Oxford Playhouse Winter 2011

Free What’s On GuideJanuary to May 2011

Welcome to a Playhouse for Everyone

OPINI ON01865 305305www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Welcome to Oxford PlayhouseJanuary to May 2011

Welcome to your theatre…2011 is going to be a great year of theatre-going if our new season is anything to go by. Make your new year’s resolution one that you can keep – to bring more cultural adventure into your life by coming to OP more often.

We kick off the new year with a veritable feast of drama, which I hope you’ll be joining us for.

We are proud to be presenting the world premiere of After Troy by Glyn Maxwell, the UK premiere of Danish Dance Theatre and hosting a rare UK visit by the wonderful Moscow Chekhov International Festival with Cheek By Jowl’s Russian The Tempest.

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OPINI ON

The Playhouse is busy making its own shows too; we’re producing our own panto, Cinderella, which plays until 16 January, making Bath Time for the under 5s in December and co-producing Brontë, with the wonderful Shared Experience and The Watermill Theatre, which opens here in March before touring the country.

Our 16|22 young people’s company premieres its brand new production of Canterbury Tales, and the University of Oxford students are tackling Chekhov and Strindberg. More young people take to the stage with National Theatre Connections, Oxford Youth Dance and Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre. Add in some classics like Journey’s End and Great Expectations, a new Alan Ayckbourn play, some great comedy and a brilliant Playhouse Plays Out show, and it’s a full to bursting new season. Like many fields of life, the arts has been hit hard in the recent spending review, and the Playhouse has received a substantial cut in its funding from central government. As a result, we will be introducing a £1 per ticket booking fee on some transactions from 1 April 2011. This decision is not one that we have taken lightly, but the only alternative would have been to reduce the level of our activity – to present fewer shows, support fewer artists and do less community and education activity. The booking fee won’t apply if you’re an Enjoy! member, so do consider joining. For just £40 you can get up to 50% off two first-night tickets for most shows and lots more besides. The fee also won’t apply to family shows, studio productions, group bookings and Tickets Oxford events. More good news is that we’re not putting up ticket prices this year for professional shows and there are still lots of affordable and discounted tickets on offer.

By coming to see shows, you’re playing your part, so I hope that you will continue to support the Playhouse in 2011. Do keep letting me know what you think of the shows and your Playhouse.

Michelle Dickson Director, Oxford [email protected]

01865 305305www.oxfordplayhouse.com

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Don’t ForgetHurry! Book soon for this year’s Oxford Playhouse pantomime, Cinderella; this is one ball you won’t want to be late for! Cinders, her ugly sisters, the handsome prince and a Fairy Godmother are just a few of the magical characters waiting to greet you and your friends and family at the Playhouse this festive season.

And there’s more…FREE activities and toys in our Circle Bar We have toys, games and activities to keep everyone occupied before, after (and even during!) the show.

FREE big cushions for little peopleToddler cushions are available on the day for those that need an extra bit of height to thoroughly enjoy the show (allocated on a first come first served basis).

We don’t charge a booking fee for panto!That’s right, no booking fee here!

We offer special rates to schools and groupsTickets for schools start at just £9.50 (including some free tickets for teachers, depending on quantity) and there are great rates for groups.

So, what are you waiting for?With a total of 73 performances to choose from, there’s no need to miss out on the party of the year!

Friday 3 December 2010 to Sunday 16 January 2011Written and directed by Peter Duncan

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Ticket prices£11.50 to £22 Discounts available

For a full performance schedule please call the Ticket Office on 01865 305305 or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com

The kids were singing all the way home and it certainly lived up to the Playhouse’s high standards.Audience member on Jack and the Beanstalk 2009

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Wednesday 19 January

National Youth Jazz OrchestraThe National Youth Jazz Orchestra returns to Oxford Playhouse following previous sell-out visits. This 22 piece band with two vocalists provides a truly uplifting celebration of the jazz big band sound. This talented group of under 25s are destined to become the next UK jazz generation.

Under its founding Musical Director, Bill Ashton OBE, NYJO has performed hundreds of concerts all over Britain playing an enormous repertoire covering a wide variety of styles.

Forget the word ‘youth’, this is one of the best bands you will ever hear. Sir John Dankworth CBE

National Youth Jazz Orchestra

Show time7.30pm

Ticket prices £9.50 £12 £15

www.nyjo.org.uk


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Show timesFri: 8pmSat: 7.30pm

Ticket prices£9.50 £12.50 £17.50 £19.50

Enjoy! membership 33% off Friday

Post show talk Fri 21 Jan

UK tour is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and the Danish Arts Council Committee for the Performing Arts. Danish Dance Theatre is supported by the Danish Ministry of Culture.

Friday 21 and Saturday 22 January

Danish Dance TheatreDansk DanseteaterEnigma, CaDance, Kridt

Oxford Playhouse is delighted to present the UK premiere of Danish Dance Theatre at the start of a major national tour.

Danish Dance Theatre is one of the foremost contemporary dance companies in Scandinavia. Led by Birmingham-born artistic director Tim Rushton since 2001, the company is in demand all over the world and performs to huge international acclaim.

With this triple-bill audiences will be treated to and captivated by Rushton’s unique choreography, which combines the classical lines of ballet with the power of modern dance.

Enigma, with music by Mathias Friis-Hansen, layers powerful, beautiful and sensual duets as the dancers strive to understand each other. CaDance is a thrilling testosterone-fuelled competition between the 5 male dancers, driven by Andy Pape’s exhilarating music performed live on stage by two drummers. In the award-winning Kridt (Chalk), a work from 2005 based on Peteris Vasks’s exquisite suite for strings Musica Adventus and the texts of Ecclesiastes, a man on the verge of death remembers his life, told by the people he has known.

Director and Choreographer Tim Rushton


OPINIONThis company is an exciting addition to Oxford’s dance programme. I highly recommend Danish Dance Theatre to dance virgins, fans of ballet and to admirers of companies like Richard Alston.

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Dance Touring Partnership presents Danish Dance Theatre

Tim Rushton’s dances strike like a thunderclap.The Boston Globe


Wednesday 26 to Saturday 29 January

The SeagullBy Anton ChekhovTranslated by Michael Frayn

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

On a moonlit evening on a decaying Russian country estate, guests gather outside to watch the first performance of a young man’s new play, performed by his sweetheart, the aspiring actress Nina. But as family and romantic relations stretch to breaking point, the pressures of art and of celebrity begin to reveal a much deeper anxiety about each person’s sense of the world and their place within it.

All I wanted to say to people quite honestly was: Look at yourselves. Chekhov

Boldly honest and richly symbolic, Chekhov’s first major play is brought to the Playhouse stage by University of Oxford Student Company, Illyria Productions in an effort to explore the despairing power of love and the symptomatic struggles of the artist as he strives to make his voice heard above the silent din. Raw, beautiful and darkly comic.

DirectorChloe WicksDesigner Anna LewisLighting George Hardy

Show timesWed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pmFri: 8pmThu & Sat mats: 2.30pm

Ticket prices£9.50 £11.50 £14.50Student tickets: £9.50 available in advance

Enjoy! membership 50% off Wednesday

Post show talk Wed 26 Jan

Pre show talkFri 28 Jan: 6.45pm Top RoomTickets £2 per personPlease note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users

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University of Oxford Student Company: Illyria Productions


Monday 31 January to Saturday 5 February

Master ClassBy Terrence McNally

Beautiful and talented but tormented and insecure, Maria Callas took the world by storm. The general public was mesmerised as much by her talent as by her glamorous and thrilling private life. Her passionate love affair with the shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis gripped press and public alike and took on an added drama when he left her, heart-broken, for Jackie Kennedy only to return the night after their wedding asking for Maria’s forgiveness. She refused and never really recovered, dying broken hearted at the age of 54.

Stephanie Beacham plays Maria who reminisces on the triumphs and tragedies of her life in and out of the limelight.

Stephanie embarks on the most challenging role of her career as the celebrated diva. As one of the most respected actors of her generation she has played opposite Marlon Brando in The Nightcomers, been a leading player at the RSC and National Theatre and appeared in the hugely popular TV drama Tenko. Her role as Sable Colby in Dynasty and The Colbys propelled her into the global spotlight.

Master Class was a hit on Broadway where it won both the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play and the Tony Award for Best Play. This new production is directed by Jonathan Church, the acclaimed Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre.

DirectorJonathan Church

Cast includesStephanie Beacham

Show timesMon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pmFri: 8pmThu & Sat mats: 2.30pm

Ticket pricesMon, Tue, Wed eves & Sat mat: £12 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £12 £20 £24 £27Thu mat: £12 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50No discounts Fri & Sat eves

Enjoy! membership 33% off Monday

Post show talk Wed 2 Feb

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Theatre Royal Bath Productions

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Show time7.30pm

Ticket price£12No discounts


Sunday 6 February

The Interminable Suicide of Gregory ChurchWritten and Performed by Daniel Kitson

Gregory had fifty-seven letters to write. He’d never written that many letters, not in one go. In fact, he’d never written a single letter and it was taking significantly longer than he’d anticipated. He’d started, full of optimism, curiously enough, at 9am and now here he was 8 hours later half way through letter twenty four. He glanced at his watch and then at the noose hanging over his head.

Gregory sighed.

Had he known how long suicide letters take, he thought, he wouldn’t have cancelled the milk for the morning.

The story of a death postponed by life.

An ingeniously simple and hopeful piece of work, turning loneliness into communion. Independent

Daniel KitsonA Night of Theatre…


Wednesday 16 March

Micky Flanagan Micky Flanagan will draw on his East End background as he ruthlessly deconstructs the Cockney Myth with razor sharp observational wit. He will tell his comic tale of a working class upbringing, where alphabetti spaghetti is a luxury.

In his own words, Flanagan has come a long way since then, thanks to a university education he is now a rare delight – an intellectual cockney!

Edinburgh Fringe regular, Micky Flanagan’s recent work includes BBC’s Radio 4’s What Chance Change?, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show and host of Radio 4’s At The Fringe.

Arguably the funniest comedian in the world…the future of comedy. Frank Skinner

Micky Flanagan

Show time8pm

Ticket prices £11.50 £15No discounts

A Night of Comedy…


Monday 7 to Saturday 12 February

The Life of RileyBy Alan Ayckbourn

What exactly is the eccentric maverick Riley playing at?

With a few months of his life remaining, George Riley’s closest friends remember with love, nostalgia or occasional bursts of downright fury, how deeply he has affected their lives in the past. George though, is plotting one last final farewell which threatens to upset all their lives in the future. Alan Ayckbourn’s latest play looks backwards, forwards and sometimes sideways, with wry comic affection, on the lives we lived or might have lived.

The cast who performed this world premiere in Scarborough to great audience and critical response reunite for this major UK tour.

DirectorAlan AyckbournDesigner Michael HoltLighting Jason Taylor

CastLaura DoddingtonLiza GoddardLaura HowardJamie KennaBen PorterKim Wall


Ticket pricesMon, Tue, Wed eves & Sat mat: £9.50 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £9.50 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50Thu mat: £9.50 £11.50 £17 £20



Captioned performanceThu 10 Feb: 2.30pm

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The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, in association with Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Ayckbourn directs a production full of fine performances. Daily Telegraph

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LocationThe Old Book BindersNo. 9 Green StreetOxford OX4 1YB

www.Inevents.org

Visitwww.oxfordplayhouse.com for map and information on public transport and parking or ask at the Ticket Office


Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 February

Love Letters Straight From Your Heart

Let’s raise our glasses to long lost loves and current lovers, to mums, to dads and to absent friends.

Uninvited Guests stage an event that is somewhere between a wedding reception, a wake and a radio dedication show.

Your letters of love may become part of the show, romantic gestures or signs of friendship, shared publicly between us. Be our witnesses and we’ll be yours.

If you want to join us on this happy occasion, send a dedication to someone you love to [email protected]

Tell us what they mean to you and why you’ve chosen this piece of music.

Show timesTue: 8pmWed: 6 and 9pm

Ticket prices£10No discounts

A BAC Scratch and an Arnolfini We Live Here commission. Also commissioned by Leeds Met Studio Theatre. Uninvited Guests are Arnolfini Associate Artists and are supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

OPINIONThe performance of Love Letters I saw was a completely irresistible experience; brilliant music and dedications and a gentle, powerful sharing of stories. I left transported.

The Old Book Binders has been transformed into a community arts space in the heart of East Oxford and is the perfect Playhouse Plays Out venue for this show.

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Uninvited Guests and Fuel

You can’t help but fall in love with it. ***** Guardian


Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 February

A Dream PlayBy August StrindbergAdapted by Emma Reay

Do you now understand what love is, with its utmost joys merged into its utmost sufferings, with its mixture of what is most sweet and most bitter? Agnes, daughter of a god, has a crush on mankind. To her, human life is a wonderland of dancing girls, misfits and music hall numbers, where stories merge and evaporate like dreams. Challenging the power of her imagination, Agnes discovers joy and heartbreak in a coming-of-age story like no other. University of Oxford Student Company, BlindSpot Productions, transforms daily life into a playground of the imagination in a vibrant new production that seeks to combine all the glamour of vaudeville with the magic of a fairytale. A rare opportunity to see this classic play, this adaptation captures the playfulness and hope of the work Strindberg called his “greatest joy”.

DirectorGriffith ReesDesigners Natalie ParsonsAnouska LesterLighting James BarberMatthew FreemanMusical Director David Allen


Ticket prices£9.50 £11.50 £14.50Student tickets: £9.50 available in advance



Pre show talkFri 18 Feb: 6.45pm Top RoomTickets £2 per personPlease note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users

www.adreamplay.com

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University of Oxford Student Company: BlindSpot Productions


Monday 21 to Saturday 26 February

Journey’s EndBy R.C. Sherriff

What candles may be held to speed them all?Not in the hands of boys, but in their eyesShall shine the holy glimmers of goodbyes.Wilfred Owen (excerpt from Anthem For Doomed Youth) In the days leading up to the last great German offensive of the First World War, Raleigh, an 18 year old soldier, joins a besieged company of soldiers in the British trenches at St Quentin. There he finds his new comrades being led by his old school friend Stanhope, and discovers that the man in army greens is much changed from the boy he left behind in cricketing whites.

Based on the author’s own experience of the Front and life in the trenches, the play celebrates humour and courage in the face of certain tragedy, and remains an important reminder of the horrors of war and the real, unromanticised heroes who fought it. Journey’s End is the Olivier-nominated, Tony and Drama Desk award-winning production that won critical acclaim in the West End and on Broadway. R.C.Sherriff ’s masterpiece is a must see of British theatre.

DirectorDavid Grindley


Ticket pricesMon, Tue, Wed eves & Sat mat: £12 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £12 £20 £24 £27Thu mat: £12 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50No discounts Fri & Sat eves

A donation for each ticket sold for this production will be made to The Poppy Appeal – supporting The British Legion.


Post show talkWed 23 Feb

OPINIONOxford Playhouse’s exploration of conflict continues. I saw Journey’s End in the West End and knew I wanted to bring it to Oxford. Sherriff ’s play skillfully centres a very personal story in the midst of war, in a production which is brilliantly directed by David Grindley.

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David Grindley’s superb production…arouses emotions that go too deep for words.Daily Telegraph


Wednesday 2 to Saturday 5 March

After TroyBy Glyn Maxwell

Troy is in ruins.Its men are dead.Its women are captivesand the victorious Greeksare camped in the ashes prepared to sail home.

Oxford Playhouse presents Lifeblood’s world premiere of this epic tale of love, loss, song and sarcasm in the smoking ruins of Troy.

Award-winning poet and playwright, Glyn Maxwell rips up two Greek tragedies and makes a witty, passionate play from the fragments. A contemporary retelling of Euripides’ Women Of Troy and Hecuba, After Troy exposes the cruelties of war both then and now.

Glyn Maxwell ’s recent theatre work includes The Lion’s Face (May 2010), Liberty (October 2008), The Only Girl in the World (Arcola, 2008) and The Lifeblood (Edinburgh & Riverside Studios 2004/5).

The Onassis Programme is thrilled to help bring another contemporary revisioning of classical drama to the Playhouse following the successes of Northern Broadsides’ Medea, The Farber Foundry’s Molora and Seamus Heaney’s Burial at Thebes.

DirectorAlex CliftonDesigner Patrick BurnierComposer Alex Silverman


Ticket pricesWed (Preview) & Thu mat:£9.50 £11.50 £17 £20Sat mat: £9.50 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £9.50 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50


Post show talk Thu 3 Mar (eve)

Pre show talkThu 3 Mar: 6.15pm Top RoomWith writer Glyn MaxwellTickets £2 per personPlease note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users

Look out for moreLive Canon: On Troy on page 42

OPINIONThe quality of Lifeblood’s productions makes them worth checking out, whether or not you’re familiar with Greek drama. Excellent writing and performance go hand in hand to create memorable pieces of theatre.

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A Lifeblood Theatre Company and Onassis Programme co-production

Glyn Maxwell is the best dramatic poet now at work. Daily Telegraph


Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 March

The Tempest By William Shakespeare

Following the sheer brilliance and sell-out success of Andromaque, Cheek by Jowl returns to Oxford Playhouse with a dynamic new production of The Tempest. Cheek by Jowl ’s sister company Moscow’s Chekhov International Festival brings to life this disturbing play of power, control and illusion. Shakespeare juggles savage laughter, magic and love with all the flair and freedom of his maturity. Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod’s internationally renowned Russian ensemble, whose ‘acting is nothing short of sublime’ (Times), returns to Oxford with its fresh take on this well-loved play.

Performed in Russian with English surtitles

DirectorDeclan Donnellan Designer Nick OrmerodLighting Kristina Hjelm

Show timesTue, Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pmFri: 8pm

Ticket pricesTue, Wed eves : £9.50 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £9.50 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50

Enjoy! membership 50% off Tuesday

OPINIONIt is a wholly absorbing treat for the senses to watch Cheek by Jowl. The mastery of direction, performance and design is exceptional, and we are thrilled that the company is returning once again to the Playhouse.

Pre show talkThu 10 Mar: 6.15pm Top RoomWith Declan Donnellan,Co-founder and director of Cheek by JowlTickets £2 per personPlease note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users

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Cheek by Jowl

Whatever Cheek by Jowl does next constitutes a major happening.Guardian

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Oxford Youth Dance


Sunday 13 March

Short Stories, Tall Stories Oxford Youth Dance returns to the Playhouse with a fun packed evening of performances created by the dancers. Celebrating its 25th year OYD will conjure imaginations with a selection of short, sweet, comfortable stories mixed with some longer, taller ones that won’t always have happy endings! The company will be joined by local dance groups, The Uthers and Slipstream, and will once again welcome Oxford Youth Dance Company to perform, with a new piece created by Joelle Pappas. The evening, directed by Cecilia Macfarlane, will also feature live music and surprise guest dancers who have danced with OYD over the last 25 years.

Show time6pm

Ticket prices Children: £7.50 Adults: £14.50Students: £9.50 Discounts: £11.50

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Monday 14 March

An Evening with Rabbi Lionel BlueRabbi Lionel Blue is known to millions through his broadcasting on BBC Radio. Many others know him from his numerous TV appearances and his books, among them Bolts from the Blues and Simply Divine.

Using his own experiences and offbeat sense of humour, Rabbi Lionel Blue tells a selection of stories, incidents and conversations whose dotty inconsequential flavour will appeal to people from all religions, and from none.

The good Rabbi is thoughtful and funny with it, mixing humour with humility, compassion and common sense. He talks about the people he has known with affection and about himself with a delicious sense of the ridiculous. He can spot when his dog is having an existential crisis and knows that the best cure for insomnia is a straight-from-the-tin baked bean feast. “My aim”, Lionel says, “is to give people the courage to get out of bed”.

Warm and gentle humour. Yorkshire Evening Post

Rabbi Lionel Blue

Show time7.30pm

Ticket prices £9.50 £15 £17.50 £19.50No discounts



Friday 18 and Saturday 19 March

Canterbury TalesBy Geoffrey Chaucer Adapted by Phil Woods and Michael Bogdanov

And if you think that bits were dirtyI beg you, please don’t get shirty,For in our story a moral’s hid – ‘Do and be done by as you did.’

Witty, dangerous, touching and wicked, Canterbury Tales is one of the greatest collections of tales ever told. The colourful stories and their larger than life tellers reveal human nature at its most honourable and its most base.

Experience the theatrical riches within some of Chaucer’s best loved stories including The Knight’s Tale, The Reeve’s Tale, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, The Nun’s Priest’s Tale and The Miller’s Tale. Using ensemble story telling, live music and beautiful imagery, this is an uplifting evening not to be missed.

16|22 is Oxford Playhouse’s resident young company. Our members are aged between 16 to 22 and come from all over Oxfordshire.

DirectorJo NobleDesigner Rob Dicks

Show timesFri: 8pmSat: 2.30 & 7.30pm

Ticket pricesChildren: £8Adults: £10

Post show talk Fri 18 Mar

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16|22 Oxford Playhouse Young Company


Thursday 24 March to Saturday 2 April

BrontëBy Polly Teale

It is 1845. Branwell Brontë returns home in disgrace. Plagued by alcohol and drug addiction, he has been dismissed from domestic service following an affair with the mistress of the house.

As their brother descends into alcoholism and insanity, bringing chaos to the household, the sisters write…

Brontë beautifully evokes the real and imagined worlds of the Brontës, in a production in which their fictional characters come to haunt their creators.

After the impressive The Glass Menagerie, Shared Experience returns to Oxford Playhouse. Brontë, is written by Polly Teale, whose previous plays for the company include the highly acclaimed Jane Eyre and After Mrs Rochester. It is directed by Nancy Meckler who collaborated with Polly Teale on their unforgettable War and Peace (Playhouse 2008). This glorious company has captivated audiences the world over, fusing stunning visual imagery with a powerful physical style.

DirectorNancy MecklerDesigner Ruth SutcliffeMovement DirectorLiz RankenComposer Peter Salem

Show timesMon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pmFri: 8pmThu & Sat mats: 2.30pm No mat Thu 24 & Sat 26

Ticket pricesThu 24, Fri 25 & Sat 26 (Previews) & Thu 31 mat:£9.50 £11.50 £17 £20Mon, Tue, Wed eves & Sat 2 mat: £9.50 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £9.50 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50A £1 booking fee will apply to all tickets purchased from 1 April

Enjoy! membership 50% off Monday & Tuesday

Post show talk Wed 30 Mar

OPINIONOxford Playhouse is delighted to be working on this new tour of Brontë with Shared Experience. As co-producers, we will be opening the show here in Oxford before it goes on to a London run and a UK tour. It’s a wonderful play and a great new partnership for the Playhouse.

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A Shared Experience/The Watermill Theatre production co-produced by Oxford Playhouse

Breathtaking…riveting…a tantalising glimpse through the window of a uniquely haunted family home. **** Times

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Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 April

Humble BoyBy Charlotte Jones

Felix Humble, bumbling Cambridge astrophysicist and cricket enthusiast, returns to the family home following the sudden death of his father. Flora, his difficult and demanding mother is determined to make a fresh start with George, a brash family friend. Secrets come tumbling out as Felix tries to come to terms with the past and what is yet to come.

Threads such as Hamlet, horticulture, black holes and beekeeping are woven into this warm and touching comedy which was first performed at the National Theatre in 2001 – winning the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best New Play and the People’s Choice Best New Play Award.

Charlotte Jones is hailed by many as the natural successor to both Stoppard and Ayckbourn for her intelligent and richly comic scripts. Oxford Theatre Guild has a long history of performing to both audience and critical acclaim at the Playhouse.

DirectorSimon TavenerLightingDavid Long

Show timesTue, Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pmFri: 8pmSat mat: 2.30pm

Ticket prices£9.50 £10 £13 £16A £1 booking fee will apply to all tickets purchased from 1 April


Post show talk Wed 6 Apr

Samuel French Ltd have given permission for this production by OTG, Oxfordshire’s largest and oldest amateur company.

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Oxford Theatre Guild

This is a marvellous play: harsh and forgiving: sad, very sad; funny, very, very funny…a feast. Sunday Times

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National Theatre


Monday 11 to Friday 15 April

National Theatre Connections National Theatre Connections is a nationwide celebration of young theatre talent. Ten thrilling new plays have been commissioned by the National Theatre from some of today’s most exciting writers including Katori Hall, Douglas Maxwell (Decky Does A Bronco, Oxford Playhouse August 2010) and Nell Leyshon.

Working with young people from around the world, the Connections writers have created a series of plays that are relevant to the ideas, concerns and views of young people of today.

Now, local youth theatre groups, schools and colleges perform them for the first time in what promises to be an exciting and inspiring week of theatre. Oxford Playhouse is delighted to be a partner venue for the National Theatre Connections, and will be hosting 10 local groups over the five days.

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/connections

Show time7.30pm

Ticket prices Adults: £6 Children: £5

Supported by Arts Council England & Bank of America Merrill Lynch

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Saturday 16 April

Bengal Tiger, Shanghai Dragon Inspired by recent visits to China and South Asia, the music of composer and director Tony Haynes combines ragas, time-cycles and inflected vocal styles from India and Bangladesh with ancient show-pieces and folk music from China with jazz improvisation, Latin and African rhythms and some surprising harmonic twists.

Bengal Tiger, Shanghai Dragon features Grand Union’s Indian and Bengali musicians Baluji Shrivastav (sitar, dilruba), Yousuf Ali Khan (tabla, dholak), and the haunting voice of Lucy Rahman, with the amazing gu zheng (Chinese harp) virtuoso Zhu Xiao Meng and stars of the British jazz scene including Claude Deppa (trumpet/percussion) and Louise Elliott (tenor saxophone, flute).

Grand Union Orchestra

Show time7.30pm

Ticket prices £11 £13 £15A £1 booking fee will apply to all tickets purchased from 1 April

Enjoy! membership 25% off



Tuesday 19 to Saturday 23 April

The Jungle BookBy Rudyard KiplingNewly adapted by Stuart Paterson

When Shere Khan the tiger swears to kill young Mowgli, Baloo and Bagheera agree to take the boy to the man village for his safety. But the jungle holds dangers and surprises for them all – and Mowgli’s extraordinary adventure has just begun!

Rudyard Kipling’s classic story about Mowgli, a boy raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, is brought vividly to life at the Playhouse. Birmingham Stage Company’s recent acclaimed productions include George’s Marvellous Medicine (August 2010) and Danny the Champion of the World (June 2008) both of which enjoyed packed houses when they visited Oxford Playhouse.

If you’re looking for a magnificent experience for all the family this Easter, then don’t miss this thrilling production of Kipling’s classic story!

DirectorNeal FosterDesigner Jackie TrousdaleLighting Jason TaylorMusic BB CooperLyrics Barb JungrChoreography Kenn Oldfield

Show timesTue to Fri: 2 & 7pmSat: 10.30am & 2pm

Ticket prices£9.50 £11 £14 £16Family Tickets (4 tickets including up to 2 adults):Top price: £53Middle price: £46


Meet and greetYour chance to meet the cast after the 7pm show on Wed 20 Apr

Craft and games for childrenWed 20 & Thu 21 AprFrom 12 noon to 1pmTop RoomTickets £2 per childPlease note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users

See a trailer for the show at www.oxfordplayhouse.com

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Birmingham Stage Company

This exhilarating production ticks all the boxes for families looking for a rip-roaring treat.**** Time Out

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Post show talk Thu 28 Apr (eve)

Captioned performanceThu 28 Apr: 2.30pmAudio described Sat 30 Apr: 2.30pmTouch tour at 1pm


Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 April

Great ExpectationsBy Charles DickensAdapted by Tanika Gupta

In this new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ iconic novel and timeless classic, Great Expectations, leading playwright Tanika Gupta relocates Pip’s extraordinary journey to nineteenth century India.

Amongst some of Dickens’ most colourful and memorable characters and set in the period the novel was written, we meet Pip. Following a terrifying encounter with an escaped convict, he is given an unexpected chance to better himself by visiting the reclusive and mysterious English lady, Miss Havisham. In the decaying colonial grandeur of her house, Pip falls in love with Estella and, helped by an anonymous benefactor, he moves to the bustling Imperial city. There Pip pursues his dream of winning Estella’s heart and of becoming part of the educated elite.

Painted in rich, vivid colours across a vast landscape of characters and locations, this stunning new version promises a powerful and theatrical telling of Dickens’ universally loved masterpiece.

DirectorNikolai Foster Designer Colin Richmond


Ticket pricesWed eves & Sat mat: £9.50 £15.50 £19.50 £22.50Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £9.50 £17.50 £21.50 £24.50Thu mat: £9.50 £11.50 £17 £20A £1 booking fee will apply to all tickets purchased from 1 April


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An English Touring Theatre & Watford Palace Theatre production

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Wednesday 4 to Saturday 7 May

The Pirates of Penzance

Set on the Cornish coast, the Pirates of Penzance are a rather tender-hearted band, made up exclusively of orphans, and more like lost boys than men who have been on the seas for decades. They are celebrating Frederic’s coming of age and subsequent release from his apprenticeship to them. He joined the pirates as a child owing to a mistake made by Ruth, his nursemaid, who misheard his father’s instructions to apprentice him to a pilot. She has remained with Frederic ever since and now harbours a desire to marry him.

However, Frederic has met and fallen in love with Mabel whose sisters the pirates have claimed as their future brides…

This vividly fresh approach to a time-honoured favourite has won rapturous critical and public approval on both sides of the Atlantic. A show that is fast-paced, humorous and full of energy, brought right up to date with a new score and script, the Broadway version has attracted new audiences to the great tradition of Gilbert and Sullivan.

Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre, part of Oxfordshire County Council Music Service and comprising some of Oxfordshire’s most talented young performers, puts its own stamp on the show.


DirectorAshley HarveyMusical Director Debbie RoseChoreographer Joanne Cook

Show timesWed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pmFri: 8pmSat mat: 2.30pm

Ticket prices Wed eve: £9.50 £11Thu, Fri & Sat eves: £9.50 £12 £14 £16Sat mat: £9.50 £11 £13 £14A £1 booking fee will apply to all tickets purchased from 1 April

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Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre

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Friday 4 March at 5pmLive Canon: On TroyFollowing the success of War Poets and Oxford Poets at Oxford Playhouse, Live Canon returns with a new programme specially created to celebrate the world premiere of Glyn Maxwell ’s After Troy.

Three millennia of poems, telling, re-telling, celebrating and lamenting the Trojan War will be selected by eminent guest curator, Professor Oliver Taplin. With live music and featuring newly commissioned a capella settings of some poems, this promises to be an unmissable occasion.

There’s no better way to hear, see and experience verse than to sit back and let Live Canon bring it to life.

In association with The Onassis Programmewww.livecanon.comwww.onassis.ox.ac.uk

Friday 11 February at 5pmNigel Warburton on Everyday Philosophy

What is philosophy? Who needs it?Writer and podcaster Nigel Warburton, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University, discusses the relevance of philosophy to life today. From questions about the limits of free speech to the nature of happiness, from what art is to the impact of new technology, philosophy offers insights into questions that matter. Warburton will explore how the thoughts of some of the great philosophers of the past shed light on our present day predicament. Nigel Warburton is the author of many books including Philosophy: The Basics, Philosophy: The Classics, Thinking from A to Z, and Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction. With David Edmonds, he makes the popular philosophy podcast Philosophy Bites, and is co-editor of a book based on the series. He also writes a monthly column Everyday Philosophy for Prospect magazine.

Fridays at 5pmJoin us for Fridays at 5pm to get your weekend off to a flying start...

Ticket prices £11 discounts £6Ticket prices £5 discounts £3



The Café and Circle Bar

Do you know……how to save at least 20% off your ticket price?

Open from 10am, our easy to find, central location provides a space for discussion, chat or a quiet and comfortable break. As well as complimentary Wi-Fi access, we have a tempting selection of freshly made cakes, homemade hot and cold sandwiches, gluten free, vegetarian friendly soup. We hope to welcome you soon.

The Café and Circle Bar serve until 10.45pm after performances finish and close at 5.30pm on non-performance days. Open Monday to Saturday.

Become an Oxford Playhouse Group Booker.

If you book tickets for a party of 10 or more, you could not only save money but also receive the following benefits…

• No booking fee • Additional discounts (subject to availability)

• A priority booking period – be among the first to hear what’s happening at Oxford Playhouse

• A personal contact in Oxford Playhouse’s Ticket Office

• A Group Booking information pack • Pre-ordering of interval drinks

and refreshments provision• Extended payment terms• Show print in advance to distribute

to your group (on request)

• Meet and Greets with the OP team• Use of Oxford Playhouse’s

Hospitality Room before or after a show (subject to availability)

For further information please contact Lauren Caddick on 01865 305310 or at [email protected]


Burton Taylor Studio at Oxford Playhouse…

From winter through to spring, we’ve got some fantastic shows on offer. The studio is the place to see great work up close, and all for a tenner or less, so you’re guaranteed to get value for money. We continue to present the best shows for families, drama lovers and those looking for something a little alternative. If you haven’t been already, check it out!

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Theatre and events made in Oxford

Theatre and events for all the family

The Burton Taylor Studio is managed by Oxford Playhouse on behalf of the University of Oxford

OP’s Burton Taylor Studio programme is sponsored by HMG LAW

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Friday 10 to Sunday 19 DecemberFri 10 to Thu 16: 11am & 3pm (no performance Mon 13) Fri 17 to Sun 19: 10am, 12 noon & 3pmOxford Playhouse ProductionsBath TimeBy Toby Hulse

Festive fun with bubbles!Bath time is for splashing about, singing down the plughole, shouting up the taps and making bubble beards. We’ve created this magical and perfectly silly show celebrating the games we all play in the bath – in words, music and with puppets, with lots of chances to join in. Loved by the children that saw it earlier on in the year, this is an ideal festive treat for children aged two to five, their families and anyone who has ever shared a bath.

Fantastic…we all loved it! Audience member

Tickets Children: £5 Adults: £7 Ages 2 to 5

Friday 7 January at 7.30pmOxford Jazz Masters SeriesKerikmäe and Soo – Contemporary Sounds of EstoniaHosted by The OxJaMS Trio

George Haslam, Richard Leigh Harris and Steve Kershaw return to the BT with their avant garde blend of acoustic, improvised jazz and will also welcome Taavi Kerikmäe and Mart Soo. This Estonian duo will bring their own unique sound, with live keyboards, theremin, monochord, guitars and electronics.

Tickets £10 discounts £8

Thursday 13 to Saturday 15 January at 7.30pmThe Rape of LucreceBy William Shakespeare

A single actor, a bare stage – rapist and victim springing to searing life.Olivier award nominated Gerald Logan brings his astonishing, internationally acclaimed performance of Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece to the Studio. This brilliant and brutal narrative poem is brought powerfully to life by this RSC actor, who received five star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival and a sell-out London run. Shakespeare goes beyond the obvious, following the ramifications of the crime wherever they take him, shining a light on a band of behaviour encompassing the bestial and the beautiful. Post show talk: Thursday


Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 January at 7.30pmAt First SightBy Barney Norris

Two young people meet and spend a New Year together in Salzburg. Holly is there on holiday with her parents; Jack plays piano in the hotel bar. In this award-winning debut play by University of Oxford graduate writer Barney Norris, their story is told through a collage of exchange and recollection.New writing



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Monday 28 March at 7.30pmOthersThe Paper Birds

Paper, pens and envelopes offer peepholes into strangers’ worlds, where secrets, self portraits and confessions are shared through a series of armchair interrogations. Based on a six-month exchange of letters and emails with a prisoner, a celebrity and an Iranian artist, multi award-winning The Paper Birds offer a visual and political exploration of ‘Other’ women.

Tickets £10 discount £8

Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 March at 7pmTuning Out With Radio ZStan’s Café

In the studios of Radio Z, two presenters are attempting to navigate the perils of the night, intent on bringing their listeners safely to dawn. Where the fictional presenters are relying on their listeners for help, the real actors are relying on you, their audience, to guide them through the show.

Bring a phone or a laptop, write text, send ideas, submit images and make requests. Come for the start and stay as long as you wish and prepare to be immersed in a rich, beautiful and fictional world.


Thursday 31 March to Saturday 2 April at 7.30pmVanishing HorizonIdle Motion

Using luggage, maps and paper aeroplanes, the roaring twenties and the pioneers of aviation are remembered, when flight was exciting and we began to carve our way through silent skies. From this, the modern story of a woman emerges who is on a journey to discover her past through the crowded airports of our world to another, resting above the clouds. Oxford Playhouse’s Artists in Residence, Idle Motion, trace aviation of past and present in their sell-out Edinburgh Festival show.

A little jewel of a show. Guardian


Friday 8 at 12 noon & 3pm and Saturday 9 April at 11am, 1 & 4pmEgg and SpoonLyngo Theatre Company

Back by popular demand, this interactive experience for the very young will take you from summer to winter and back to spring again. Relax on comfy cushions watching the birds fly in the blue sky or get stuck in with making it snow and blowing the leaves away. Rock and roll around the clock to our lullaby or crawl into the middle and be a star!

Tickets Children: £5 Adults: £7 Ages 6 months to 3 years


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Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 April at 7.30pmYou’re Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy

Paris 1945. Christiane waits for a ticket to England that will reunite her with her fiancé. While she waits, this irrepressible mademoiselle recounts the love story between her – an eccentric, acutely-myopic Parisian – and a tongue-tied English teacher from Staffordshire. A tender, comic portrayal of one woman’s experience of love and war. Winner of The Stage Award’s Best Solo Performer Edinburgh Fringe 2010.


Wednesday 13 April at 7.30pmuntried…untested

untried…untested is the BT Studio’s regular scratch night. You’ll have the chance to see extracts from unfinished pieces, which could include dance, theatre, music, poetry and live art. Afterwards, share your thoughts on what you’ve seen with the performers over a glass of wine.

Tickets £5 discounts £3 (includes a free drink)

Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 April at 7.30pmSometimes I Laugh Like My SisterVital Digression and Obviam Est

Since her big sister, BBC journalist Kate Peyton, was murdered in Somalia, Rebecca has had rather a strange time. Following a smash-hit debut at the Edinburgh Festival, she welcomes us to her world in a passionately political, sharply comical and painfully personal account of life after Kate. Crafting a moving and often comic tapestry of private moments from a public tragedy, Rebecca tells her own story of a courageous journalist and a loving sister. A reminder of how almost absurdly precious life is. **** Times


Thursday 28 and Friday 29 April at 7.30pmPedestrian

Finely tuned physical storytelling. Breathtaking animation. An epic journey from a never-ending shopping precinct to the gates of heaven and back… pursued by a giant fish.

Charting his painful encounters en route with street fundraisers, the office on their lunch-break, Tesco Metro and the woman of his dreams, Tom Wainwright has created a perversely comic razor-sharp satire about attempting to suppress ‘The Fear’; about apathy; about wanting to change the world. And doing nothing…



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Get closer to the action… From performing to writing weekends, from workshops to work experience, from family to over 60s events, from our resident young companies to tours of the theatre, it’s all on offer at Oxford Playhouse.

For further information visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Theatre and events for all the family


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Children, Families and Young PeopleUnder 5s

Mondays 10.30 to 11.15amTop Room, Oxford PlayhouseHey Diddle Diddle!Monday morning workshop for pre-school children

Hey Diddle Diddle! is a relaxed, fun and friendly music workshop for parents, guardians and pre-school children. Spend 45 minutes singing and playing, with songs, lap and clapping games, rhymes and instruments and movement. Start the week singing! Sessions held weekly in the Top Room of the Playhouse from Monday 17 January to Monday 28 March (excluding Monday 21 February).

Tickets £5 (for one adult and up to two pre-school children, includes a free coffee and you can stay and play before and after too) available through our Ticket Office 01865 305305

Half Term Holiday Workshops

Monday 21 February 10am to 4pm Top Room, Oxford Playhouse Secret Life of the Teenager Create a script based on your own opinions and experiences as a teenager in 2011, rehearse it and perform it.

Tickets £25 Ages 12 to 16

Tuesday 22 February 9am to 3pmTop Room, Oxford Playhouse No Strings AttachedBecome a master puppeteer at this puppetry workshop, manipulating everyday objects to create characters and tell stories.


Wednesday 23 February 10am to 4pmTop Room, Oxford Playhouse Stage Combat Bish, bash, bosh! Come along to this energetic workshop and learn the basic skills and techniques for stage combat. No weapons will be used and the workshop will happen under the watchful guidance of our expert stage combat practitioner.


Thursday 24 February 10am to 4pm Drama Studio, Oxford and Cherwell Valley College Street VibeGet into the basics of urban dance. Whether you’re a born dancer or trying it for the first time, this workshop will show you how to live it, move it – and love it! For details of other dance workshops, talks and opportunities, please see the Dancin’ Oxford website at www.dancinoxford.co.uk



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Half Term Holiday Workshops continued…

Friday 25 February 9am to 3pmTop Room, Oxford Playhouse Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble An introduction to Shakespeare, breathing life into age-old words and stories.


Oxford Playhouse’s Young Companies12|15 in association with Oxford and Cherwell Valley College

Improvise, devise and perform! This is the first ever term of 12|15, Oxford Playhouse’s Young Company for twelve to fifteen year olds. An eight-week series of workshops will focus on learning drama skills, discovering talents and creating work. No audition necessary but members must be enthusiastic and committed.

Sessions held weekly at OCVC from 5 to 7pm, Thursday 10 February to Thursday 7 April (excluding Thursday 24 February).

£40 for the 8 week term. For more information about 12|15 or to book a place please contact our Ticket Office on 01865 305305.

16|22

If you are aged 16 to 22 and want the chance to learn more about acting, directing and writing then why not audition for 16|22. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Experience of performing is not essential but an enthusiasm and willingness to have a go is a must! Sessions are held at the Playhouse from 5 to 7pm and there’s a Tuesday and Wednesday group.

Next Open Auditions:Tuesday 11 January 5 to 7pm & Tuesday 5 April 5 to 7pm at Oxford Playhouse – reserve your place at the Ticket Office to start in the summer.

£50 for the summer term. There are bursary places available for any young person who is keen to join but unable to pay the fees. For more information on 16|22 or to book a place please contact our Ticket Office on 01865 305305.

Schools, Colleges, UniversitiesWe want to help schools, colleges and universities to get the most from Oxford Playhouse. Our seasonal newsletter, workshop menu and email bulletins detail the diverse programme of activities available. If your organisation would like to hear more about what we have on offer please contact our Learning Co-ordinator Hester Bond at [email protected]

Thursday 25 November 5.30 to 6.30pmTop Room, Oxford PlayhouseSecondary Schools Season Preview Teachers, find out how you and your students can get more from us. From productions to workshops, work experience to tours, this is a relaxed opportunity to hear about what Oxford Playhouse has to offer secondary schools in Spring and Summer 2011.

For more information or to book a place please contact our Learning Co-ordinator Hester Bond at [email protected]


Monday 10 January 5 to 6pmTop Room, Oxford PlayhousePrimary Schools Season Preview Teachers, come along to a relaxed evening and hear about how you and your class can get closer to Oxford Playhouse. From creative weeks, workshops and assemblies to backstage tours, talks and shows, give us feedback on our programme and see what we have to offer.

For more information or to book a place please contact our Learning Co-ordinator Hester Bond at [email protected]

Adults and GroupsWednesday 9 February 10am and Saturday 26 March 11amBackstage ToursA chance to go behind the scenes at Oxford Playhouse with a tour of the auditorium and backstage areas. You’ll hear stories from the theatre’s rich and memorable history and see how it all works backstage. Tours last approximately one hour and include climbing stairs.

Tickets £2 from the Ticket Office

Wednesday 9 or Thursday10 February; Wednesday 23 or Thursday 24 March; Wednesday 27 or Thursday 28 April 12 noon to 2pmTop Room, Oxford PlayhouseSpotlightOur group for over 60s continues this season with monthly sessions to get an in-depth look at theatre making. For more detailed information please contact our Community Engagement Officer Maisy Ash on 01865 305312 or [email protected]

Tickets £5 per session including a light lunch and coffee

Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 February 10am to 4pm Hospitality Room, Oxford Playhouse Writing For Theatre Penelope Skinner hosts a weekend aimed at exploring and developing writing for the theatre. Penelope is an award-winning playwright. Her first play, F**ked, won the Critics’ Choice Award in Time Out and her new play Eigengrau opened at the Bush Theatre this spring to rave reviews. This is a weekend suitable for anyone who loves plays. Previous writing experience is not necessary, only an enthusiasm for theatre.

Tickets £50

Oxford Playhouse ConnectTuesday 19 April 5.30 to 6.30pmTop Room, Oxford Playhouse Spring 2011Come along to OP Connect to find out more about our new season, hear about offers and events and meet members of the OP team. Anyone representing a group is welcome to attend, please book your free ticket on 01865 305305. If you can’t make it, we’ll come to you. Please note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users.

For more information about our Connect programme or to book an alternative season preview, please contact our Community Engagement Officer, Maisy Ash, on 01865 305312 or at [email protected]

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Family Friendly We want to make your family’s visit to our theatre as easy and fun as possible. Wherever you see this symbol, there is a show or activity designed especially for families. There will be free art activities and games in the circle bar before, during and after the show, special facilities including toddler cushions, toilet steps and seats, and a buggy store. There’s a baby change facility on the ground floor, and babes in arms are welcome at family shows, but please book a free ticket at the Ticket Office.

Made in Oxford These shows have been created here in the county, either by Oxford Playhouse or by local artists, amateur and professional. A chance to see what your fellow residents are capable of.

AccessCaptioned and signed performances are excellent for the deaf, deafened and hard of hearing, but may also be of interest for those whose first language isn’t English and for anyone who finds it helpful to follow the text during a show. Audio described performances are designed for blind or partially sighted audience members, and use headphones and a live narrator who describes the action in the pauses between the onstage dialogue. Touch tours will accompany audio described performances. See page 58 for further access information or please contact the Ticket Office.

DiscountsTurn to page 59 to make sure you’re getting any discounts you’re entitled to. Senior citizens, access facility users, wheelchair users and their companions, students, early bookers, children and regular attenders are all able to take advantage of great rates.

A Playhouse for Everyone Make sure you get the most and the best out of your theatre. Please contact the Ticket Office for further information.

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Did you know we run this small but rather special studio space next door to the Playhouse on Gloucester Street? During the University of Oxford term time, the studio hosts student shows which are open to the public. For the rest of the year, we programme a whole host of shows, including family theatre, work by local performers, experimental theatre, new writing, music and dance. If you haven’t already been, go and see what you’re missing. See page 44 for more details.

Get closer to the action. Want to get more involved with the Playhouse? See page 48 for more information on how you can participate in all sorts of activities at the theatre, whatever your age or interest. From volunteering to performing, schools workshops to public tours, and work experience to our resident young people’s theatre group, it’s all on offer at Oxford Playhouse.

As well as shows on the main stage and in our studio, the Playhouse is taking live performance out and about across the city and county. Look out for the logo and come and check out what’s going on. You might well be surprised!


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Enjoy! membershipWant to come to the Playhouse more often but pay less for your tickets? It costs just £40 a year and you and a guest can save as much as £22.50 each time you visit! Plus you’ll get great deals such as free programmes for certain shows, advance notice of the new season and priority booking. Please contact the Ticket Office for further information.

I think it’s a great idea. We always get a good seat because of the priority booking, it’s great value for money and because of the discount we can afford to see shows we wouldn’t normally see. Enjoy! member

Facebook and Twitter and OP’s blog

Staying in touch with Oxford Playhouse has never been so easy. You can follow us on Twitter @OxfordPlayhouse, become a fan on Facebook or read the blog on our website and tell us what you think. With regular updates, offers and information, as well as all of the behind-the-scenes gossip, what better way is there to stay up to date with all things OP?

Here’s what some of our followers, fans and audiences have said about us:

Via Facebook:The Red Shoes is one of the best things I have ever seen at the Playhouse. Saw it on Friday night and came straight back on Saturday afternoon to see it again. Utterly brilliant. Via Twitter:@OxfordPlayhouse A theatre with a unique atmosphere, that is at the centre of the arts scene in Oxford. Via our Blog:The most amazing fun fantastic brilliant entertaining theatre trip in a long time!


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How to get to the Playhouse By Road:

ParkingPark and Ride:Using one of Oxford’s five Park and Ride services is probably the easiest and cheapest way to get around the city. Peartree, Water Eaton, Thornhill, Redbridge and Seacourt are all located on the city’s ring road and are clearly signposted as you enter the city. Three of the five services currently run from Oxford city centre until around 11pm, but your ticket can also be used on any of the Oxford Bus Company buses going in the same direction until the early hours. Park for free and £4 will get two of you a return bus ride to the city centre (under 16s, when accompanied by an adult, and over 60s ride for free).For more information visit: www.parkandride.net

City Centre:Parking in Oxford can be expensive. It is often cheaper (and sometimes free after 6.30pm) to park on-street. You will find pay-and-display meters on Broad Street, St. Giles and in Jericho.

Car parks in the city include:Gloucester Green (underground, nearest to the Playhouse), Westgate Shopping Centre, Worcester Street, Abbey Place, Oxpens and Oxford Railway Station.

By Train:We are a ten minute walk away from Oxford Railway Station. The station is on a direct line from London Paddington (approximately 1 hour) and Birmingham New Street (approximately 1 hour 10 minutes); connecting to stations nationwide.

By Bus and Coach:Two minutes walk away from the Playhouse is the city’s main Bus and Coach Station, situated in Gloucester Green. Stagecoach, National Express and the Oxford Bus Company all operate from here, offering direct services to and from London Victoria, Heathrow, Gatwick and stations throughout the United Kingdom.

Our Address:Oxford Playhouse Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LWPlease see page 61 for location map



Invest in the FutureWithout the generous support of our core funders, individual donors, sponsors, volunteers and audiences, Oxford Playhouse would not be here. Thank you for your support!

Each year we entertain over 140,000 people in the main auditorium, over 11,000 in the Burton Taylor Studio, and work with 15,000 people through our Learning team. We produce and tour our own shows, present Playhouse Plays Out shows across the city and county, host artists in residence and show the best touring theatre from the UK and across the world.

Support UsAt Oxford Playhouse we are passionate about what we do, and hope that you are too. By coming to the Playhouse, you help to keep the theatre thriving. If you can, please consider making a gift to support our future. Did you know that we are a charity and each year we need to raise £200,000 from charitable sources to stay open? We also fundraise to support a range of new projects and initiatives. Your gift will help us to create more of our own shows and tour them nationally and internationally, develop our Learning and Community Participation Programme and keep improving our building to make it as welcoming as possible. There are a number of ways you might like to help:

– Support the Playhouse through The Big Arts Give 2010– Make a gift to our fundraising campaign– Set up a regular gift by standing order to provide vital ongoing support– Remember Oxford Playhouse in your will– Talk to your company about how they can get involved For further details, please look out for our new leaflets in the foyer or contact the Development Office on 01865 305315 or [email protected] or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/supportus

Oxford Playhouse gratefully acknowledges the support of its core funders:

And support from:


Platinum:

Silver: Bronze:

Summer School Sponsor: Equipment Support:

Performance Sponsors: OP’s Burton Taylor Studio Programme Sponsors:

Trusts:AnonymousCHK Charities LimitedThe Coutts Charitable TrustDoris Field Charitable TrustErnest Cook TrustThe Foundation for Sport and the ArtsGarfield Weston FoundationThe Helen Roll CharityThe Leche TrustThe Lord Faringdon Charitable TrustMr & Mrs JA Pye’s Charitable SettlementSir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement

A special thank you to all:Patrons, volunteers, trustees and donors

University of Oxford College Members:All Souls CollegeExeter CollegeLincoln College

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Data Protection When processing your booking Ticket Office staff will ask you your name, address and telephone number. This information is required for administration purposes and may be used to keep you informed of forthcoming events. In the case of sales for other venues you may receive information from the event promoter. We may also pass your details to other carefully selected organisations if you agree. The Oxford Playhouse Trust Ltd is a registered charity and we occasionally contact our audience as part of our fundraising initiatives. Please let us know if you would like to be kept informed about future events, activities and fundraising.


In personThe Ticket Office is open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm or until 30 minutes after the start of the evening performance, and from 2 hours before performances on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

By telephonePlease have your credit/debit card ready when calling. We accept Mastercard/Visa/Solo/Maestro. On receipt of your tickets, please check the details are correct. All pre-paid tickets must be collected from the Ticket Office at least twenty minutes before the start of the performance.

OnlineVisit our secure website at www.oxfordplayhouse.com. Just go to the calendar of events and follow the simple instructions on screen. Confirmation of your booking will be emailed and tickets collectable from the Playhouse. This service is available until 30 minutes before the performance. Some special offers and discounts are not available with online booking. Oxford Playhouse Booking FeeA £1 booking fee will apply to tickets purchased for Oxford Playhouse shows from 1 April (Enjoy! members and group booking exempt). Tickets OxfordWe sell tickets for many concerts and other events both locally and nationally. This service is available at the Ticket Office, on the phone or online until 4pm on the day of the performance.

Visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford for further details.

Vouchers & Theatre Tokens Oxford Playhouse vouchers and SOLT Theatre Tokens are available for purchase in person from the Ticket Office and can be used to buy tickets for any performances at the Playhouse.

Access facilitiesOxford Playhouse offers a range of facilities for audience members with access requirements, including level access to the auditorium, low level counters at the Ticket Office and bar, wheelchair spaces (stalls: end of rows E & L and centre of row T), audio-described, captioned and signed performances. The auditorium has a Sennheiser infra-red system for audience members who are hard of hearing. This service is not available in all areas of the auditorium. Please let the Ticket Office staff know your requirements when booking your tickets. For further information contact Hester Bond on 01865 305334 or at [email protected]

Returns and exchangesExchanges must be made at least 24 hours before the performance and are subject to conditions at the discretion of the Duty Ticket Office Manager. Please note actual tickets must be returned to the Ticket Office before an exchange can be made. We will be happy to offer a full refund or ticket exchange if we cancel or alter in a material way any performance as advertised. For full Terms and Conditions, see www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Waiting listsWaiting lists for sold out performances are available by calling the Ticket Office. Waiting lists on the day are available one hour before the performance starts at the Ticket Office. For full details please call 01865 305305.

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Discount Group Ticket Price Conditions

Early Bird £2.50 off each ticket Available for most shows when you book 4 or more shows at the top ticket price before Friday 14 January 2011. Not available online.

In Advance £2 off each ticket Available for most shows on full priced tickets of £11.50 or more for under 18s, over 60s, full-time students, ES40s, BECTU and Equity members.

Access users £9.50 per ticket Available for access facility users, wheelchair users and one companion.

Schools & Colleges £9.50 or £12 per ticket An allocation of tickets is available plus one free teacher Monday to Thursday. seat for every 15 seats booked

Party Rate 20% off full priced For all groups of 10 or more. tickets for most Not available online. performances Cinderella: £2 off

Students (full-time) £9.50 or £12 per ticket Best available seats on the day of the with valid photo ID Excludes Cinderella performance. Book in person at the

Ticket Office. Seats available in advance for The Seagull and A Dream Play.

Over 60s £11 or £12 per ticket Best available seats for all matinee performances bookable during the week of the show. Not available online.

Standby £9.50 or £12 per ticket Best available seats, available from 6pm on Excludes Cinderella the evening of the performance (from 1pm for matinees) for under 18s, ES40s, BECTU

and Equity members for most shows.

A Night Free Free tickets for under 26 years for allocated Less Ordinary performances. See Ticket Office for details

or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/free

Conditions All discounts are subject to availability and at the discretion of the Duty Ticket Office Manager and may not be available for all shows. Discounted tickets cannot be booked in conjunction with any other reductions or offers. Proof of status is required. Please note that not all discounts are available with online booking.


Restricted view. These seats can be removed to accommodate wheelchairs.

Please call the Ticket Office for further information. Rows A to C are sometimes removed for staging and are, therefore not always available – please check with the Ticket Office when booking.

F27

E27

D27

C27

B27

A27

W27

U26 U1

G1 G27 5G 32G

U6 U23

W22

T16 T11

T26

S27

R26

Q27

P26

N27

M26

L27

K26

J27

H26

G26

F25

E25

D24

C23

B22

A21

F1

E1

D1

C1

B1

A1

T1

S1

R1

Q1

P1

N1

M1

L1

K1

J1

H1

G2

F3

E4

D5

C6

B7

A8

FIRST FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR

Seating Plan

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NORTHERN BYPASS RD

The Old Book Binders

BAR

NBU

RY RD

WO

OD

STOC

K RD

OXPENS RD THAMES

ABIN

GD

ON

RD

IFFLEY RD

HENLEY AVE

ST CLEMENTS ST

HEADINGTON RD

WEIRS LANE

COWLEY RD

COWLEY RD

OXFORD RD

CHERWELL DRIVE

MA

RSH

HEADLEY WAY

HEA

DLE

Y W

AY

ST GILES

OXFORD

University of Oxford

ST


Oxford Playhouse is within easy walking distance of the city centre, bus and railway stations. For further information on how to find us and on the amenities Oxford has to offer, turn to page 55.

How to find us...


Diary...

Date Day Production Time Venue Access Page

December (For Cinderella performance dates and times please call the Ticket Office or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com)

10 Fri Bath Time 11am BTS 4510 Fri Bath Time 3pm BTS 4511 Sat Bath Time 11am BTS 4511 Sat Bath Time 3pm BTS 45

12 Sun Bath Time 11am BTS 4512 Sun Bath Time 3pm BTS 4514 Tue Bath Time 11am BTS 4514 Tue Bath Time 3pm BTS 4515 Wed Bath Time 11am BTS 4515 Wed Bath Time 3pm BTS 4516 Thu Bath Time 11am BTS 4516 Thu Bath Time 3pm BTS 4517 Fri Bath Time 10am BTS 4517 Fri Bath Time 12 noon BTS 4517 Fri Bath Time 3pm BTS 4518 Sat Bath Time 10am BTS 4518 Sat Bath Time 12 noon BTS 4518 Sat Bath Time 3pm BTS 45

19 Sun Bath Time 10am BTS 4519 Sun Bath Time 12 noon BTS 4519 Sun Bath Time 3pm BTS 45

January (For Cinderella performance dates and times please call the Ticket Office or visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com)

7 Fri Kerikmäe and Soo 7.30pm BTS 45

13 Thu The Rape of Lucrece 7.30pm BTS 4514 Fri The Rape of Lucrece 7.30pm BTS 4515 Sat The Rape of Lucrece 7.30pm BTS 45

19 Wed National Youth Jazz Orchestra 7.30pm OP 520 Thu At First Sight 7.30pm BTS 4521 Fri At First Sight 7.30pm BTS 4521 Fri Danish Dance Theatre 8pm OP 622 Sat Danish Dance Theatre 7.30pm OP 622 Sat At First Sight 7.30pm BTS 45

26 Wed The Seagull 7.30pm OP 827 Thu The Seagull 2.30pm OP 827 Thu The Seagull 7.30pm OP 828 Fri The Seagull 8pm OP 829 Sat The Seagull 2.30pm OP 829 Sat The Seagull 7.30pm OP 8

31 Mon Master Class 7.30pm OP 10


Diary...


February

1 Tue Master Class 7.30pm OP 102 Wed Master Class 7.30pm OP 103 Thu Master Class 2.30pm OP 103 Thu Master Class 7.30pm OP 104 Fri Master Class 8pm OP 105 Sat Master Class 2.30pm OP 105 Sat Master Class 7.30pm OP 10

6 Sun Daniel Kitson 7.30pm OP 127 Mon The Life of Riley 7.30pm OP 148 Tue The Life of Riley 7.30pm OP 149 Wed The Life of Riley 7.30pm OP 1410 Thu The Life of Riley 2.30pm OP 1410 Thu The Life of Riley 7.30pm OP 1411 Fri Nigel Warburton on Everyday Philosophy 5pm OP 4211 Fri The Life of Riley 8pm OP 1412 Sat The Life of Riley 2.30pm OP 1412 Sat The Life of Riley 7.30pm OP 14

15 Tue Love Letters Straight From Your Heart 8pm The Old Book Binders 1616 Wed Love Letters Straight From Your Heart 6pm The Old Book Binders 1616 Wed Love Letters Straight From Your Heart 9pm The Old Book Binders 1616 Wed A Dream Play 7.30pm OP 1817 Thu A Dream Play 2.30pm OP 1817 Thu A Dream Play 7.30pm OP 1818 Fri A Dream Play 8pm OP 1819 Sat A Dream Play 2.30pm OP 1819 Sat A Dream Play 7.30pm OP 18

21 Mon Journey’s End 7.30pm OP 2022 Tue Journey’s End 7.30pm OP 2023 Wed Journey’s End 7.30pm OP 2024 Thu Journey’s End 2.30pm OP 2024 Thu Journey’s End 7.30pm OP 2025 Fri Journey’s End 8pm OP 2026 Sat Journey’s End 2.30pm OP 2026 Sat Journey’s End 7.30pm OP 20


Diary...


March2 Wed After Troy 7.30pm OP 223 Thu After Troy 2.30pm OP 223 Thu After Troy 7.30pm OP 224 Fri Live Canon: On Troy 5pm OP 424 Fri After Troy 8pm OP 225 Sat After Troy 2.30pm OP 225 Sat After Troy 7.30pm OP 22

8 Tue The Tempest 7.30pm OP 249 Wed The Tempest 7.30pm OP 2410 Thu The Tempest 7.30pm OP 2411 Fri The Tempest 8pm OP 2412 Sat The Tempest 7.30pm OP 24

13 Sun Short Stories, Tall Stories 6pm OP 2614 Mon An Evening with Rabbi Lionel Blue 7.30pm OP 2716 Wed Micky Flanagan 8pm OP 1318 Fri Canterbury Tales 8pm OP 2819 Sat Canterbury Tales 2.30pm OP 2819 Sat Canterbury Tales 7.30pm OP 28

24 Thu Brontë 7.30pm OP 3025 Fri Brontë 8pm OP 3026 Sat Brontë 7.30pm OP 30

28 Mon Brontë 7.30pm OP 3028 Mon Others 7.30pm BTS 4629 Tue Tuning Out With Radio Z 7pm BTS 4629 Tue Brontë 7.30pm OP 3030 Wed Tuning Out With Radio Z 7pm BTS 4630 Wed Brontë 7.30pm OP 3031 Thu Brontë 2.30pm OP 3031 Thu Brontë 7.30pm OP 3031 Thu Vanishing Horizon 7.30pm BTS 46

Printed November 2010. All information accurate at time of going to print. Please check with the Ticket Office for full and final details.



April1 Fri Vanishing Horizon 7.30pm BTS 461 Fri Brontë 8pm OP 302 Sat Brontë 2.30pm OP 302 Sat Brontë 7.30pm OP 302 Sat Vanishing Horizon 7.30pm BTS 46

5 Tue Humble Boy 7.30pm OP 326 Wed Humble Boy 7.30pm OP 327 Thu Humble Boy 7.30pm OP 328 Fri Egg and Spoon 12pm BTS 468 Fri Egg and Spoon 3pm BTS 468 Fri Humble Boy 8pm OP 329 Sat Egg and Spoon 11am BTS 469 Sat Egg and Spoon 1pm BTS 469 Sat Humble Boy 2.30pm OP 329 Sat Egg and Spoon 4pm BTS 469 Sat Humble Boy 7.30pm OP 32

11 Mon National Theatre Connections 7.30pm OP 3411 Mon You’re Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy 7.30pm BTS 4712 Tue National Theatre Connections 7.30pm OP 3412 Tue You’re Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy 7.30pm BTS 4713 Wed National Theatre Connections 7.30pm OP 3413 Wed untried…untested 7.30pm BTS 4714 Thu National Theatre Connections 7.30pm OP 3415 Fri National Theatre Connections 7.30pm OP 3416 Sat Bengal Tiger, Shanghai Dragon 7.30pm OP 35

18 Mon Sometimes I Laugh Like My Sister 7.30pm BTS 4719 Tue The Jungle Book 2pm OP 3619 Tue The Jungle Book 7pm OP 3619 Tue Sometimes I Laugh Like My Sister 7.30pm BTS 4720 Wed The Jungle Book 2pm OP 3620 Wed The Jungle Book 7pm OP 3621 Thu The Jungle Book 2pm OP 3621 Thu The Jungle Book 7pm OP 3622 Fri The Jungle Book 2pm OP 3622 Fri The Jungle Book 7pm OP 3623 Sat The Jungle Book 10.30am OP 3623 Sat The Jungle Book 2pm OP 36

27 Wed Great Expectations 7.30pm OP 3828 Thu Great Expectations 2.30pm OP 3828 Thu Great Expectations 7.30pm OP 3828 Thu Pedestrian 7.30pm BTS 4729 Fri Pedestrian 7.30pm BTS 4729 Fri Great Expectations 8pm OP 3830 Sat Great Expectations 2.30pm OP 3830 Sat Great Expectations 7.30pm OP 38

May4 Wed The Pirates of Penzance 7.30pm OP 405 Thu The Pirates of Penzance 7.30pm OP 406 Fri The Pirates of Penzance 8pm OP 407 Sat The Pirates of Penzance 2.30pm OP 407 Sat The Pirates of Penzance 7.30pm OP 40

Diary...

66

Look out for our next seasonMay to August 2011On sale March 2011

Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW Registered Company No. 2397373 Registered Charity No: 900039 VAT No. 537166534

Oxford Playhouse gratefully acknowledges the support of its core funders:

Design: www.uniform.net

Oxford Playhouse can provide this brochure in alternative formats including audio, large print and digital. Please contact Lisa Wood on 01865 305399 or at [email protected]

Did you know?• Oxford Playhouse has been selected to take part in The Big Arts

Give Challenge 2010, a nationwide matched funding scheme through which we hope to raise up to £60,000 to support our Community Engagement work. Online donations from the public open at 10am on Monday 6 December – every £1 given unlocks £1 of the pledged money. Donate via www.thebiggive.org.uk

• In October 2010, The Oxfordshire Blue Plaques Board, in association with the Director and Board of Oxford Playhouse, unveiled a Blue Plaque to commemorate the first site of Oxford Playhouse at 12 Woodstock Road, now the Oxford University Language Centre. The striking building housed Oxford’s first repertory theatre from 1923 until 1938, when the current Playhouse opened.

• In March 2011, Oxford Playhouse will be co-producing Brontë with the nationally and internationally renowned theatre company Shared Experience and The Watermill Theatre. The show will open here in Oxford before touring across the country, so make sure you are one of the first to see it.

• In August 2010, The Observer listed Oxford Playhouse in the Top 10 Most Followed British Theatres on Twitter. At the time of going to print with this brochure we had 2,511 followers – don’t miss out! Join them by following @OxfordPlayhouse

Oxford Playhouse Winter 2011

Documents

Transcript of Oxford Playhouse Winter 2011