Summer is here!
Oxford is packed with performances in the coming months – comedy, theatre, dance, the city has it all – and once again, we’re* going to flag up some of the best stuff that you can see for less than the price of a 3D cinema ticket**.
MAY
Dinosaur Park: The Jurassic Parody
Thursday 26 May, 7.30pm
Superbolt Theatre’s award-winning show comes to The Old Fire Station, and the staff are very excited. It’s got humour, real heart, more five-star reviews than we can count…and dinosaurs. What’s not to love? It has sold out in London and Edinburgh, and is in Oxford for one night only – give it a try-cerotops! More info.
Tickets: £12, £10 from www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
What’s Important: Art & Community with Alistair Hudson
Thursday 26 May, 7pm
Modern Art Oxford present a lecture by the Director of Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA). What is the relationship between art organisations and their communities – and how could we change that for the future? MAO’s events are always thought-provoking, and this promises be an engaging evening of discussion. More info.
Tickets: Free from www.modernartoxford.org.uk.
JUNE
A Most Unusual Quiz Night
Wednesday 1 June, 7pm
The OFS team have been to two of The Story Museum‘s quizzes, and hugely enjoyed them! If you’re an avid reader, this is the night for you – re-live the classics of your childhood and learn more about new releases. June’s theme is Pirates, so brush up on your Peter Pan or Vampyrates before going – and dress up as a pirate to get an extra team point. More info.
Tickets: £3 from www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
Late Night Love
Thursday 2 June, 8pm
And now, a song for all you lovers out there… Eggs Collective are fading out of the static between stations to bring Late Night Love to the Old Fire Station, inspired by all those radio shows you thought you’d forgotten. Get ready for classic love songs, broken hearts and new romance. (Plus, Caitlin Moran and Bryony Kimmings like them. Need we say more?) More info.
Tickets: £13, £11 from www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
Sara Pascoe
Wednesday 1 & Friday 3 June, 8pm
Sara Pascoe comes to The Glee Club, Oxford with her brand new show: Animal. It’s based on her recently-released book of the same name, subtitled The autobiography of a female body. The book’s had fantastic reviews, and Pascoe is always a joy to watch – so book before the show sells out!
Tickets: £12 from www.glee.co.uk.
Off Beat
Monday 20 – Sunday 26 June, times vary
Off Beat is a brand new festival for Oxford at the Burton Taylor Studio and Old Fire Station. Featuring the very best in pre-Edinburgh theatre, comedy, dance, family shows and more, with up to four shows a night and discounts galore, Off Beat promises to be fantastic. Tickets are all under £10 – what are you waiting for? More info.
Tickets: From £5. www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
Can I Start Again Please
Tuesday 21 June, 8pm
One of the stand-out shows from 2015’s Edinburgh Fringe, Can I… fuses English and British Sign Language to tell a heartbreaking story. We’ll let The Guardian‘s Lyn Gardner speak for us: “ Why do those who have experienced abuse often take years – or even decades – to speak about what has happened to them? Why, when children and adults tell us about what has happened to them, do we sometimes fail to hear what they say? What does trauma do to language?” More info.
Tickets: £14, £12 from www.northwall.com or 01865 319450.
Shakespeare’s Tonic: Medicine and the Bard
Thursday 30 June, 7.30pm
We’re swimming in Shakespeare this year to the 400th anniversary, but Science Oxford and Creation Theatre are teaming up to offer something different from the usual fare. Actors, historians and researchers will explore the medicinal references in Shakespeare’s plays to see what we can learn about how science worked 400 years ago. What has changed, and what has stayed the same? More info.
Tickets: £10, £6 from www.eventbrite.co.uk.
JULY
Labels
Thursday 7 & Friday 8 July, 7.30pm
Worklight theatre’s award-winning show comes to the BT Studio. It had fantastic reviews at Edinburgh last year, and was shortlisted for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award. It’s an exploration of the labels we give ourselves, and each other, and how language can lead to dangerous prejudices. It sounds fab. More info.
Tickets: £10, £8 from www.oxfordplayhouse.com or 01865 305305.
Pond Wife
Saturday 9 July, 7.30pm
Several of the OFS team saw this show during last year’s Oxford Fringe, and we’re delighted that it’s returning to the city and coming to Pegasus Theatre! It’s a joyful, fun, Bechdel-test-passing retelling of The Little Mermaid through the medium of ’90s pop, with Spice Girls and Britney Spears music galore. If you fondly remember the music of 1997 and love a kooky story, this is the show for you. More info.
Tickets: £10 from www.pegasustheatre.org.uk or 01865 812150.
Bucket List
Thursday 14 July, 7.30pm
Theatre Ad Infinitum have given us both the heartbreaking Translunar Paradise (described by some as ‘an hour-long, even more sad and lovely version of the first 10 minutes of UP), and the brilliant, revolutionary Light. Now they’re back at The North Wall to give a preview of their next Edinburgh show, Bucket List. Given their track record, it’s going to be fantastic – so get your ticket before it sells out. More info.
Tickets: £10, £8 from www.northwall.com or 01865 319450.
Women GOlive
Wednesday 16 – Saturday 16 July, 7.30pm
Times dance critic Donald Hutera hand-picks four nights of multi-generational taken from the UK and abroad to perform at the Old Fire Station. GOlive has been running for a few years now, and every festival brings new surprises and exciting variation. The line-up has yet to be announced, but we’re confident that we’re in for four stonking evenings of the best dance around. More info.
Tickets: £10, £8 from www.ticketsoxford.com or 01865 305305.
* Well, Marketing Manager Alex is.
**Seeing a 3D film at a large cinema chain can cost between £11 and £13.79