• Duration: 2 hours approx.
  • Tickets: Standard: £13 | Pay more: £15 | Pay less: £11
  • Details
  • Parking & Access

Details

Hollie McNish is a Sunday Times bestselling author and poet whose live readings are not to be missed. Here, she will be joined by fellow poet Michael Pedersen, reading from Boy Friends, his poetic memoir about friendship which Stephen Fry has declared ‘enchanting…astonishingly compelling…rare and to be treasured’ launching.

Expect strong language and adult content ribbon-wrapped in carefully and caringly sculpted poetry from their latest collections.

Hollie McNish is a Sunday Times bestselling author based between Cambridge and Glasgow. She won the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry for her poetic parenting memoir – Nobody Told Me – of which The Scotsman stated ‘The World Needs this Book’. She has published four further collections of poetry – Papers, Cherry Pie, Plum and her most recent poetic memoir Slug…and other things I’ve been told to hate, which covers topics from grief to otters, grandmothers to Finnish saunas. She has just completed a re-imagining of Sophocles’ Greek Tragedy Antigone. She really loves plums and writing poems.

“One of the best poets we have” – Matt Haig

“Utterly fearless: an essential voice for our times” – Musa Okwonga

“like Pam Ayres on acid” – Lemn Sissay

“Rubbish” – Ellie Wheeler, The Telegraph

Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning Scottish poet and author. He’s produced two acclaimed collections of poetry with a third slated for release in 2023. His prose debut, Boy Friends, was recently published by Faber & Faber to rave reviews in the UK and North America. Pedersen won a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship, the John Mather’s Trust Rising Star of Literature Award, and was a finalist for the 2018 ‘Writer of the Year’ at The Herald Scottish Culture Awards. With work anthologised by the likes of Pan MacMillan and Canongate Books, his writing has attracted plaudits from voices as diverse as: Stephen Fry, Irvine Welsh, Shirley Manson, Kae Tempest, Jackie Kay, Ian Rankin and Charlotte Church. Pedersen also co-founded the prize-winning literary collective Neu! Reekie! and regularly features on the BBC Arts networks.

‘Uncommonly romantic, irreverent and, at times, laugh out loud funny.’ —Shirley Manson

‘Enchanting…astonishingly compelling…sparklingly written…rare and to be treasured’.’ — Stephen Fry

‘A master of words. He plays them like music.’ —Kae Tempest

‘Lucid, lyrical, loaded, BOY FRIENDS is a love letter to friendship.’ —Jackie Kay

Parking & Access

Parking

There are a number of Blue Badge parking spaces nearby on Beaumont Street, and more on New Inn Hall Street and St Giles.

The closest car park is Gloucester Green Car Park, accessed via Gloucester Street.

If you have any questions or concerns, the City Council’s Access Officer can be reached at 01865 249811.

Getting here

We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, but we need your help. Use ecoway, our sustainable travel planner, to see the most eco-friendly options for your journey to Old Fire Station, and plan a bespoke and flexible route. ecoway is easy to use and you’ll be kept up to date with any disruption or changes to your journey plan.

Car parks in Oxford Blue Badge information Public transport in Oxford

Access

Disabled patrons are eligible for one free companion ticket with their booking. To book this, contact the ticket office: tickets@oldfirestation.org.uk or 01865 263990.

There are two entrances to the Old Fire Station: 40 George Street via the foyer, and on Gloucester Green via the shop. Both are step-free. If you are coming to a show, we ask that you use the George Street entrance, as the Gloucester Green entrance is not always open.

Events in the Theatre

There is level entry to the foyer of the Old Fire Station, and step-free access to the main Theatre (where most shows take place).

If you are a wheelchair user attending a sit-down show, space will be reserved for you. If you are attending a standing gig, please contact us (call the ticket office on 01865 263990 or e-mail tickets@oldfirestation.org.uk) and we will talk with you about your needs.

Events in the Studio

There is level entry into the foyer of the Old Fire Station, and step-free access to the Studio.

Events in the Loft

There are six steps leading up to the Loft space, with no lift. If you would like to discuss this to find out more, please get in touch.

The Gallery

There is step-free access to the Gallery – level entry through the George Street entrance, and via lift from the Gloucester Green entrance.

Facilities

Accessible toilet
There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor, accessible via platform lift. Other toilets are in the basement (accessible via lift).

Hearing assistance system
The Theatre is equipped with a hearing assistance system. If you have any questions about using it, please e-mail us at tickets@oldfirestation.org.uk or phone 01865 263980.

Assistance dogs
All types of assistance and guide dogs are welcome at the Old Fire Station. It would be great if you could let us know in advance if you will be bringing a working dog to any performances – just e-mail tickets@oldfirestation.org.uk.

Strobe lighting
We will warn visitors on the website and in the foyer of the venue if a performance is going to contain strobe lighting. If lighting affects you, and you have any concerns, please call the ticket office on 01865 263990 or e-mail tickets@oldfirestation.org.uk.

Chairs in the theatre
Our chairs are a standard dining-chair size, measuring 40cm deep by 37cm wide, with a metal frame. Some have arms, and some do not. They are all joined together at the sides, to form rows. If this is likely to pose a problem for you, please email tickets@oldfirestation.org.uk and we can discuss how to make your visit more comfortable.