed 25 Mar
7.30pm
UNIFORM (WALKS INTO A BAR)
It’s the future. But only slightly. It’s not the Tickets £10
apocalypse quite yet, but we’re getting Discounts £8
there. There are blackouts. No one knows
Age guideline 14+
what’s causing them, but that doesn’t stop
people going missing in them. Now Steph
and Bell, a schoolgirl and barmaid, have to ★★★★
search for their missing friends, until the “Intelligent ultra-live
production of a
outside world starts infecting the theatre chilling, funny,
that stands around them. Thrilling and contemporary
unnerving drama from award-winning new play.”
playwright Lulu Raczka, directed by Ali Pidsley. The Stage
CATHERINE BOHART: Thu 26 Mar
8pm
LEMON
Join the star of BBC2’s The Mash Report Tickets £10
as she smashes stereotypes around sex, Discounts £8
sexuality and relationships.
Age guideline 16+
As seen and heard on Roast Battle, 8 Out
Of 10 Cats, The Stand Up Sketch Show, Jon
Richardson: Ultimate Worrier and The Guilty
Feminist Podcast.
★★★★
“The laughs keep
coming and, finally,
so does a tear or two.”
The Times
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 51Haste Theatre presents Thu 2 & Fri 3 Apr
EX-BATTS AND BROILERS 7.30pm
Two delightful chickens, Gail and Tickets £10
Gemma, take you on an egg-citing and Discounts £8
cut-throat journey through friendship Age guideline 12+
and chickenhood. Watch them compete
for your affections, and vote for your
favourite to visit pastures new.
A high energy moving story of female
friendship and industrial meat farming,
told through dark comedy, clown,
physical storytelling and live music.
HOW TO BE AMAZINGLY HAPPY! Wed 22 Apr
by Victoria Firth 7.30pm
Is your happiness not where you expected? Tickets £10
Has your self gone AWOL with the life plan? Discounts £8
Join Victoria as she sets off on a quest to Age guideline 14+
find a new ‘once upon a time’ after the
‘happy-ever-after’ forgot to show up.
With no straight answers and time running
out, this big thinking, big hearted show
mixes anecdotes, storytelling and physical
comedy in a mid-life crisis of no children -
now what?
Teuchter Theatre presents
Thu 23 & Fri 24 Apr
UMBRELLA MAN 7.30pm
Umbrella Man is a show about a young Tickets £10
man from the north of Scotland who Discounts £8
tries to prove the Earth is flat. A critically- Age guideline 14+
acclaimed story of friendship, loss and
conspiracy, Umbrella Man will take you on
a journey to the outer limits of common
sense, and beyond.
★★★★
“Strikingly
memorable.”
The Stage
52 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comJOIN IN AT OP YOUNG COMPANIES HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS ADULTS YOUNG PLAYERS FESTIVAL “I have never liked drama apart from here, I can be me and I like that.” Young Participant To book a place on any participatory workshop, course or young company, call the Ticket Office 01865 305305. Oxford Playhouse has a bursary scheme for anyone who wants to take part but may need help with fees. To apply, email learning@oxfordplayhouse.com All Participation Photos: Geraint Lewis www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 53
YOUNG COMPANIES
12|16 YOUNG 17|25 YOUNG YOUNG
COMPANY COMPANY PLAY WRITERS
Tue 14 Jan to Tue 31 Mar Wed 15 Jan to Wed 8 Apr Thu 16 Jan to Thu 19 Mar
(no session Tue 18 Feb) Oxford Playhouse in
The 17|25 Young Company
For anyone aged 12 to 16 perform their flagship annual partnership with
years, these sessions offer show on the main stage in Oxford Playmaker.
you the opportunity to March. Find details of this Young Play Writers is a series
work on various techniques year's production Doctor of fortnightly skills-based
to improve devising skills, Faustus on page 33. workshops for young writers
develop your voice and
To find out more information aged 15 to 20 who are keen
movement vocabulary,
about the 17|25 Young to write a short play, led
explore text and create a
Company or to join the by professional playwright
character.
company from April 2020 Renata Allen.
This term the 12|16 Young contact: Jo.Noble@ Some of the plays will be
Company will create a oxfordplayhouse.com performed in the Burton
devised performance to
“It has helped me grow as a Taylor Studio in July 2020.
be presented as part of
the Young Players Festival. person and performer. It was “It was a fantastic experience.
Please see page 57 for more an amazing experience being I learnt a lot, produced something
details. on a professional stage.” I never thought I would be able to,
Young Company Member and had great fun along the way.”
Previous participant
Please note that extra rehearsals may be required on another evening or at the weekend.
Time Time Time
5 to 7.30pm 5 to 7.30pm 5 to 7.30pm
Location Location Location
Top Room Top Room Gladstone Room
Course fee £60 Course fee £70 Course fee £55
Age 12 to 16 Age 17 to 25 Age 15 to 20
Please note, the Top Room, Circle Bar and Burton Taylor Studio are not accessible in a wheelchair.
54 01865 305305 www.oxfordplayhouse.comACTIVITIES AND HOLIDAY WORKSHOPS
© Illustration: www.korkypaul.com
TALES & TAILS LITTLE SHOP HEY DIDDLE
Mon 17 to Fri 21 Feb OF COLOURS DIDDLE
Join us for five fun-filled Mon 6 to Wed 8 Apr Monday mornings
See oxfordplayhouse.com for dates
days of drama and disguise, Including craft activities and
as we explore tales that drama exercises, this fun and The perfect fun, friendly and
celebrate this year’s Chinese imaginative workshop will put musical way for you and your
zodiac animal, the rat. your child in charge of bringing child to start the week. Hey
From the Pied Piper to Dick colour back into the world. Diddle Diddle is a sing-a-long
Whittington, rats are seen and play session for pre-school
Inspired by John Light’s
to be the most mischievous children and their adults.
The Flower, we’ll be creating
animals of them all. What colourful objects and bold With free tea and coffee
plan will they concoct next? performances, whilst making and a place to stay and play
Our high-energy workshops new friends along the way. whilst meeting other parents
use games, physical theatre and grandparents too.
This workshop is part of our
and improvisation to create Hey Diddle Diddle makes
Young Players Festival 2020.
a performance ready to Monday mornings joyful!
(See page 57 for more info).
share with friends and family "It’s the best music session I’ve
at the end of the week. "A big thank you for an inspiring
found for children in Oxford."
week. My children thoroughly
Parent
enjoyed themselves, as was
visible from the fun and creative
performance!"
Parent
Time Time Time
10am to 4pm 10am to 4pm 10.30am to 11.15am
(drop off from 9am) (drop off from 9am)
Location
Location Location Top Room Top Room
Top Room
Course fee £75 Tickets £6 (1 adult & 1 pre-school
Course fee £125 child), £2 additional children.
Age 8 to 11
Book 5 sessions and get 1 free.
Age 8 to 11
Please note, the Top Room, Circle Bar and Burton Taylor Studio are not accessible in a wheelchair.
Age 5 and under
www.oxfordplayhouse.com 01865 305305 55You can also read
