WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse

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WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
WHAT’S ON GUIDE
     SPRING 2020

  Oxford Playhouse   January 2020 to April 2020
WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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.

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WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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

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WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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
WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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
WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
– 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

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WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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
WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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

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WHAT'S ON GUIDE SPRING 2020 - Oxford Playhouse
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.

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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.

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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

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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

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CELEBRATE
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.com
Confucius 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

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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.

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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

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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

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IT’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

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Marlena 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             25
Photo: 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              27
Photo 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              29
30   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             31
32   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               33
FREE
            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              35
Sat 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.com
Freckle 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            37
38   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             39
40   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            41
Coming 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.com
Coming 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            43
Coming 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.com
Coming 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         45
Coming 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.com
Coming 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            47
BURTON 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.com
OXJAMS                                                                                    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            49
Signdance 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.com
Wildchild 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              51
Haste 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.com
JOIN 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.com
ACTIVITIES 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                                                  55
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