Marketing Manager Alex Coke shares her top picks of the shows coming up in Oxford this autumn and winter.
We have so many small theatres in Oxford offering great-quality shows for the same price as a cinema ticket (approx. £13 to see a 3D film – and what could be more 3D than theatre?) – come and join us as the nights draw in.
September
Weds 9th & Thurs 10th, 7.30pm
Going Viral
This is in the Oxford Playhouse’s Burton Taylor Studio. Part comedy, part story and part performance lecture, it’s all about how a virus can spread with devastating efficiency. I heard fantastic things about it when it was at the Edinburgh Fringe last month, and Lyn Gardner (theatre critic at the Guardian) gave it four stars, so that’s good enough for me. More info.
Tickets: £10, £8 from www.oxfordplayhouse.com or 01865 305305.
Thurs 17th – Sat 19th, 7.30pm (+ 2.30pm on Sat)
Before The Tempest
OK, I have a vested interested in this one – it’s an Old Fire Station project, bringing homeless and professional artists together to create a prequel to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Directed by Lizzy McBain of UnderConstruction Theatre, this promises to be a cracking show – and every ticket you buy is supporting the work we do with national charity Crisis. More info.
Tickets: £12, £10 from www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
Weds 23rd, 8pm
The Bogus Woman
An exploration of the asylum-seeking process, this play sounds harrowing and fascinating. It’s a one-woman show performed by Coronation Street actress Krissi Bohn at the North Wall Arts Centre, and includes a post-show discussion with charity Asylum Welcome. Touching on headlines we see every day in the news, this should be a great piece. More info.
Tickets: £13, £11 (concs), £5 (students) from www.thenorthwall.com or 01865 319450.
October
Fri 2nd, 8pm
Blake Remixed
World record-holding beatboxer and acclaimed rapper Testament brings his show to The North Wall following rave reviews at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. I’ve heard amazing things about it, and can’t wait to see how Testament managed to remix the poetry of William Blake for the hip-hop generation. More info.
Tickets: £13, £11 (concs), £5 (students) from www.thenorthwall.com or 01865 319450.
Fri 2nd & Sat 3rd, 7.30pm
Every Brilliant Thing
Jonny Donahoe (of Jonny & The Baptists fame) stars in a one-man play which explores depression through the eyes of a child. I have heard so many thinks about this show, and all of them have been amazing. It has wall-to-wall fantastic reviews, and has toured all over the world for the last couple of years. Catch it as it returns to Oxford at the Pegasus Theatre. More info.
Tickets: £13, £9 (concs), £6 (under-18s) from www.pegasustheatre.com or 01865 812150.
Sat 10th, 7.30pm
Electric Dreams
Fantastic theatre company Dumbshow come back to the Pegasus Theatre with their new show, inspired by the ideas in Naomi Klein’s book The Shock Doctrine. I hugely enjoyed their last production The Pearl when it came to Pegasus last year – they tell great stories in a really inventive, engaging way, and this show has had glowing reviews. More info.
Tickets: £13, £9 (concs), £6 (under-18s) from www.pegasustheatre.com or 01865 812150.
November
Thurs 5th, 7.30pm
He Had Hairy Hands
I saw this at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013, and am hugely excited that we’ve managed to get it for the Old Fire Station. It’s a comedy horror detective tale which fans of The League of Gentlemen, Welcome To Night Vale and any 1970s Hammer horror flick will absolutely love. But don’t take my word for it – it’s had fantastic reviews in several papers. More info.
Tickets: £12, £10 from www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
Mon 16th – Sat 21st, times vary
Rebecca
Legendary theatre company Kneehigh adapt Daphne Du Maurier’s famous novel for the stage with their own wit and style. Having seen several Kneehigh shows, I absolutely cannot wait for this: they create truly brilliant theatre. On the main stage at the Oxford Playhouse, it’s the priciest thing on the list with tickets starting at£15…but promises to be worth it. More info.
Tickets: From £15, available from www.oxfordplayhouse.com or 01865 305305.