Oxford Playhouse - What's On Guide - Summer 2024

What’s On Summer 2024

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Welcome

A warm hello from all the team here at Oxford Playhouse. We’re delighted to share this summer’s exciting programme with you.

We kick off with a jam-packed schedule of opera and dance from the likes of ETO, Akram Khan Company and Ballet Black, drama with The Kite Runner, The School for Scandal, The 39 Steps, and Moby Dick, plus the audacious new musical and Edinburgh hit Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch. Definitely not for kids or the faint-hearted, this musical parody flips The Little Mermaid into a whole new watery world.

We’re proud to present comedy legends Griff Rhys Jones, Punt & Dennis, Rich Hall and The Scummy Mummies, alongside inspirational storytelling, and music from Saltlines, Kate Rusby and Jacqui Dankworth

A highlight for May will undoubtedly be Sir Gregory Doran, former Artistic Director of the RSC and leading Shakespearian, directing the student production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, in a co-production with OP. We’re delighted to be working with him and a wonderful cast of OU students as they explore this play about young people striving to find their way in a complex world. Notably, this is the only Shakespeare title that Sir Gregory is yet to direct in his illustrious career.

For holiday fun for kids (and big kids) look no further than the beautiful and imaginative versions of Julia Donaldson classics Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book and Zog and The Flying Doctors, and the Judith Kerr favourite The Tiger Who Came to Tea And why not be transported by the visual and musical mastery of family theatre creators Stuff and Nonsense, with their stunning Pinocchio

We’ve also got a wonderful line up of creative opportunities for all ages to Take Part in across the summer months as well young company auditions for this year’s pantomime.

Our BT Studio welcomes the much-acclaimed artists Declan Bennett and Shôn Dale Jones, as well as a brand-new festival in partnership with Pegasus Theatre featuring work by LGBTQ+ artists.

Looking ahead to Autumn, we welcome back the incredible Headlong, with their bold new production of classic American drama A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry. And don’t forget, tickets are already on sale for panto! It’s never too early to book.

The world needs as much joy, beauty, and magic as possible right now, and we’re offering as much as possible at Oxford Playhouse!

The OP Team

English Touring Opera

Puccini’s Manon Lescaut

We’re thrilled to be welcoming English Touring Opera to our stage this spring.

Manon Lescaut is a dramatic and musical triumph and was Puccini’s first great success. Based on a controversial book by the Abbé Provost, Manon Lescaut is a devastating depiction of a woman wrestling with her desire for love on her own terms, and the rigid double standards imposed on her by society. Jude Christian, fresh from a critically acclaimed Titus Andronicus at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, brings her incisive direction and a sharp, poetic new translation to the production, while ETO Music Director Gerry Cornelius conducts.

Sung in English with English surtitles.

7.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 14+

25% off FRIENDS 14 – 25s £5

“Jenny Stafford sings gleamingly as Manon.”

The Guardian

“Generously cast with an outstanding chorus.” Bachtrack

English Touring Opera

Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress

English Touring Opera take the Main Stage for a second night with another exciting new production. Young Tom Rakewell abandons his quiet country life when the mysterious Nick Shadow appears at his door promising wealth and luxury. But Tom will have to pay for his naivety, and his devilish new friend doesn’t want his money.

The Rake’s Progress is an exuberant, exhilarating exploration of love and loss, full of compassion, malice and extraordinary music drawing from more than 200 years of operatic history from one of the 20th century’s greatest composers. The production is helmed by Polly Graham, Artistic Director of Longborough Festival Opera, and the highly regarded conductor and composer Jack Sheen Sung in English with English surtitles.

7.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 14+

25% off FRIENDS 14 – 25s £5

“Consistently fine singing... superb performances.”

The Guardian

“C onductor Jack Sheen ensures that every note of the score hits the spot.”

The Stage

Ballet Black

HEROES

Now in their 22nd year, Cassa Pancho’s celebrated Ballet Black return to Oxford Playhouse with a new double bill entitled HEROES

Award-winning choreographer Mthuthuzeli November contemplates the purpose of life in The Waiting Game. His exciting and energetic work about the meaning of existence is infused with a dynamic soundtrack featuring the voices of the Ballet Black artists.

Sophie Laplane, the Franco-British artist, and Choreographer in Residence at Scottish Ballet, creates a new piece for Ballet Black If At First, explores the complexity of humanity, heroism and self-acceptance in this celebratory and original piece.

Fri 8pm, Sat 7.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 7+

“Exhilarating in effect and full of ideas... confirming November’s talent and this remarkable company’s strong sense of itself.”

The Guardian

“Ballet Black channels art, activism and radical beauty with this invigorating double bill.”

The Standard (Ballet Black Pioneers, 2023) 25%

Fri

14 – 25s £5 Fri

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde

The truth is rarely pure and never simple...

One of Oscar Wilde’s most enduringly popular plays, The Importance of Being Earnest features some of his best-loved characters, including Lady Bracknell, Miss Prism, Jack Worthing and Gwendolen Fairfax. A razor-sharp satire of snobbery and class distinctions, and an evening of hilarious misunderstandings.

OTG’s first ever staging of Earnest, this production sets the action in the 1920s, with the young determined to lead lives of greater freedom and frivolity.

Tue - Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 12+

“Brimming with life, and wonderfully well acted.”

Oxford Drama Network (Nicholas Nickleby, 2022)

“As a fun, informative and merry night out with plenty of Carry-On style verve, Nell Gwynn has it all.”

Ox in a Box (Nell Gwynn, 2023)

Oxford Theatre Guild presents

Unfortunate The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch

The Musical Parody

Starring Shawna Hamic and River Medway

Disney villain. Octo-woman. Plus-size icon.

Direct from a smash hit London season comes the outrageous and wickedly camp parody musical Unfortunate, starring Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black, 1776 on Broadway) as Ursula and River Medway (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) as Ariel.

Unfortunate is coming to Oxford and things are gonnna get wet.

Join everyone’s favourite Disney Diva, Ursula, as she gives her take on what really happened all those years ago under the sea. With an original hot pop soundtrack and trademark filthy humour, it’s time to take the plunge and dive into this year’s hottest night out.

Cruella told her side, and Maleficent’s had her moment. Now the legendary queer queen is ready to spill, in this tell-all tale of sex, sorcery and suckers.

Tue - Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 16+

Content warning: Contains strong language, partial nudity, scenes of a sexual nature and flashing lights.

UK Productions and Kilimanjaro Productions present the Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse production

The Kite Runner

Adapted by Mathew Spangler

Based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini

Directed by Giles Croft

There is a way to be good again.

Direct from Broadway, The Kite Runner, an outstanding and unforgettable theatrical tour de force, returns to Oxford Playhouse.

Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel, adapted by Mathew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft, this haunting tale of friendship spans cultures and continents and follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption.

Afghanistan is a country on the verge of war and best friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul, the skies are full of colour and the streets are full of the excitement of a kite flying tournament, but no one can foresee the terrible incident that will shatter their lives forever.

One Broadway season and two West End seasons have garnered international acclaim for this incredibly powerful story.

Tue - Thu & Sat 7.30pm,

Fri 8pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 13+

Captioned CAP Wed

Content warning: This production contains mature content not suitable for younger audiences, including: strong language, depictions of bullying, sexual violence, suicide, the use of weapons and the sound of gunshots.

HHHHH“The best page to stage show since War Horse... a spellbinding production.”

The Stage

HHHHH“ The Kite Runner is a truly contemporary cultural phenomenon.” The

“The Kite Runner soars... very movingyou would have to be made of stone not to be deeply affected.”

Tue

May

So Comedy & Broken Robot Productions by arrangement with YMU present

Griff Rhys Jones: The Cat’s Pyjamas

Back on the road with his much-anticipated brand new stand-up tour, join Griff Rhys Jones as he shares more funny observations and comic stories. The show always varies as Griff rambles on the developing national permacrisis. Age. Family. Fraud. Nostalgia. The Tik Tok generation. Crocodile smuggling and noodling in Australia. Travel, dogs, hotels, drink and midnight trains. He takes questions from the audience and lets rip as his associations wander.

HHHH “Great comedy.”

The Telegraph

“The jokes come faster than the rapids on the River Tay.”

Wed 8 May

7.30pm

Tickets £26

Age guideline 16+

Forever proud to call herself a folk singer, Kate Rusby’s vocals never fail to connect the heart of a song to that of her audience. Named as one of the Top Ten Folk Voices of the Century, a Mercury Prize Winner, 6-times BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner and a warm, Yorkshire sense of humour to boot, Rusby has achieved an unprecedented cross-over appeal. Despite stepping into a more contemporary production on her last few albums, she has stayed true to her roots. Her cover of Manic Monday (Hand Me Down 2020) featured on the BBC Radio 2 playlist.

“Everybody loves and respects Kate Rusby.”

The Sunday Times

7.30pm

Tickets £34 - Limited Availability

Age guideline Suitable for all ages

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Thu 9 May Thu 23 May

The Scummy Mummies: Greatest Hits Show

For a decade now, The Scummy Mummies have been touring their hit comedy show to sold-out audiences around the country, join Ellie and Helen as they celebrate those ten years of scumminess!

They’re bringing all their most-loved songs, sketches, and stand-up together for a night that will make you laugh till you wee. Guaranteed to make you feel normal about your parenting skills, or very smug about being child-free. Bring your gin-in-a-tin, pop a panty liner in, and let’s party!

HHHHH “Highly recommended!”

One4Review

“Very funny .”

The Guardian

“Hilarious .”

Broadway Baby

7.30pm

Tickets £28

Age guideline 18+

JBA Concerts presents An Evening with Jacqui Dankworth: In Concert

The imaginative and moving, award-winning vocalist Jacqui Dankworth is joined by a stellar line-up of musicians.

In this very special and intimate concert, audiences will be treated to a sparkling collection of songs drawn from her highly praised studio albums, her much-anticipated new album Windmills, alongside tracks that have inspired her incredible career.

Showcasing her unique versatility and effortless mastery of a wide spectrum of genres, drawing on jazz, folk, soul, and blues, as well as her acute sensibility as a songwriter and lyricist.

“One of our finest singers, regardless of category.”

The Sunday Times

7.30pm

Tickets £28

Age guideline 12+

25% off FRIENDS

Scummy Mummies presents

University of Oxford students and Oxford Playhouse in association with Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor Fund and Drama Fund and St Catherine’s College

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

By William Shakespeare

Directed by Sir Gregory Doran

“Except I be by Silvia in the night, There is no music in the Nightingale”

What happens when you fall in love with your best friend’s girlfriend?

This modern retelling follows Valentine, as he moves from his home in small town Verona, to the exciting city of Milan and falls in love with wealthy heiress Silvia. Meanwhile Valentine’s best friend Proteus, leaves behind his girlfriend Julia, and follows him to Milan. Things become complicated when Proteus becomes obsessed with Silvia.

A complex tale of passion and disguise unfolds as young adults navigate desire, consent, and the limits of friendship.

Directed by Gregory Doran and brought to life by Oxford University students The Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and also one of the most rarely performed. It will be the first time that Gregory Doran has directed the play.

Gregory Doran is the current Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at the University of Oxford. An outstanding Shakespearian with an illustrious career, he was Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012 to 2022 and is the first Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor to direct a student production as part of his tenure.

Wed, Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 14+

50% off FRIENDS

Wed & Sat mat

14 – 25s

£5

Wed – Sat

The Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professorship, attached to St Catherine’s College, Oxford, was established in 1990 thanks to a generous gift from leading British theatre producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh. The position is held for one year by a significant figure in the world of theatre. American musical theatre composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim was the first to hold the role and successive visiting professors have included Arthur Miller, Thelma Holt CBE, Dame Diana Rigg DBE, Sir Nicholas Hytner, Meera Syal MBE, Stephen Fry and Adjoa Andoh. Greg is the 29 th Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor.

Photo of Gregory Doran in rehearsal by Geraint Lewis.

Fri 24 May

Saltlines

A prose and music collaboration between bestselling author Raynor Winn (The Salt Path, The Wild Silence, Landlines) and folk-roots supergroup The Gigspanner Big Band, and featuring some of the most celebrated names on the British folk scene. An emotional odyssey which explores the beauty, stories and traditions of the South West Coast Path.

Vibrant and thought-provoking compositions by Raynor have been especially written for Saltlines and artfully wrapped around songs and tunes that were originally gathered from the route of the South West Coast Path by the great song collectors Cecil Sharp and Sabine Baring-Gould

A life affirming experience for anyone who appreciates beautiful words, inspiring music and above all, cherishes the social and natural history of Britain’s coastline, and the common threads that bind its fragile communities and wildlife.

Formed by legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight, the Gigspanner Big Band line-up features acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin - BBC Folk Awards ‘Best Duo’) Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, Roger Flack on guitar and Sacha Trochet on percussion.

8pm

Tickets £29

Age guideline 15+

“Saltlines is beautiful. Exquisite musicianship and truly soulful music. A must see.”

Marianne Elliott OBE Director (War Horse).

The Gigspanner Big Band and Raynor Winn present

Fri 31 May

Ballet Central Mixed Bill

Experience the magic of Ballet Central as they present the tour comes to Oxford. The Ballet Central tour presents captivating works by acclaimed choreographers, performed by dance talents from the renowned school Central School of Ballet as they step into their professional careers. Enjoy the grace and power of classical ballet alongside dynamic contemporary dance.

Programme highlights include the final act of Petipa’s Coppélia, a celebration of classical ballet staged by Adela Ramirez, with the stunning score by Leo Delibes. Two newly commissioned works make their debut: Jules Cunningham’s Stay On It, a contemporary work to a rhythmic track by minimalist composer Julius Eastman; and Carolyn Bolton’s Night Flight v2.0, a high energy ballet with striking lines and celestial formations set to a new score by Philip Feeney Daniel Davidson’s recent work, I think we’re on different planets, is a moving evocation of heartache and our yearning for connection. With a 40-year history of delivering loved performances, this mixed bill is sure to enchant its audiences.

7.30pm

Tickets from

“A satisfying mix of historical, modern and zeitgeist repertoire for graduate students.”

Broadway World

Photo by ASH Photography.

Sat 25 May

Punt and Dennis: We Are Not A Robot

Hugh Dennis and Steve Punt are back on tour for the first time in 10 years.

Older but not really much wiser, they are returning to what they do best; sitting in traffic jams wondering if a different route would have been better, and then in the evening, presenting their new live show. What have they learned from a decade of following the news for Mock the Week and The Now Show? What wisdom has experience taught them? And have they learned any new jokes? Let’s hope so. They promise they have... Still as unapologetically irreverent as ever they showcase a medley of classic sketches, improvisation, and new material. Audiences can expect an uproarious celebration of the duo’s comedic legacy, proving that after a decade, Punt and Dennis are still very much in a league of their own.

Sat 1 Jun

Rich Hall: Shot From Cannons

Fresh on the heels of his critically acclaimed memoirs, Nailing It, Montana’s transatlantic messenger returns with new rants, knife-edge observations, thrilling musical interludes and an ever-formidable knack for laughs on the fly.

You’ll pay for the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge of it.

“Vital and incredulously angry. Hilarious.”

The Scotsman

“Blissfully funny.”

The Guardian

HHHH “One hour of stonking stand-up and another of stomping hoedown mayhem. That’s two top gigs in one.”

The Mail On Sunday

7.30pm

Tickets £27

Age guideline 16+

7.30pm

Tickets £21

Age guideline 16+

Tue 28 – Thu 30 May

Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book

Based on the original book Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book

Written by Julia Donaldson

and illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Charlie loves reading. Especially books about pirates. But his sister hates it - it’s boring! Can Charlie convince her that reading is fun? Perhaps if she read a book about a pirate, who is reading a book about Goldilocks, who is reading a book about a knight...

Come and delve into a range of books with Charlie Cook, brought to life with puppetry and enchanting songs, and perhaps you will be able to help his sister discover the wonderful world inside a book. Join us for this half-term treat!

Tue 3.30pm, Wed 10.30am & 1.30pm, Thu 10.30am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm

Tickets Adults £19, Children £17

Age guideline 3-8 years old

British Sign Language Tue 3.30pm

Text © Julia Donaldson 2005

Illustrations © Axel Scheffler 2005

Published by Macmillan Children’s Books © 2005

Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book at Oxford Playhouse is sponsored by Adventure Play at Blenheim Palace

The School For Scandal

By Richard B Sheridan

With The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, RSC and Shakespeare’s Globe star

Joseph Marcell

Gossip never goes out of fashion

Sir Peter Teazle (Joseph Marcell) believes his young wife is sleeping with someone else. She isn’t. But she’s starting to think if her husband believes it, she may as well give it a go. After all, if you’re going to cause a scandal, you might as well enjoy it…

Deliciously naughty and outrageously silly, this timeless comedy is a masterclass in social satire and the art of gossip. Reimagined into the 20 th century and featuring an unforgettable cast of larger-than-life characters, each armed with a lacerating wit, The School for Scandal is one of the greatest comedies ever written.

Join us for a lightning-paced show of romance, revenge and rollicking fun that promises to leave you entertained, enamoured – and perhaps even a little scandalised!

Tue - Thu & Sat 7.30pm,

Fri 8pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 10+

Reviews from Tilted Wig’s production Around the World in 80 Days, 2023

HHHH

“Pure theatre magic, you don’t want to miss this.”

York Mix

HHHH “Fans of mischief-making, calamitous comedies will love it.”

Charles Hutch Press

HHHH “Thundering laughs and giggles... a great feel-good show.”

West End Best Friend

Tilted Wig & Malvern Theatres in association with Theatre by the Lake present

Fiery Angel presents

The 39 Steps

By Alfred Hitchcock

Adapted by Patrick Barlow

From an original concept by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller The 39 Steps, loosely based on the 1915 novel by John Buchan and brilliantly and hilariously recreated for the stage by Patrick Barlow as the smash hit Olivier and Tony Award-winning comedy, is back out on a UK tour after nearly 10 years in London’s West End, taking Broadway by storm, playing in 39 different countries across the globe, and delighting over 3 million people worldwide with its quintessentially plucky spirit and dashing sense of fun.

Follow the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women.

This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller features four fearless actors, playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of face-paced fun and thrilling action.

Tom Byrne (Netflix dramas The Crown, Bridgerton) will play Richard Hannay and will be joined by Safeena Ladha, Eugene McCoy, and Maddie Rice

Tue - Thu & Sat 7.30pm,

Fri 8pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 7+

Captioned CAP Wed

Touch Tour TT Sat mat

Audio Described Sat mat

The 39 Steps at Oxford Playhouse

Simple8, in association with Royal & Derngate, Northampton, present

Moby Dick

A new adaptation based on the book by Herman Melville

Adapted by Sebastian Armesto

A fast and vibrant reimagining of Melville’s classic. Featuring sea shanties played live on stage.

“There she blows!”

October, 1839. The Pequod is due to sail out of Nantucket and her skipper, Captain Ahab, is in need of a crew. Seeking fortune and adventure, a humble schoolmaster named Ishmael ships aboard, joining a company charged with one task: to wreak revenge on the white whale that lost Ahab his leg –the infamous Moby-Dick. Ahab’s single-minded pursuit ends up consuming Ishmael, the crew and the Pequod itself.

The spirit and atmosphere of Herman Melville’s masterpiece – romantic, ambiguous, and rich with allegory – is gloriously captured on stage by Simple8. Using some planks of wood, tattered sheets and an old accordion, the hunt for the most famous whale on earth is ingeniously brought to life.

Tue – Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 7+

Post Show Talk Wed eve

Captioned CAP Wed 14 – 25s £5 Thu eve & Sat mat

HHHH “Bold and brilliant.”

HHHH “A company possessing the skills, dedication and intelligence to create wonder.”

HHHH “A transporting experience.”

The Odyssiad

By Alex Thomas

Magdalen College School returns with a new telling of the Homeric epics with a powerful rock-inspired musical score, including original songs and electrifying choreography.

1200 BC. A woman waits and watches the sea from a clifftop. She is Penelope, wife of Odysseus, who has yet to return from the Trojan War after ten years. Their son, Telemachus, wonders whether he will ever be able to fill his legendary father’s place. 1902. A young Cambridge student, Winifred Kennedy, digs in the ruins of Mycenae, heartland of ancient Greece, under the stern and watchful eye of archaeologist Henry Allen. Teddy, his son, loathes everything about the ancient world, so Winifred takes it upon herself to bring the past alive for him, drawing father and son closer together. Her vivid storytelling takes us back three thousand years, to the epic world of Homer’s immortal tales, The Iliad and The Odyssey, where great warriors clash in single combat and a city’s fate hangs in the balance. Odysseus’s perilous journey home after the war is one of the greatest adventure stories ever told.

Thu – Sat 7pm, Sat 2.30pm

Tickets Adults £16, Children £11

Age guideline 7+

Content warning: Contains violence, strobe lighting, gunshots and smoking.

HHHHH “Polished performances, slick direction, professional technical production.”

Oxford Mail (The Hobbit, 2023)

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

MCS Drama presents

Akram Khan Company Chotto Desh

Adapted by Theatre-Rites’ director, Sue Buckmaster, from Akram Khan’s Olivier Award-winning DESH, this heart-warming story follows a young man trying to find his place in the world. Now returning to capture the imagination of a new generation of young audiences.

Chotto Desh, meaning ‘small homeland’, draws on Khan’s unique quality of cross-cultural storytelling, creating a compelling tale of a boy’s dreams and memories from Britain to Bangladesh that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the modern world. Blending Kathak and contemporary dance with an exquisite mix of spoken text, dreamlike animation, visuals and specially composed music, Chotto Desh is an enchanting and poignant dance-theatre experience for all the family to enjoy together.

2pm & 7pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 7+

Touch Tour TT Sat mat

HHHH “A real delight. It mixes reality and mythology to explore rebellion, identity, and homeland.”

Audio Described Sat mat

Oxford Festival of the Arts in association with Oxford Playhouse present

Funny Girl

Music by Jule Styne

Lyrics by Bob Merrill

Book by Isobel Lennart from an original story by Miss Lennart

Oxford Operatic Society are proud to bring the roaring 20s to The Playhouse stage and follow the journey of Fanny Brice as she dreams to take on Broadway.

Jule Styne and Bob Merrill’s Funny Girl is a musical theatre classic which celebrates the exuberant and elegant flavour of Broadway in the 1910s and 20s. Combining the comic genius of Fanny Brice and featuring such beloved songs as People and Don’t Rain on my Parade, Funny Girl shows a triumphant story of starry success and a bittersweet story of love.

Tue – Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 10+

“They’ve got rhythm, they’ve got music, they are OXOPS; who could ask for anything more?” Daily Info

Oxford Operatic Society present

This amateur production of Funny Girl is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC.

Uncanny:

I Know What I Saw

Due to phenomenal demand, the sell-out hit show from Danny Robins is BACK!

Last year Danny asked the question – do ghosts exists? And if not, why do we see them? Almost 25,000 people at theatres across the country came to find out the answers, in the biggest live investigation into the paranormal. Ever.

You now have another chance to join Danny and his team of experts for this terrifying and thought-provoking evening, featuring chilling real-life stories of the supernatural experienced by ordinary people from ordinary places, brought to life on stage through thrilling theatrical invention in a mix of projection, sound and spellbinding storytelling.

Whether you are #TeamBeliever or #TeamSceptic, a long-term Uncanny fan or just interested in the paranormal, you’re welcome to Uncanny: I Know What I Saw

Sun 4pm, Mon 7.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 10+

“The audio king of true-life scary tales.” The Observer

Tilted in association with Watford Palace Theatre presents

Playhouse Plays Out Tent Tour

Story Seekers

Written by Tristan Jackson-Pate, directed by Amelia Thornber

Touring Oxfordshire in June and July

The Playhouse Plays Out Tent is back on tour this summer, with a fabulous new play for all the family. Following an around the world research trip, two story seekers return to Oxford, both hoping to secure the same job at the local university. Each story seeker hopes to show off their best skills to win the role. One likes to tell stories through music and words, whilst the other enjoys images and acting.

Story Seekers is an interactive, colourful colourful whirlwind of international stories, music and comedy, touring to schools and community venues across Oxfordshire throughout June and July. This show is for everyone aged 4 and above and celebrates the importance of working together and welcoming different ideas.

Visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com for tour dates and further information.

Photo by Geraint Lewis.

Zog And The Flying Doctors

Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The crew are back for another ROAR-some adventure!

Zog, super keen student turned air-ambulance, still lands with a bang-crash-thump. Together with his Flying Doctor crew, Princess Pearl, and Sir Gadabout, they tend to a sunburnt mermaid, a unicorn with one too many horns and a lion with the flu. However, Pearl’s uncle, the King, has other ideas about whether princesses should be doctors, and she’s soon locked up in the castle back in a crown and a silly frilly dress! With a bit of help from some friends and half a pound of cheese, can Pearl make her uncle better and prove princesses can be doctors too? Based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s bestselling sequel, Freckle Productions (Zog, Stick Man, Tiddler & Other Terrific Tales) are back, with music and lyrics by Joe Stilgoe (Zog), for this truly modern take on the classic fairy tale.

Wed 4.30pm,

Thu 10.30am & 1.30pm, Fri 10.30am, 1.30pm & 4.30pm, Sat & Sun 10.30am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm

Tickets

Adults £18

Children £16

Age guideline 3+

Zog and the Flying Doctors © 2016 Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. Published by Alison Green Books, an imprint of Scholastic Children’s Books.

Freckle Productions in association with Rose Theatre presents

Le Navet Bete presents

King Arthur:

A Legendary Comedy

Camelot is in trouble.

King Arthur knows that if he doesn’t turn things around, this civilisation will be forgotten, and be known as nothing more than a rather dull time in British history. But when three hapless squires approach him about changing that legacy... a legend is born.

Teaming up with one of UK theatre’s best comedy writers and directors, Olivier Award nominated John Nicholson (Peepolykus), the award-winning Le Navet Bete (Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, Dracula: The Bloody Truth) are back with a brand-new laugh-out-loud show for the ages.

A comedy for the whole family, this hilarious retelling of the Arthurian legends will have audiences crying with laughter and becoming part of the legend themselves!

Le Navet Bete is one of the UK’s leading physical comedy theatre companies, creating accessible productions using creative and engaging storytelling for all to enjoy.

Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 7+

British Sign Language Thu eve

HHHHH “Bright, bold and wittily inventive... brimming with energy and fun.”

Bristol Post (Treasure Island, 2022)

HHHHH “Left us crying with laughter.”

Audio Described Sat mat

Touch Tour TT Sat mat

Content warning: This performance contains smoke/haze and pyrotechnics and fake nudity.

The Reviews Hub (Aladdin, 2018)

HHHHH “Side-splittingly funny... the best new comedy I’ve ever seen this year.”

Broadway World (Dracula: The Bloody Truth, 2017)

Fri

The King Of Reggae:

The Man – The Music

‘Let’s Get Together and Feel Alright’ as Rush Theatre Company, the company that brought you the critically acclaimed A Joyous Jamaican Journey, return to the Main Stage with their outstanding production

The King of Reggae: The Man – The Music

Get ready to enjoy songs like One Love, No Woman No Cry and Is This Love all played live on stage by the incredible The King of Reggae Band, as they tell the remarkable story of the man who brought Reggae music to the world.

From a government yard in Trenchtown to Rastafari Icon, this new narrated musical charts the life and times of the King of Reggae, touching every aspect of the Jamaican superstar’s musical, spiritual and political life and the impact his music was to have worldwide.

Featuring over 20 of his iconic hits, hear the story of the man and enjoy the music

Fri 8pm, Sat 7.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 11+

Content warning: This production features a gunshot.

“One of the best shows I’ve seen.”

Audience member

(Rush: A Joyous Jamaican Journey)

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Rush Theatre Company presents

Nicoll Entertainment presents

The Tiger Who Came To Tea

A musical play adapted and directed by David Wood

Based on the book by Judith Kerr

Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award nominated smash hit show, The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns to Oxford Playhouse

The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big, stripy tiger! Join the tea-guzzling tiger in this delightful family show; packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos. Don’t miss this stunning stage adaptation of the classic tale of teatime mayhem... expect to be surprised!

Wed 2pm & 4.30pm, Thu – Sun 11am & 2pm

Tickets from £18

Age guideline 3+

Relaxed R Thu 2pm

British Sign Language Sat 2pm

HHHH “This Tiger is the cat’s meow.” The Times HHHH “A rare and great achievement.” Mail on Sunday

Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company presents

Pinocchio

A big show for small people.

Directed by Niki McCretton

Music by Dom Coyote, with additional music by Tim Dalling

Three very funny men seek refuge in a grand but abandoned old house; one of them is Pinocchio and it turns out he’s had quite a life!

Stuff and Nonsense are leaders in family theatre. Their adaptation of Pinocchio combines classic elements of the story – a poor woodcarver, the tell-tale growing nose, the dream of becoming a real boy – with their hallmark hilarity, skilled puppetry, original music, fantastic staging, outstanding performers, and extraordinary physical tricks.

Invest in your children’s imaginations and take playfulness home with you!

Thu – Sun 2pm, Sat 11am

Tickets Adults £18, Children £16

Age guideline 3+

Relaxed Performance R Fri 2pm

25% off FRIENDS Thu 2pm

Pinocchio is a co-production with Theatre Royal Plymouth, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, with additional support from Lighthouse, Poole, The Point, Eastleigh and  The Lyric, Bridport.

Photo by Mark Morreau.

Buffy Revamped

Seventy minutes. Seven seasons. One Spike.

This fast-paced gem brings you the entire 144 episodes of the hit 90s TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as told through the eyes of the one person who knows it inside out... Spike. Buffy Revamped tours the UK following its award-winning Edinburgh Fringe premiere and sold-out national tours.

Funny, satirical and bursting with 90s pop-culture references, it’s the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados and those who never enrolled at Sunnydale High alike.

Created by comedian Brendan Murphy, whose last show, FRIEND (The One with Gunther), won Best Play at the Worldwide Comedy Awards.

HHHHH “A hilarious romp through Buffy’s life and times.”

British Theatre Guide

7.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 14+

John

An Evening

Without Kate Bush

Performed by Sarah-Louise Young

Made with Russell Lucas

Howl with the Hounds of Love and dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights! She’s not therebut you are. Whether you’ve been a fan for decades or recently joined the shoal via the Stranger Things phenomenon, there has never been a better time to release your inner Bush and celebrate with this joyful, unique, and mind-blowing show.   Following its sold-out, critically acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe premiere, London seasons, UK and Australian tours this smash-hit, award-winning show is back! Sarah-Louise Young and co-creator Russell Lucas pay glorious homage to the music, fans, and mythology of one of the most influential voices in British music.

HHHHH “Magnificent.”

Attitude Magazine

7.30pm

Tickets £24

Age guideline 10+

Mackay presents

James Seabright presents

Moore Enterprising Ltd presents Alfie Moore: A Face For Radio

Somewhere in a parallel universe little Alfie’s natural comedic performance skills were recognised by his doting parents who encouraged and developed his blossoming talent. After several years as a stage school brat Alfie’s angelic face was launched on stage and screen and the rest is history. Meanwhile, in this universe Alfie Moore was told to stop messing about in class before being ‘encouraged’ into the grinding, grimy world of an apprenticeship in the Sheffield steelworks. When recession hit, he traded steel for copper by joining Humberside Police.

In his 40s a surprising career shift turned middle-aged Alfie from street cop to BBC radio star. But when TV fame beckoned could he grasp it or was he past it?

“Offbeat, revealing and very funny.” You Magazine

7.30pm

Tickets £24

Age guideline 14+

Content warning: Includes strong language.

Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening

We are delighted to welcome Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening for a special evening of jigs, reels, heart-wrenching airs, and percussive clog dancing!

From the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall in the northeast of England, Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening reach out to the wider world, connecting threads of music, landscape, and people over almost 2000 years. Named after the old Northumbrian word for twilight, The Darkening includes Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian smallpipes, fiddle, vocals), Amy Thatcher (accordion, clogs, synth, vocals), Kieran Szifris (octave mandolin), Joe Truswell (drums), and Josie Duncan (vocals, clarsach).

“Unexpectedly cosmic.” MOJO

“Wildly thrilling.”

The Guardian

7.30pm

Tickets £25

Age guideline 12+

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

25% off FRIENDS

Showstopper!

The Improvised Musical

Fresh from a phenomenal 15th year at Edinburgh Fringe, the West End hit heads to Oxford! With a BBC Radio 4 series, a critically acclaimed West End run and an Olivier Award to their name, The Showstoppers have delighted audiences across the globe with their ingenious blend of comedy, musical theatre, and spontaneity. A brand-new musical comedy is created from scratch at each performance of this award-winning show as audience suggestions are transformed on the spot into all-singing, all dancing productions with hilarious results. These incredible performers are guaranteed to impress as they create shows packed with drama, dazzling dance routines and catchy melodies – and it’s all made up on the spot!

So, whether you fancy Hamilton in a hospital or Sondheim in the Sahara, you suggest it and The Showstoppers will sing it!

7.30pm

Tickets £29

Age guideline 12+

Content warning: This is an improvised show, there may be some mild swearing and mild sexual innuendo.

Showstopper Productions Ltd

Wed

Coming to England

Adapted by

David Wood

An inspirational story of hope, determination, and triumph.

Floella Benjamin’s award-winning and iconic book Coming to England comes to life on stage with music, storytelling, and humour.

Much loved by children and families, Coming to England tells Floella’s own story of emigrating to England as a child. Aged just 10, she and her siblings left Trinidad and sailed alone to join their parents. But Floella’s excitement for her new life in England is short-lived, with her family subjected to racism and intolerance in 1960s’ London. Guided by her mother, and working twice as hard as her classmates, Coming to England tells the story of how a young Floella overcame adversity and grew to become Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham.

Adapted for the stage by David Wood “the national children’s dramatist” – The Times this vibrant and energetic musical is the perfect entertainment for the whole family.

Wed – Sat 7pm, Thu 11am, Sat 2pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 7+

British Sign Language Thu 7pm

Relaxed Performance R Thu 7pm

HHHH “Floella Benjamin’s cherished novel is a musical message of positivity.”

WhatsOnStage

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Floella Benjamin’s

Photo by Geraint Lewis featuring original cast.

A 1927 & Burgtheater Vienna co-production

Please right back

Written by Suzanne Andrade

Directed by Suzanne Andrade and Esme Appleton

Film

and animation by Paul Barritt

The new show from multi-award-winning company 1927

Combining handcrafted animation and bold storytelling, Please right back sweeps audiences into a magical, mischievous world, inspired by a true story.

Kim and Davey’s dad, Mr E, has disappeared. When Mr E writes to his children to tell them what has happened, his imagination takes over. Reality collides with fantasy, as we travel on a fast-paced journey through his wild adventure stories. Mr E’s letters are staged using song, dance, and subversive animations, as his stories become a kind of game between him and his children – a cathartic release in the face of distress.

Part social realism, part science fiction with a healthy dose of mischief and a dash of dystopia, Please right back is a eulogy to the power of the imagination, storytelling and make believe.

Wed, Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 8+

“Anyone interested in the theatre should see this company now.”

The Observer

A Raisin in the Sun

Written by Lorraine Hansberry

Directed by Tinuke Craig

In a rented apartment on Chicago’s South Side, the Younger family is full of hope, dreams, grief, and big plans. Their beloved father has died, and the money from his life insurance policy could change their lives. Mama wants to put down roots in a home of her own. Her daughter Beneatha has her heart set on becoming a doctor. But her son Walter Lee thinks the money is his to spend — and he’s willing to sacrifice his values and his family to get what he wants. Each must face what it means to escape the confines of a segregated society. How do you create a meaningful life in a world designed to keep you down?

Groundbreaking, pioneering and challenging, Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun broke barriers as the first play by a Black woman on Broadway. Directed by Tinuke Craig (Jitney, The Color Purple), this classic family drama full of humour and heart, remains relevant and powerful in a world still divided by inequality.

Wed, Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 8pm, Sat 2.30pm

Tickets from £14

Age guideline 14+

British Sign Language Wed

“A play that changed American theatre forever.”

The New York Times

“The consistently impressive company Headlong.”

25% off FRIENDS

Wed & Sat mat

14 – 25s £5 Wed

Audio Described Sat mat

Touch Tour TT Sat mat

Evening Standard

Content warning: This production contains racially explicit language, themes and content and reference to abortion.

A Headlong, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Nottingham Playhouse production

Fri 22 Nov 2024 – Sun 5 Jan 2025

Sleeping Beauty

Written and directed by Toby Hulse

Get ready for a dream of a panto at Oxford Playhouse!

Our Beauty’s got herself in a spindly situation with an evil fairy and now she’s not just resting her eyes, like Grandpa on Boxing Day, but she’s well and truly out for the count.

Will good triumph over evil? Will love win over jealousy? Will we find an alarm clock loud enough to wake this Sleeping Beauty before it’s too late?

Expect spellbinding costumes, toe-tapping tunes, and all your favourite loveable (and downright boo-able) panto heroes and villains. Reawaken your magical side with a festive experience that’s perfect for all the family. Never mind goodnight, this is sure to be the BEST night.

Don’t hit snooze... book your tickets now for this year’s Oxford Playhouse Pantomime, Sleeping Beauty

Tickets from £15

Age guideline For everyone aged 5 to 105!

Audio Described Sat 30 Nov 4pm & Sat 4 Jan 2pm

Relaxed Performance R Thu 5 Dec 6pm & Fri 3 Jan 2pm

British Sign Language Fri 6 Dec 10am & Thu 12 Dec 6pm

Captioned CAP Fri 20 Dec 3pm

Dementia Friendly DF Thu 2 Jan 11am

EN HOUSE

Did you know that every year Oxford Playhouse...

• Gives away around 2,500 tickets absolutely free to community groups, individuals and school groups that might otherwise not be able to attend;

• Offers bursaries for young people to take part in our companies;

• Welcomes older people for social events and a chance to chat;

• And works with local charities like Yellow Submarine and KEEN to run activities open to all.

We believe theatre helps us to empathise, to celebrate, to laugh and to cry. It can entertain us, transport us, teach us about the world and each other, spark creativity and unleash our imaginationwe might be a bit biased, but we think theatre and live performance are pretty good for the soul!

And that’s why we’re passionate about our Open House programmeensuring that as many people as possible, whatever their background or circumstance, have access to creative opportunities and live performance.

It’s through the generosity of our supporters and funders that we are able to keep this valuable work going, so please help us today by donating to Open House at The Playhouse Your donation really will make a positive difference. All donations to Open House go directly to opening up opportunities for all.

Please help us to continue to share the joy of theatre by donating to our Open House fund...

Photo by Geraint Lewis.

Burton Taylor Studio

Thu 4 Apr

Drumming Up Poetry Company Drumming Up Poetry Show

By Francis Boua

A heartfelt show combining poetry and African drumming. You won’t feel lonely after the show. Smile, Live, Love, Shine. Keep drumming UP to be HAPPY!!

In AFRICA the drums stand for Peace, Love and Harmony.

In AFRICA the drums are used to communicate and celebrate Life, Traditions and Cultures.

“Brilliant performance.”

Audience Member, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023

Fri 5 Apr

Luke Wright’s Silver Jubilee

Luke returns to the BT Studio with his latest Edinburgh Fringe Smash Hit.

Wright tries to celebrate but ends up taking a deep dive into himself and the England that raised him. New poems on class, love, and adoption.

HHHH

“Breathtaking... with a sharpness and wisdom that lifts the soul and soothes the battered heart.”

The Scotsman

HHHHH

The Telegraph

HHHHH

The Stage

7.30pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline all ages

7pm & 9pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 12+

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Tue 9 – Thu 11 Apr

Lauren Reed Productions Boy Out

The City

Written and performed by Declan Bennett

Directed and co-created by Nancy Sullivan

Created out of writing from his own private journals, Declan Bennett (EastEnders’ Charlie Cotton) reflects on surviving the streets of Coventry in a NAF jacket, discovering the Gay scene in 90s Soho, and confronting his Catholic school days.

From the lonely aisles of Hobbycraft to the bright lights of New York city, this is the story of a man in desperate search of identity when confronted with sudden unexpected solitude.

7.30pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 16+

Burton Taylor Studio

Fri 12 Apr

New Anthem Theatre Group FUFC

Experience a darkly comedic journey into the life of Tony with FUFC: football, friendship, and cancer. Facing a cancer diagnosis in his early fifties, Tony’s story resonates with anyone who has ever contemplated the complexities of cancer, offering a message: you’re not alone. Witness as Tony embarks on a path of acceptance and discovery, confronting the challenges of informing his loved ones, and uncovering the unexpected humour and resilience required to face life’s toughest battles.

Supported by Oxford Prostate Cancer Support Group and Tackle

Fri 19 Apr

Purple Wave Tea & Milk

Life doesn’t always turn out like you’ve imagined.

Fresh from a breakup, stuck in a weird job and having sex with randomers in search of The One™️, this is a(nother) one woman show about a(nother) woman.

She’s really trying - but at a school reunion, all her peers are talking about investment banking, children and marriage. Feel like keeping her company?

Edith Alibec’s bittersweet play celebrates the bravery of failing (and laughing) at life when you’ve found yourself out of place - in another country, in the wrong company, or when you just feel like you've been left behind.

Sat 20 Apr

The Company

Draining the Swamp

By D.R. Hill

A dramatisation of Oswald Mosley’s life linking to politics today.

Draining the Swamp is a provocative new play, with five actors, exploring the life and activities of Fascist leader, Sir Oswald Mosley, from the 1930s to 1960s. It links Mosley’s world, and that of his controversial second wife, Diana Mitford, to contemporary politicians and populist movements, with a chilling 2019 conclusion. The piece includes scenes set in Parliament, the Mosley home, and Goebells’ house in Berlin.

7.30pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 18+

7pm & 9pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50 Age guideline 16+

2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50 Age guideline 12+

Sat 6 Apr

Faceplant Theatre In The Dead Of The Night

Will Lily conquer her fears?

Will she conquer her fright?

Will she conquer the ghouls In the Dead of the Night?

A thrilling, funny, and heart-warming story about an awesome girl called Lily who faces her fears and saves the day. Adapted from Arthur McBain’s internationally best selling book by award-winning Faceplant Theatre

HHHH

“A perfect show for kids.”

Families Edinburgh

Sat 13 Apr

Indefinite Articles

Claytime

The award-winning Indefinite Articles present their work for the very young: Claytime, a play with clay, where the audience are invited to participate. Come to a place where the earth’s natural material meets with children’s imaginations: a world of fabulous forms, amazing animals and morphing monsters.

Each Claytime is totally uniquecreating its own world, its own characters and its own stories drawn directly from its young audience. Truly, interactive theatre at its most engaging.

“An out-of-the-ordinary theatrical experience.”

The Guardian

Wed 17 – Fri 19 Jul

Wilde Without The Boy

Directed by Gareth Armstrong

Performed by Gerard Logan

The award-winning Wilde

Without the Boy is a dramatisation of De Profundis, Oscar Wilde’s searing letter to his gay lover, written from Reading Gaol.

Wilde’s brilliant poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol narrates the execution of a soldier convicted of murdering his wife.

HHHHH “Watching

Logan work

is like being privy to a wonder of nature and remains with you... A true masterpiece of solo performance...”

Edinburgh Festival 2015

11am, 1.30pm & 4pm

Tickets £10.50 | £8.50

Age guideline 3+

11am, 1.30pm & 3.30pm

Tickets £11.50 | £9.50

Age guideline 3 to 6

7.30pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 12+

Burton Taylor Studio

Wed 4 & Thu 5 Sep

Night Terrors

The Ghost Stories of

E. F. Benson

Directed by Gareth Armstrong

Performed by Gerard Logan

Night Terrors is a spellbinding evening of three tales of the supernatural from E. F. Benson’s brilliant collection of ghost stories. Award-winning actor Gerard Logan will take you to a world of invisible, but terrifyingly present, spirits.

HHHHH “Logan is astounding... He takes a strong script and flies it to the stars.”

Edinburgh Festival 2016

7pm & 9pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 12+

Fri 6 & Sat 7 Sep

Middle-Weight Theatre What’s Next?

The history of humankind lives on a timeline of exploration, and this is what’s next...

Based on true events, What's Next? is a captivating one-woman show that delves into the remarkable life of Harriet Quimby. This exciting new production shines a light on the often-overlooked historical milestone: the awe-inspiring journey of the first woman to conquer the skies solo and soar across the English Channel.

HHHHH

West End Best Friend

Content warning: Mild use of strong language.

Supported and funded by The Arts Council England

7.30pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 12+

Thu 26 Sep

SDJ Productions

The Duke

By Shôn Dale Jones

Funny, poignant and playful, the Fringe First winning show weaves together the tragi-comic fate of a family heirloom –a porcelain figure of The Duke of Wellington, the quandary of a scriptwriter stretching his integrity and an unfolding disaster as thousands of children flee their homes. The Duke has received over 20 four star reviews and is acclaimed for its clever blend of fantasy and reality as it gently challenges our priorities in a world full of crisis.

“Legend of the Edinburgh Festival.”

The Guardian

7pm & 9pm

Tickets £12.50 | £10.50

Age guideline 14+

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Oxford Festivals Queer Fest

A brand-new festival celebrating queer new writing in Oxford!

Oxford Playhouse and Pegasus Theatre have joined forces to create a platform for LGBTQ+ artists to develop and showcase new queer writing. Come together in a supportive space to proudly share your stories and connect with other queer artists across the city and beyond! Keep an eye out for applications opening soon.

Offbeat Festival

It’s back!

Offbeat returns this Autumn with an exciting programme full of emerging local talent, in partnership with the Old Fire Station, New Theatre Oxford, and Oxford Playhouse.

Watch this space for full listing details.

www.offbeatoxford.co.uk

Take Part

Ages 5 and under

Hey Diddle Diddle

Monday morning musical fun, to start your week with a dance and a song!

Kickstart your little one’s excitement for creativity and imaginative play with our Hey Diddle Diddle sessions – a perfect introduction to music, dance and performance for early years children and their adults.

With a new theme each week, you and your child are invited to play, laugh and learn in these fun, interactive sessions.

If you would like more information before signing up please email participation@oxfordplayhouse.com

Ages 11 to 15

Panto Young Company Auditions

Would you like to be part of the magic of pantomime?

Young people from across Oxfordshire are invited to audition to perform alongside our professional cast in this year’s Oxford Playhouse pantomime Sleeping Beauty

If you’re passionate about acting, singing and dancing, and would like to be on stage this Christmas, then why not take part in one of our group auditions, run by members of our pantomime creative team? Audition places are limited so early booking is recommended! If selected, you will need to be available for rehearsals and performances from Mon 7 October 2024 to Sun 5 January 2025 and be aged 11 to 15.

If you would like more information before signing up please email participation@oxfordplayhouse.com

Mon: 15 Apr – 15 Jul (No session on Mon 6 & Mon 27 May) 11am – 11.30am

Ages 5 and under

Lucy Room, Oxford Playhouse

Buggy/pushchair space available in Foyer

Fee £5 per session (1 adult & 1 child)

£3 per additional ticket

Sat 1 Jun Daytime – a time slot will be allocated to you when you book

Ages 11 to 15

Top Room, Oxford Playhouse FREE (but booking essential)

Ages 11+

KEEN Drama Workshops

Our FREE, inclusive drama workshops return for the Spring Term at KEEN, St Clement’s Centre, Oxford.

Accessible to disabled and non-disabled participants, these weekly drop-in sessions provide a supportive opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to have fun and be expressive through performance. In the Summer term, we will be collaborating on a project as part of Offbeat Festival. Participants will explore their own creative ideas, that will form a part of the final sharing at the end of term.

To book a place, please email: keen@keenoxford.org

To learn more about the inclusive work delivered by KEEN, visit their website: www.keenoxford.org

Ages 12 to 16

Playhouse Youth Theatre

Playhouse Youth Theatre is our platform for young people to develop their passion for performance, learn new skills and build confidence and friendships in a supportive setting.

Our Summer Term will see participants devise their own play, to be shared in a public performance in the BT Studio at the end of term. Sessions will be structured with games and workshops to build new skills and ideas, collectively bringing together their own characters and narrative as the story begins to take shape.

Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Term dates can be found on our website. There is no audition to take part. Early booking is encouraged, as spaces tend to fill fast.

Mon: (dates TBC)

Please email keen@keenoxford.org for dates 6.30pm – 7.15pm

Ages 11+

KEEN Oxford (St Clement’s Centre, OX4 1GG)

FREE (Please book at keen@keenoxford.org)

Session Facilitator: Beth Sedgwick

Tue: 30 Apr – 9 Jul (please note there will be a session scheduled during half term)

5pm to 7.30pm

Ages 12 to 16

Top Room, Oxford Playhouse

Fee £75

Session Facilitators: Lauren Carter & Lucy Findlay

Take Part

Ages 17 to 25

Playhouse Young Company

Designed to develop key performance skills and build confidence as part of an ensemble, our Playhouse Young Company welcomes young people with a commitment and passion for creating theatre.

In preparation for an end-of-term public performance in the BT Studio, participants will spend Summer Term sessions developing their devising skills whilst creating characters and narratives for their own original piece of theatre.

Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Term dates can be found on our website. There is no audition to take part. Early booking is encouraged, as spaces tend to fill fast.

If you would like more information before signing up please email participation@oxfordplayhouse.com

Ages 26+

Playhouse Adult Company

Our Playhouse Adult Company is a multi-generational group, made up of those with a passion for theatre, eager to build their confidence in performing and create a new group of friends.

Building a foundation of key performance skills in voice, movement and expression, participants will spend the Summer Term collaboratively creating and devising their own original piece, to be performed to a public audience in the BT Studio at the end of term. Participants are expected to attend all sessions. Term dates can be found on our website. There is no audition to take part. Early booking is encouraged, as spaces tend to fill fast.

If you would like more information before signing up please email participation@oxfordplayhouse.com

Mon: 17 Apr – 10 Jul

(No session on Wed 29 May)

5pm to 7.30pm

Ages 17 to 25

Top Room, Oxford Playhouse

Fee £75

Session Facilitator: Paul Simpson

Thu: 18 Apr – 11 Jul

(No session on Thu 30 May) 5.30pm to 7.30pm

Ages 26+

Top Room, Oxford Playhouse

Fee £75

Session Facilitators: Emma Webb

Ages 50+

Social Thursdays

A welcoming, supportive space for people later-in-life to come together, have a go at creative activities and build new friendships, our Social Thursdays sessions provide opportunities to allow everyone the space to try something new. A curated programme of various art forms, including talks, dance, singing, play-reading and much more, our sessions are designed for you to take part at your own pace. Refreshments are available during the session.

You can book your space ahead of time, or feel free to turn up on the day. If you would like more information before coming to one of our sessions, please email community@oxfordplayhouse.com

“Each session has something for everyone. I felt even more revitalised than usual!”

Previous participant

Thu: 18 Apr, 16 May, 13 Jun

10.30am – 12noon

Ages 50+

Main Foyer, Oxford Playhouse

FREE (Book ahead, or just turn up)

Session Facilitator: Beth Sedgwick, joined by a guest facilitator

For teachers and facilitators

Teachers & Facilitators

In this practical CPD workshop, delivered by Voice Practitioner Bernadette O’Brien, participants will explore the methods used by theatre industry experts, including vocal warm-ups, projection skills and character voice to influence both performance and presentation.

Informed by feedback from local teachers about skills they wish to develop, this training session is designed to help classroom practitioners adapt their pedagogy with confidence. A handy guide to the methods covered in the session will be sent to participants after the workshop. This workshop is suitable for teachers and facilitators only.

If you would like more information before signing up please email learning@oxfordplayhouse.com

Mon 17 Jun 5pm to 7.30pm

Top Room, Oxford Playhouse

Fee £25

Session Facilitators: Bernadette O’Brien

Our Supporters

Supported by The Visitor Economy Renaissance Programme grant funding, secured by OxLEP Business

Trusts & Foundations

The Atlas Fund

Backstage Trust

Doris Field Charitable Trust

The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust

Dr T M N Salvesen’s Charitable Trust

The Emmanuel Kaye Foundation

The Garrick Charitable Trust

The Hugh Fraser Foundation

The Lord Farringdon Charitable Trust

Mactaggart Third Fund

Mr & Mrs J A Pye’s Charitable Settlement

The Schuster Charitable Trust

Souldern Trust

Still Point Fund

Theatres Trust

The Thompson Family Charitable Trust

The William Delafield Charitable Trust

Anonymous (but greatly appreciated)

Building and Technical Supporters

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsors

Business Circle Members

Over

Oxford Playhouse Trust gratefully acknowledges the support of its core funders:

St John’s College Oxford

Creative Learning and Production Supporter Volunteers

100 volunteers give up their time to help out at Oxford Playhouse. Thank you!

Thank You

Every ticket you buy supports Oxford Playhouse.

As a charity we also rely on the generosity of Friends, Patrons, and donors to put world class productions on our stage, reach out to the local community and develop local artists. If you can, please consider making a gift so our work can continue to flourish in the future. For further information please contact development@oxfordplayhouse.com

Donors

Diana Acland

Saphié Ashtiany & Prof Paul Davies

Louise Armstrong

Lady Helen Baker

Sir Chirstopher and Lady Wendy Ball

Rev Charlotte & William Banister-Parker

B J Birch

Valerie Boasten

John Peter H Bradley

Lesley Brown

His Hon John Quentin & Her Hon Ann Campbell

Martin Cattermole

Mark Charter

Keith Crawford

Dr Cecile Deer

Richard and Felicity Dick

David Dunne

Miss Patricia Freestone

Cllr. Dr James Fry

Simon Inch

Sarah Jones

Sos Eltis

Geoffry Lescott

Peter Mackridge

John May

M J Morris

Elizabeth Paris

Brian W Plater

Diana B Renton

Alison Townsend

Dr Louise Upton

Edward Whinney

J Willis

Patrons of Oxford Playhouse

Silver Patrons

Prof Sir Clive & Lady Margaret Booth

Anthony Budgen

Chris Cawthorne

Matthew Derbyshire

Prof Michael Goldsmith

Alan Grafen

David & Sue Jackson

Simon & Alison Jeffreys

Greg Lovett

John Parrott

Dr Trudy Watt

Gold Patrons

Prof Sir Richard & Lady Elizabeth Brook

Brian Buchan

Alex Duncan

Debbie & Stephen Dance

Platinum Patrons

Richard Gladstone

Joe Pillman & Jackie Watson

We are also incredibly grateful to those who prefer to remain anonymous and anyone who has supported us during the past year, but who we are unable to list here. Your help and solidarity has made an enormous difference during these most challenging times.

Thank you.

Become a Patron

Play your part as a Patron of Oxford Playhouse

By deepening your relationship with The Playhouse, you’ll gain more insight into our exciting work while making a vital contribution at a time when it’s most needed. Your gift helps to support our work on stage and off, nurturing imagination through our inspiring creative education and community programmes. Your generosity will promote creativity across the county, improve wellbeing in our communities and ensure we can support theatre artists of the future.

Choose your level of support and become a Patron at www.oxfordplayhouse.com/patron call us on 01865 305315 or email development@oxfordplayhouse.com

Photo: Ballet Black: Pioneers , 2023

Tickets and Discounts

Oxford Playhouse strives to be a Playhouse for Everyone. For all week-long professional productions, we have an allocation of tickets available for just £14 each to make theatregoing affordable. Please be sure to book early!

Across our performances, ticket prices may vary according to demand. Flexible pricing allows the theatre to be sustainable and to ensure we can continue bringing the best work to our stages. Please book early or, to guarantee access to the best seats at the best prices (and a priority booking period), why not join as a Friend of Oxford Playhouse for just £60 a year. Friends and Patrons are also exempt from paying admin fees when exchanging tickets.

Please note, all tickets are non-refundable. Tickets can be exchanged for another performance of the same production up to 48 hours ahead of the start time and subject to availability. A £2 admin fee applies per ticket (up to a max £10).

Discount Group Ticket Price Conditions

Friends & Patrons

Up to 50% off on selected

Available on up to two tickets for most productions. performances during week-long Friends membership is priced at £60 a year, and Patron shows. Bonus discounts of 25% levels start at £600 a year. For more information visit  or 50% on most shorter runs www.oxfordplayhouse.com/membership (excludes £14 tickets).

Concessions £4 off each ticket.

Access Users

Schools & Colleges

£11.50 or £15 per ticket.

£11.50 or £15 per ticket

Available for most shows on full priced tickets of more than £14 for people 18 and under, Full Time University/ College Students (must provide ID on collection), those in receipt of Universal Credit, NHS Staff and Equity, BECTU and Stage Directors UK members. No further discounts available. £12 tickets for students and under 18s are available for student shows.

Available for most shows for Access facility users, wheelchair users and one companion.

An allocation of tickets is available Monday to Thursday plus one free teacher seat for most shows. School tickets for Sleeping Beauty are for every 10 seats booked. from £13.

Group Rate 10% off for groups of 10 or more

Groups of 20 or more are not available online. Email and 20% for groups of 40 or more. boxoffice@oxfordplayhouse.com for group bookings. (Available Mon to Thu & Sat Payment must be made as one transaction. matinee performances only).

Over 60s Matinee £4 off the full price.

Limited number available to anyone aged 60+ for most matinee performances. Must be booked before the week of the show. Max 4 tickets per booking.

14–25s

£5 tickets available in advance

You must be aged 14 - 25 and a member. Please join for selected shows, subject at the Box Office, or for more information visit to availability. www.oxfordplayhouse.com/membership

Booking Information

Seating Plan

Possible limited view. Please call the Box Office for further information. These seats can be removed to accommodate wheelchairs. Please call the Box Office for further information.

Rows AA to C are sometimes removed for staging and are therefore not always available – please check with the Box Office when booking.

CIRCLE

View from Row A, Circle

View from Row K, Stalls

View from Row A, Stalls

Access Facilities

We want to make your visit to Oxford Playhouse and the Burton Taylor Studio as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. We offer a range of access facilities. To find out more information about the accessibility of our venues please visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/access, call the friendly Box Office team on 01865 305305 or email access@oxfordplayhouse.com

Our range of Access facilities includes:

General Access Our main entrance is at street level on Beaumont Street and fully wheelchair accessible with automated doors. Our Box Office, Auditorium, The Gladstone Room and Foyer Bar are all fully wheelchair accessible, with low level counters. There is also an Accessible toilet on ground level.

Wheelchair spaces Within Stalls, end of rows E and L and centre of row T. Unfortunately, the Circle, Lucy Room and Top Room are not currently wheelchair accessible. Our BT Studio is only accessible via two flights of stairs. If you require a stair climber, please let the Box Office know when booking.

What’s On Guides are available as audio recordings and Large-print copies on request. Please email access@oxfordplayhouse.com

Sennheiser infrared headset system can help to boost the sound level straight to your hearing aid and headphones, if you are hard of hearing. Please ask the Box Office team at the time of booking, who can advise on the best places to sit for using the Sennheiser sets.

Captioned performances convert spoken word into text that appears on a screen as the words are sung or spoken on stage.

British Sign Language (BSL) performances feature a BSL interpreter, who stands at the side of the stage and interprets the show for D/deaf audiences.

Audio Described performances (via headphones) offer a live narration describing the action in the pauses between the onstage dialogue, for those who are blind or partially sighted. Free touch tours also accompany these performances and are a chance to explore the set before the show begins.

Relaxed performances are specifically set up to be more sensitive to audiences who may benefit from a more relaxed environment, including people with autistic spectrum conditions, learning disabilities or young children. The house lights will be partially on, sound levels reduced, and audience members can come and go as they please and make noise if they want to.

Dementia Friendly performances are carefully tailored for those living with dementia and their friends, family or carers, so everyone can enjoy the show in a supportive, comfortable, and relaxed environment. Adaptations include reduced volume of music when dialogue is taking place.

Access Diary

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Cover image: Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch by Pamela Raith