oxford playhouse season brochure january to may 2015

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OXFORD PLAYHOUSEWHAT’S ON GUIDE SPRING SEASON 2015

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Welcome to Oxford PlayhouseDecember 2014 to May 2015

I am delighted to be joining the Playhouse as the new Chief Executive, 24 years since I juggled shifts in the Oxford Stage Company box office with English essays and my own student production meetings. I knew from my first shows here that I wanted to pursue a career in theatre, and have been lucky enough to work all over the world with some extraordinary talents.

It feels entirely fitting to bring that experience back to Oxford, and build on the strengths of the theatre’s recent past. Artists and companies love coming to Oxford because there’s a brilliant team and a loyal and open-minded audience, who are genuinely excited by the possibility of seeing something new, or even something familiar in a new way.

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In the coming months, I’ll be working on plans to bring more new writing and international theatre to Oxford, and getting to know the local performers and theatre-makers that make the city such an exciting place to be.

I would welcome your thoughts about what you’d like to see at the Playhouse – drop me an email on [email protected], or send an old-fashioned letter!

It’s lovely to be back.

Louise ChantalChief Executive

There is a wonderful array of shows in this season’s brochure. I am especially looking forward to my first Playhouse Panto, Beauty and the Beast, the return of Resident Company Shared Experience with Mermaid, and even more Playhouse magic dust sprinkled over the latest shows for young audiences – Hurry Up, Father Christmas! and The Boy Who Bit Picasso. We’ll also be touring shows nationally next year, with three productions visiting London.

The continued support of all our funders including Arts Council England has enabled us to embark on a large-scale, three-year refurbishment programme which will make our foyer and bars star turns in themselves. The theatre’s stability and ongoing success owes much to my predecessors Michelle Dickson and Polly Cole, to whom I’d like to offer my thanks.

A riot from start to finish...the most accomplished, most memorable and

most perfect of Christmas treats. Oxford Mail on Robin Hood

©Illustration: www.korkypaul.com

Written and directed by Peter Duncan

Friday 5 December 2014 to Sunday 18 January 2015

IT’S GOING TO BE PANTO-TASTIC!

There’s still time to book for our magical, musical adventure Beauty and the Beast! With sing-a-long tunes, LOTS of panto mischief, lashings of silliness and stunning dancing, get ready to boo, cheer and yell ‘he’s behind you!’ at this year’s festive spectacular.

If you haven’t booked for your family yet, don’t despair! With more than 70 performances to choose from there’s still time to grab your seats for this perfect Christmas treat.

TICKETS FROM £14.50

GREAT GROUP RATES

Don’t forget…H If you’re booking 10 or more tickets, ask

about our GREAT rates for groups – new and improved for this year! You could save up to 20% off EVERY seat and get some FREE tickets too.

H There are FREE toys and games in the circle bar to keep everyone amused before, after (or even during) the show.

H Little people can get FREE booster seats so everyone can see the action. And babies in arms under 18 months go FREE – just book a baby ticket at the Ticket Office.

For everyone aged 5 to 105! (Brave under 5s are welcome too but may find some bits loud or scary).

Tickets £14.50 to £25.50 Discounts available

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

Thursday 11 December 2014 to Sunday 4 January 2015

HURRY UP, FATHER CHRISTMAS!An Oxford Playhouse Production Written by Helen Eastman and directed by Amy Mulholland

It’s Christmas time at the North Pole and everything’s running late. The sleigh isn’t polished and the reindeer aren’t fed, Father Christmas has lost his keys and now the magic dust has run out – oh no! Hurry up, Father Christmas! There’s lots to do and it’s time to go! From the writer that brought you the sell-out productions Father Christmas and the Icicle Bicycle and Dear Father Christmas comes this interactive show for children aged 3 to 6 years.

Father Christmas and some of his very merry team of festive helpers present this perfect Christmas treat for young children and their families. Join Ivy the Elf and Mr Tick Tock for stories, songs and activities to help get the sleigh on its way.

Some performances are already sold-out so book soon to guarantee your tickets.

Date 10am 11am 12pm 2pm 3pm

Thu 11

Fri 12

Sat 13

Sun 14

Mon 15 NO PERFORMANCES

Tue 16

Wed 17

Thu 18

Fri 19 NO PERFORMANCES

Sat 20

Sun 21

Mon 22

Tue 23

Wed 24

Thu 25 NO PERFORMANCES

Fri 26 NO PERFORMANCES

Sat 27

Sun 28

Mon 29

Tue 30

Wed 31

Thu 1 NO PERFORMANCES

Fri 2

Sat 3

Sun 4

Tickets £8 children £6 Premium tickets £9 children £7

Ages 3 to 6At premium shows you can stay and meet Father Christmas after the performance.

Relaxed performance Sat 3 Jan at 12pmFor anyone who would benefit from a relaxed environment, including children with an Autistic Spectrum Condition or learning disability.

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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £17 | Discounts available Age guideline 14+

Winner of five major awards, comedian Mark Watson returns to Oxford Playhouse with his brand new stand-up show, Flaws, following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2014.

Mark ’s darkest, most personal and funniest show yet, it takes an irreverent look at the ups and downs of being a comedian.

Novelist and host of numerous BBC shows including Mock The Week and Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Mark has been described as “the highest achiever the Edinburgh Festival has seen this decade” (Times) and is also the star of cult Radio 4 series Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better.

Impatient Productions presents

Simply exhilarating.Daily Telegraph


MARK WATSONFlaws

Thursday 22 January

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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £16 | Discounts available Age guideline 14+

THE HOUSE OF FUNWith Arthur Smith

Friday 23 January

Very funny. Will Self on David Whitney

Banish those January blues with a variety night of sparkling music, saucy stand-up, scintillating theatre and more in this uproarious night led by Arthur Smith.

A compere beyond compare, Arthur is a playwright, comedian and star of BBC’s Loose Ends, Grumpy OId Men and The One Show. In The House of Fun, Arthur will introduce a series of acts including “rock n roll magician” (NME) Pete Heat, insightful comedian David Whitney, seven-piece band Slapper and sketch comedy duo Shirley and Shirley.

Be prepared for inspired comic observation, top class cabaret creations and wonderfully dark ideas.

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Show time 7.30pmTicket prices £13 to £22 | Discounts available

One of the country’s leading jazz vocalists, Jacqui Dankworth comes to Oxford with her stellar group of musicians.

Daughter of Britain’s foremost jazz family, Jacqui’s concerts showcase her vocal versatility drawing on jazz, folk, soul and blues.

Here she performs a selection of songs including some from her critically acclaimed recent album Live to Love alongside self-penned material and some of her favourite standards.

JACQUI DANKWORTH

Saturday 24 January

One of our finest singers, regardless of category… Sunday Times

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Unanimously acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, The Woman in Black delivers a chilling theatrical experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

A lawyer, obsessed by the idea he has been cursed, engages a sceptical young actor to exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It all begins innocently enough, but soon the borders between make believe and reality begin to blur...

Adapted from Susan Hill ’s thrilling novel, the stage show has been described as a “masterpiece” (Guardian) and “a marvellous exercise in tension, spun from perfectly paced storytelling” (Independent).

Come ready to be transported into a thrilling ghostly world that has been terrifying and entertaining audiences for over 25 years.

Adapted by Stephen MallatrattFrom the novel by Susan Hill

Show times Mon to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmTicket prices £14 to £30 | No discounts Fri & Sat evesEnjoy! members 25% off Mon & Sat mat Multibuy 15% off Mon to Thu & Sat matPost show talk WedAge guideline 12+

THE WOMAN IN BLACKMonday 26 to Saturday 31 January

The most brilliantly effective spine chiller you will ever encounter. If you haven’t seen this show yet you are missing a treat.

Daily Telegraph


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University of Oxford Student Company: A Byzantium Production

“Why do you kids live like there’s a war on?”

Rival gangs, the New York Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks, come face to face in the oppressive heat of 1950s Manhattan.

While they battle for supremacy, two teens from opposite sides fall in love. Against a backdrop of racism and street violence in gangland New York, their timeless love story unfolds.

West Side Story changed the face of musical theatre when it opened on Broadway. More than fifty years later,Leonard Bernstein’s emotionally charged score and Stephen Sondheim’s sharp lyrics stand the test of time, with unforgettable songs such as America, Tonight and the heartbreaking anthem Somewhere.

Students from the University of Oxford present a new production of this standout modern musical.

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with JOSEF WEINBERGER LIMITED on behalf of MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL of NEW YORK.

Show times Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £17.50 | Discounts availableStudent tickets £11 available in advance Enjoy! membership 50% off Wed & Sat matAge guideline 14+

WEST SIDE STORYWednesday 4 to Saturday 7 February

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Adapted from the beloved works by P.G. Wodehouse, the hilarious antics of Jeeves and Wooster come to the stage in this raucous comedy starring Robert Webb (Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look) as Bertie Wooster.

A weekend in the country takes a turn for the worse when effervescent, aristocratic fool Bertie Wooster is called upon to steal a silver cow creamer whilst playing matchmaker for his pal, Gussie. Naturally the ever dependable valet Jeeves is on hand to ensure everything turns out well. Winner of the 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, Jeeves and Wooster has received a host of four and five star reviews. Get ready to laugh out loud whilst enjoying the company of this iconic double-act plus a host of delightfully silly characters including Aunt Dahlia, Roderick Spode and Madeline Bassett. Robert Webb will be joined by Chris Ryan (The Young Ones, Ab Fab) in the role of Seppings.

A new play adapted from the works of P.G. Wodehouseby The Goodale BrothersDirected by Sean FoleyStarring Robert Webb and Chris Ryan

Show times Tue to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Wed, Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmAudio described performance Sat: 2.30pmTicket prices £14 to £30 | No discounts Fri & Sat evesEnjoy! members 25% off Tue & Sat matPost show talk Wed eve

JEEVES AND WOOSTERIN PERFECT NONSENSE

Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 February

An inventive evening of bonkers comedy. HHHH Daily Mail


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NOISES OFFWednesday 18 to Saturday 21 February

Show times Wed, Thu and Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £17.50 | Discounts available Student tickets £11 available in advanceEnjoy! members 50% off Wed & Sat matAge guideline 14+

A University of Oxford Student Company: Milk and Two Sugars production

Described as one of the funniest comedies ever written, University of Oxford students perform Michael Frayn’s award-winning play within a play, Noises Off.

A mediocre cast and overworked stage crew can’t stop director Lloyd’s production of “Nothing On” going ahead, despite forgotten lines, missed entrances, a whisky-loving actor and disruptive love triangle.

Revealing backstage turmoil and onstage bedlam, Noises Off cleverly follows the play’s shambolic blunderings from both the audience’s perspective and behind the scenes in this superbly-written farce.

By Michael Frayn

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He writes so brilliantly about the potential imminence of disaster... Financial Times on Michael Frayn

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MACBETHTuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February

Work that dazzles the eye, enchants the ear, and stimulates both the mind and heart. Daily Telegraph on Filter

A Filter Theatre and Tobacco Factory Theatres production

Whence is that knocking?How is it with me, when every noise appals me?

Get ready for a wickedly innovative interpretation of Macbeth from Filter, last here with their irreverent Twelfth Night.

In a stark landscape the weird sisters gather to operate a strange collection of musical gadgets, their peculiar noises enticing Macbeth into their path.

This kaleidoscopic new version of Shakespeare’s psychological thriller-tragedy is a stripped back production that places sound and music at its heart to explore the dangers of unstoppable ambition and power.

Filter is renowned for its contemporary recreations of classic texts, captivating audiences with its radical, pioneering story-telling.

Show times Tue to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £26.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy! members 50% off Tue & Sat matMultibuy 15% offPost show talk Wed Age guideline 14+

By William ShakespeareAdapted and created by FilterComposed by Tom Haines

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Show time 7.30pmTicket prices £11 to £21 | Discounts available Enjoy! members 25% off TuePost show talk TueAge guideline 12+

Wayne McGregor | Random Dance

Wayne McGregor is a multi award-winning British choreographer renowned for his highly innovative collaborations across dance, film, music, technology and science.

Atomising bodies, movement and film, McGregor’s Atomos features his ten incredible dancers performing their unique style – sculptural, rigorous, jarring and hauntingly beautiful – to a soaring score.

Wayne McGregor and his company, Random Dance, are a Resident Company at Sadler’s Wells and McGregor himself has been Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet since 2006. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch one of the country’s greatest choreographers and his critically-acclaimed dance company here in Oxford.

ATOMOSTuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 March

A thrilling new full-length work from Wayne McGregor shares his awe at the nature of the universe and humanity’s place in it.

HHHH Observer

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OPINION Do make sure you don’t miss this phenomenal piece by award-winning Wayne McGregor and presented as part of 2015’s Dancin’ Oxford festival. Combining sound, light and digital effects with unique choreography this will be a breathtaking evening.

Katy SnellingProgrammer

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

Show time 5pmTicket prices £9 | Children £7Age guideline 6+

Comedy Club 4 Kids sees the best comedians from the UK and world circuit doing what they do best...just without the rude bits! An hour of laughter-filled fun for all the family, it’s just like a normal comedy club, albeit one without any swearing, and an audience as young as six.

Join us this half term for a good old chuckle and some cracking holiday fun for young and old.

This performance will feature rising-star Ivo Graham, CBBC’s Stu Goldsmith and a slapstick trio Three Half Pints.

A taste of some of the biggest names in comedy... with the fun, rowdy feel of a real comedy club. Guardian

Join scientist and broadcaster Mark Miodownik and guests as they explore the scientific wonders of the everyday ‘stuff’ we take for granted. From cardboard to plastic, concrete to the new age of graphene, aerogels and...chocolate!

This fizzing, popping explosive show for all the family is in celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Oxford Trust - the ground-breaking science and innovation charitable trust behind Science Oxford.

Mark Miodownik has written extensively on science and engineering. He has a column for The Observer and his book Stuff Matters was a critically-acclaimed New York Times best-seller.

COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDSFriday 20 February

Science Oxford presents

WONDERSTUFF The Magic Of Modern Materials

Friday 24 April

Show time 5pmTicket price £7 | Discounts available Age guideline 8+

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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £18.50 | Discounts availableAge guideline 15+

Making a rare UK performance, multi award-winning comedian Gina Yashere returns to Oxford with her hilarious new live show, Laugh Riot.

A former lift engineer, Gina made her comedy debut at the Edinburgh Festival in 1996 and has gone on to sell out performances across the world, appearing on TV programmes including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Rosie O’Donnell Show and more.

Famed for telling it how it is, Gina has plenty of stories to tell in this latest stand-up show, from finding herself in a brothel in Singapore to her staggering weight-loss, and unwanted attention in China.

Not to be missed.

One of the best comics in the world.Guardian


GINA YASHERELaugh Riot

Thursday 5 March

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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £17 | Discounts availableEnjoy! members 25% off

The world famous National Youth Jazz Orchestra is celebrating 50 years of showcasing the country’s most talented young jazz musicians. From a swinging rhythm section to a raft of hugely talented soloists, this is a big band in fine form.

Many of the UK’s most prolific jazz musicians have performed with NYJO, often becoming established stars whilst still playing with the band. Alumni include Guy Barker, Dennis Rollins, Amy Winehouse and Chris Dagley.

NYJO returns to Oxford following previous sell-out visits with a stellar evening featuring classics from the big band canon alongside specially commissioned new arrangements.

NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Friday 6 March

Forget the word youth; this is one of the best bands you will ever hear. Sir John Dankworth


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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £21 | Discounts availableAge guideline 15+

Simon Amstell brings his unique brand of stand-up to Oxford Playhouse.

With intense and vulnerable honesty, Amstell’s new show explores joy, love, death, adventure, art, peace, sex, regret, success, eating, suffering, forgiving and everything else required to be free.

Co-writer and star of BBC sitcom Grandma’s House, former host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and winner of multiple accolades including two British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA nomination, Simon Amstell’s “highly literate...sharp wit” (New York Times) has entertained audiences across the world.

Intellectually sophisticated, engagingly honest, genuinely accomplished stand-up.Scotsman

SIMON AMSTELLTo be Free

Saturday 7 March

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Oxford Theatre Guild

Mary, Queen of Scots awaits her death, alone and imprisoned. Queen Elizabeth, all powerful and adored, must sign the death warrant. Yet when they finally meet, it is Mary who has nothing to lose and can speak freely, whilst Elizabeth can only rail against the pressures upon her.

Oxford Theatre Guild, the city’s leading amateur company, returns to the Playhouse with a bold new production of Schiller’s extraordinary retelling of a central moment in British history.

Capturing the personal and public battles of two legendary women, this 21st century adaptation of a 16th century story questions how much has changed for women of power in a man’s world.

By Friedrich Schiller, in a new version by Peter Oswald

Show times Tue to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Sat mat: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £17.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 50% off Tue & Sat matPost show talk ThuAge guideline 12+

MARY STUARTTuesday 10 to Saturday 14 March

Vibrantly acted throughout…movingly played.HHHH Oxford Times on Cyrano de Bergerac


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Talawa Theatre Company by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited presents

It is 1947 and America is still haunted by the ghosts of World War Two.

Joe Keller, a successful self-made businessman, is living the American dream. With friends and neighbours gathering in his backyard, the idyll is clouded by one thing: his son is missing in action, presumed dead by all but Joe’s wife, Kate. And when the past starts to catch up with Joe, the truth reveals devastating consequences.

This epic, moving play was Arthur Miller’s first success, establishing him as a leading voice in American theatre. A searing investigation of honesty, guilt and the corrupting power of greed, All My Sons is a powerful reminder of the need for social responsibility.

Talawa is the UK’s primary Black-led touring theatre company. Following the success of Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, it returns to the Playhouse with this powerhouse play directed by its Artistic Director, Michael Buffong.

By Arthur MillerDirected by Michael Buffong

Show times Tue to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmCaptioned performance WedAudio described performance Sat: 2.30pm | Touch Tour: 1pmTicket prices £11 to £26.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 50% off Tue & Sat matMultibuy 15% offPost show talk WedAge guideline 14+

ALL MY SONSTuesday 17 to Saturday 21 March

A flawless production... HHHHH Guardian

OPINION Talawa’s tender production allows the beauty and weight of Arthur Miller’s masterpiece to carefully unfold: a fitting celebration of his centenary.


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Show time 7.30pmTicket prices £11 to £17 | Discounts availableAge guideline 14+

Inspired by recent high-profile ‘comings out’, from Tom Daley and Ellen Page to Ricky Martin and NBA basketball star Jason Collins, Outings is a powerful, funny confessional of over 20 true stories from gay men and women from around the world.

Exploring how they came out and what effect it has had on their lives, Outings was nominated for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and was the hit of Edinburgh Festival 2014. Directed by Tony Award-winning David Grindley (Pygmalion, Journey’s End) it is performed by comedians Andrew Doyle and Camille Ucan who will be joined by a very special guest star, to be announced. Previous guests have included Simon Callow, Hardeep Singh Kohli and Rev. Richard Coles.

Seabright Productions presents

OUTINGSTuesday 24 March

By Matthew Baldwin and Thomas HescottDirected by David Grindley

Punchy, lucid and moving…Highly recommended.Guardian

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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £16 | Discounts available (£1 of this ticket price is solely retained by the theatre)

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Andy Parsons comes to Oxford with his new live show.

A series regular on Mock the Week, Andy has enjoyed huge success as a writer and performer unleashing his razor-sharp satire across TV, radio and four sell-out UK tours.

Andy started his TV career on Spitting Image, becoming one of the main writers, before embarking on a stand-up career which has led to many shows including a Comedy Central Special, Live at the Apollo plus TV appearances on QI, The Politics Show, Newsnight and Channel 4’s Comedy Gala.

Off the Kerb presents

ANDY PARSONSLive and Unleashed. But Naturally Cautious

Wednesday 25 March

His delivery multiplies the humour. Big laughs unloading both barrels at British political and public life.Guardian


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An Oxford Playhouse Production

“Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep,Even so, I will endure...”

The Trojan War may be over, but the high seas are still raging as Odysseus faces yet more conflict in his epic journey to get home. Gods, mortals, monsters and Odysseus’ own demons all stand in his way.

As he battles Nature at her most turbulent, will Odysseus’ biggest challenge be the changes that await him at his longed-for destination?

Oxford Playhouse Young Company 16|22, whose members are all aged between 16 to 22 years old, brings to life the iconic journey of Homer’s Odyssey in a bold retelling by Hattie Naylor.

By Hattie Naylor Adapted from HomerDirected by Jo Noble

Show times Fri: 8pm | Sat: 2.30pm & 7.30pmTicket price £12 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 25% off FriPre show talk Fri at 6.45pm in the Top Room. FREE to ticket holders but book via the Ticket Office.Please note, unfortunately the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair usersPost show talk Sat matAge guideline 12+

THE ODYSSEYFriday 27 and Saturday 28 March

No shortage of talent on display from this lively company.Oxford Times on Under Milk Wood

CELEBRATE AT OXFORD PLAYHOUSE Enhance your visit to the theatre with one of our special party packages from as little as £5 per person. Whether a Christmas do, birthday treat or children’s party we have the perfect package for your special occasion and make every event sparkle.

Email [email protected] for more details or call the Ticket Office on 01865 305305 and ask about our Panto Parties this festive season.

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Show time 7.30pmTicket price £20 | Discounts availableAge guideline 16+

Author, journalist, comedian and playwright, Stewart Lee has been making people laugh for more than 20 years.

From being one half of the duo Lee and Herring, to directing The Mighty Boosh and co-writing and directing Jerry Springer the Opera, his prolific, sharp and often controversial style has had audiences and critics raving.

He is the recipient of two British Comedy Awards, an Olivier Award, and a BAFTA for his BBC series Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle.

Returning to Oxford following previous sell-out visits, the acclaimed comedian presents his latest stand-up tour, A Room With A Stew, ahead of the new series of his TV hit.

David Johnson & John Mackay present

Remains one of the best stand-ups in the country.HHHH Metro

STEWART LEEA Room With A Stew

Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 March


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Theatre Alibi

Tomas didn’t like books. Stories were just for “little snotties”.

He was happier clambering in the mountains like a goat or tobogganing downhill with his Dad. That was until he met the Unicorn Lady. Through her enchanting and captivating tales, Tomas is convinced of the power and magic of books. But then disaster strikes and suddenly everything that matters most in Tomas’ life is in terrible danger…can he help protect the things he loves?

I Believe in Unicorns is a spellbinding and moving story by Michael Morpurgo. One of our greatest living storytellers, Morpurgo has written some of the best loved books of all time, including War Horse and Private Peaceful. Theatre Alibi ’s last production of his was Why the Whales Came which ran in the West End to great acclaim.

Don’t miss this thrilling children’s show live on stage – the perfect Easter Holiday treat.

From the book by Michael Morpurgo Adapted by Daniel Jamieson

Look out for… I Believe in Unicorns and Michael Morpurgo Easter Holiday Workshops on pg 58

Show times Wed: 4pm | Thu to Sat: 11am & 2pm Relaxed performance Fri: 11am | see pg 68 Ticket prices £12 | Children £10 Family ticket £39 (four tickets inc. up to two adults)Enjoy! membership 25% off Wed (exc. family tickets)Age guideline for everyone aged 6 to 12 and their families

I BELIEVE IN UNICORNSWednesday 1 to Saturday 4 April

Full of delightful surprises. This is immensely enjoyable theatre for children of all ages. HHHH Guardian on The Crowstarver

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Headlong, Rose Theatre Kingston and Sheffield Theatres present

It’s now or never for George Jones. The charismatic leader of the Labour Party needs to get out of opposition and into Number Ten. Plagued by a hostile media and beset by divisions in his party, George has three weeks to convince the Great British Public that he’s their man. But how much compromise is he prepared to make? And which tie should he wear for Prime Minister’s Questions?

Headlong returns to the Playhouse following 1984 to present this timely new production of David Hare’s funny, stinging political drama in the run up to the 2015 General Election.

David Hare is one of England’s foremost playwrights and screenwriters. His plays include The Permanent Way and he received two Academy Award-nominations for The Hours and The Reader. The Absence of War is directed by Headlong’s Artistic Director, Jeremy Herrin, whose recent work includes the RSC world premiere of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall/Bring up the Bodies.

By David Hare Directed by Jeremy HerrinStarring Reece Dinsdale

Show times Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £26.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 50% off Wed & Sat matMultibuy 15% offPost show talk WedAge guideline 12+

THE ABSENCE OF WARWednesday 8 to Saturday 11 April

Consistently impressive... Evening Standard on Headlong


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Theatre Royal Brighton Productions and English Touring Theatre

Secret desires and wicked wit crackle in the air of Sidley Park, a stately home in the 19th century. While tutor Septimus Hodge dodges wordplay, mathematics and the occasional bullet, his talented pupil Thomasina makes a startling discovery well ahead of her time.

In the present day, academics Hannah and Bernard attempt to piece together the fragments of truth that tell Sidley Park’s hidden history. Amidst the duels, dancing and tangled affairs, they find that nothing cuts as sharp as words and nothing wounds as deep as love.

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia is a modern masterpiece, exploring the delicate relationship between past and present. English Touring Theatre (Translations, The Misanthrope) returns to Oxford with a new production of this Olivier Award-winning comedy, recently voted one of the nation’s top five shows in their ‘My Favourite Play’ poll.

By Tom StoppardDirected by Blanche McIntyre

Show times Mon to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mats: 2.30pm Captioned performance Wed Audio described performance Sat: 2.30pm | Touch Tour: 1pmTicket prices £11 to £26.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 50% off Mon & Sat matMultibuy 15% offPost show talk TueAge guideline 14+

ARCADIAMonday 13 to Saturday 18 April

Tom Stoppard’s dazzling masterpiece… Daily Telegraph

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Oxfordshire County Music Service presents Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre

Bobby Child is a well-to-do 1930’s banker with a dream in life: to dance.

Sent to a Wild West town to shut down a derelict theatre, Bobby falls in love with local girl Polly and decides to fight to save the venue...

Set to stunning music by George and Ira Gershwin, Crazy for You is a high-energy musical comedy filled with plot twists, mistaken identity and fabulous choreography.

With blockbuster tunes including I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away from Me and Someone to Watch Over Me, Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre brings this award-winning musical to life with a cast of some of the county’s most talented young performers.

By George and Ira Gershwin, book by Ken LudwigBy arrangement with MusicScope

Show times Wed, Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Sat mat: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £18 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 25% off Wed

CRAZY FOR YOU Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 April

Bright, vibrant and modern…the young people sing and dance their hearts out… Whatsonstage.com on OYMT


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Cheek by Jowl presents

Deep within the heart of the city lies an underworld of chaotic convents, prisons and brothels, kept hidden by a corrupt authority. As virtue and vice blur dangerously together, Shakespeare dissects the nature of government, love, and justice with humour and insight.

Following its scorching productions of ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, Ubu Roi and The Tempest, Cheek By Jowl returns with another thrilling reinvention of a classic. Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure is reimagined in a razor-sharp modern production by a critically- acclaimed company of Russian artists, performing in their native tongue.

Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod’s Cheek by Jowl is internationally renowned for its dynamic and beautiful style, with dramatic staging, poetic storytelling and world class actors. In Russia, this production of Measure for Measure was described as “compelling”, “stunning” and “breathtaking”. Not to be missed.

By William ShakespeareDirected by Declan DonnellanDesigned by Nick Ormerod

Performed in Russian with English surtitles

Show times Tue to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Sat mat: 2.30pmTicket prices £11 to £26.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy! membership 50% off Tue & Sat matMultibuy 15% offAge guideline 14+

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May

One of the ten great theatre companies in the world.Time Magazine

OPINION A new production from Cheek By Jowl is not to be missed so be sure to catch this one on its first European tour. Don’t let the fact that it’s in Russian put you off, Donnellan and Ormerod create shows so rich in imagery that they transcend language.


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Location The Oxford Hub (over Turl Street Kitchen) 16-17 Turl Street OX1 3DH

Show times 5.30pm & 7.30pm Ticket price £10 | Discounts available Age guideline 12+

Eight years after Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned in London, the public inquiry into the Russian dissident’s death has thrust him back into the spotlight.

Whilst 2Magpies Theatre do not know who killed Alexander Litvinenko, they do know what he liked to eat, what he liked to drink and how he liked to dance.

Through a blend of possibility, actuality, fact, fiction, documentary, theatricality and tea, join us to piece together the day Alexander Litvinenko was poisoned. We will even provide the tea.

2Magpies Theatre

THE LITVINENKO PROJECTThursday 5 and Friday 6 February

Photo: John Lye

– P L AY H O U S E P L AY S O U T –

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Show times Available Mon to Sat: 10am to 6pm (or 4.30pm when there is no evening show at OP) Ticket price £5 (You will be asked to leave some form of ID as a deposit)MP3 Players must be returned within four hours

Following on from The Oxford Poetry Walk, Oxford Playhouse has created a new audio tour with a difference, celebrating many of the great and radical minds that have spent time in the city.

Written and performed by artists including Anne-Marie Duff, Paterson Joseph, Polly Teale, Margaret Drabble, Molly Naylor and Glyn Maxwell, Suffragettes and Rabble Rousers is a collection of monologues about some of Oxford’s most forward-thinking residents.

With tales from the lives of Emily Wilding Davison, who was trampled under the king’s horse; Christian Cole, the University’s first black student; Civil War activists, the Levellers; Percy Bysshe Shelley and Thomas Cranmer.


Pick up a MP3 Player, headphones and a map from the Ticket Office and enjoy a stroll through Oxford with radical thinkers for company.

SUFFRAGETTES AND RABBLE ROUSERSA Walk in the Footsteps of Oxford’s Radical Thinkers

March to September



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Created by Anna BruderDirected by Toby Hulse

This interactive theatre experience is likely to leave you hungry for more...What an amazing idea! At last something exciting and fun! Time Out

Don’t play with your food, colour it!

Come in to our make-believe restaurant. Grab a table, choose your ‘food’ and then colour it in.

Ready Steady Colour is an interactive theatre experience for all the family that encourages audiences to get creative together. Designed by A Line Art and set in a pop-up restaurant, simply turn up, order your black and white ‘plate of food’ and then get colouring! While you’re decorating your plate with glittery ketchup or yellow paint mustard, our restaurant’s colourful maître d’ will entertain you with comedy, music and storytelling.

Watch out for this hands-on Playhouse Plays Out show coming to a shopping centre near you.

An Oxford Playhouse Production of A Line Art’s

READY STEADY COLOURMarch and April

Ready Steady Colour will be coming to Oxfordshire in the Spring; for full details including location, times and ticket prices visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com


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Show times Mon to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mat: 2.30pmTicket prices £14 to £30 | No discounts Fri & Sat evesEnjoy members 25% off Mon & Sat matPost show talk WedAge guideline 12+

1936: King Edward VIII has abdicated for the love of Wallis Simpson. Bertie, his brother, is crowned King George VI.

At an office in Harley Street, Bertie and his wife Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, are meeting maverick Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue. Soon the eccentric therapist and the King begin their extraordinary journey to overcome the King’s stammer, as he prepares to address the nation on the brink of World War Two.

The King’s Speech is one of the most successful British films of all time. Book now for this stunning production starring Jason Donovan as Lionel Logue and Raymond Coulthard as King George VI.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre presents

Coming soon...on sale now

THE KING’S SPEECHMonday 11 to Saturday 16 May

By David SeidlerDirected by Roxana Silbert

A cracking good story.Guardian

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Coming soon...on sale now

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Show times Tue to Thu & Sat eves: 7.30pm | Fri: 8pm | Thu & Sat mat: 2.30pm Captioned performance Wed Audio described performance Sat:2.30pm | Touch Tour: 1pmTicket prices £11 to £26.50 | Discounts availableEnjoy members 50% off Tue & Sat matMultibuy 15% offPost show talk WedAge guideline 12+


Shared Experience in a co-production with Nottingham Playhouse presents

Oxford Playhouse is delighted to welcome back its Resident Company, Shared Experience, with a bold reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of love, loss and desire.

On her 16th birthday, a mermaid rises up to the surface, leaving her childhood behind forever when she falls in love with a mortal prince. She knows that she can no longer live at the bottom of the ocean, but must she destroy herself in order to be loved?

Shared Experience is renowned for its thrilling adaptations of literary classics. Plundering this haunting tale for its dark, erotic, mythic power, writer and director Polly Teale (Mary Shelley, Brontë) transports the story to a contemporary setting in this spellbinding new production.

Using a choir of local young women to create an unearthly musical landscape, Shared Experience conjures the magical world of mermaids.

Written and directed by Polly Teale

Look out for... If you’re female, aged between 14 and 19 and would like to know more about joining the Mermaid chorus, please email [email protected]

MERMAIDTuesday 19 to Saturday 23 May

Pushing the boat of theatricality way beyond its usual moorings. Guardian on Shared Experience

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COMEDYDRAMA MUSICPOETRYFAMILY

BURTON TAYLOR STUDIO

Theatre and events especially for families. Come and play in the foyer area before and after the show.

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Show time 8pm Tickets £8 Discounts £6

The Honolulu Cowboys return to the BT Studio to help you ward off the January blues with their exotic Hawaiian sounds.

With a line-up of ukeleles, guitars, banjoleles, kazoo, pedal steel and vocals, you’ll hear traditional Hawaiian favourites mixed with pop hits and country classics from a band featuring members from the age of 8 to 65, all sharing the same hula passion.

Bobby Wellins, a tenor saxophonist and one of Britain’s most unique voices in jazz, opens the 2015 Oxford Jazz Masters Series with a stunning new show.

Award-winning Wellins is best known for his collaboration with Stan Tracey on the album Under Milk Wood, acclaimed for featuring one of the greatest saxophone improvisations of all time.

This evening of world-class jazz is hosted by the OxJaMS Trio George Haslam (baritone sax, tarogato), Richard Leigh Harris (piano) and Steve Kershaw (double bass).

With support from Jazz Services/PRS and SLAM.

Thu 8 January

THE HONOLULU COWBOYS

Sat 10 January

OXJAMS

Show time 8pm Tickets £10 Discounts £8

Show time 7.30pm Tickets £10 Discounts £8 Age guideline 12+

In a sparkling one-woman performance that blends poetry with theatre, Anglo-Breton poet Claire Trévien navigates a shifting maritime landscape, inspired by a childhood spent on the coast of Brittany.

Evoking the sound, sight and scents of the sea, Claire transforms Celtic myths with surreal and playful words that stir a deeper undercurrent.

The Shipwrecked House was long-listed for the 2013 Guardian First Book Award.

A triumph for poetry.Guardian

Co-commissioned by Ledbury Poetry Festival.

Fri 9 JanuaryPenned in the Margins presents

THE SHIPWRECKED HOUSEBy Claire Trévien

OXFORD PLAYHOUSE AT THE BURTON TAYLOR STUDIO

JANUARY

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I want to sink in it. I want it to wear me down. Rub me smooth. Like a pebble. I want it to make me feel small. I never felt small enough. Set against the backdrop of a declining British seaside town, The Pier dips into the lives of those who are both brought together and divided by the vast body of water which stretches out before them.

Written by the award-winning Joseph Wilde and directed by Rosie Banham (England Street), The Pier is a story about big people from a small place.

Andrew O’Neill brings his inventive, surreal and silly stand-up show Mindspiders to the BT Studio.

Andrew has been performing his clever and off-kilter comedy around the world for over a decade. He has appeared on TV comedy favourites including Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle and Steve Coogan’s acclaimed sit-com Saxondale.

Don’t miss this brand new show from one of the funniest comedians on the UK circuit.

Hitting new heights of comedic brilliance.Time Out

Tue 13 and Wed 14 January

THE PIERBy Joseph Wilde

Thu 15 JanuaryAndrew O’Neill

MINDSPIDERS


Isn’t it daft that we ask teenagers to make really big decisions about their lives? Jack Bennett had to and it’s done him no good whatsoever. He was going to be a world-renowned musician, but one wrong turn and look at him… a two-bit actor with an identity crisis.

So he’s decided to ask some pretty big questions: what’s learning for? Why all the rush? And if all of the politicians and education experts are so smart, how come they never agree on the best way to do things?

Jack will tickle your grey matter, probe your beliefs and fill your belly with laughs.

Fri 16 and Sat 17 JanuaryARC Stockton presents

TOO MUCH, TOO YOUNGWritten and performed by Jack Bennett

BIG SHOWS, SMALL SPACE...

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This is the story of Peachey Carnehan and Daniel Dravot, soldiers-for-hire amidst the shifting borders of the Middle East. Tired of the mercenary life, Peachey and Daniel have come up with a plan: head to northern Afghanistan, enslave the natives and install themselves as kings.

Combining bold physicality and original music, Dawn State Theatre Company presents this tale of greed, adventure and ruin, inspired by Kipling’s classic mercenary story.

A frankly outstanding production, full of wit, charm and fascination. HHHHH British Theatre Guide

Show time 7.30pm Tickets £10 Discounts £8

‘Proof’ denies faith, and without faith we are nothing.

When Galileo found unquestionable proof that the planets revolve around the sun, his findings were crushed by a 17th century church so outraged they ordered him to stand trial on charges of heresy.

400 years on, this fascinating one man show, performed by Tim Hardy (RSC), highlights the dramatic events and tragedy surrounding Galileo’s trial, and how he misjudged the politics and thinking of the time.

As soul-breakingly bitter as it is heartbreakingly humorous. HHHH Three Weeks

Mon 23 MarchIcarus and Kings Theatre, Southsea

THE TRIALS OF GALILEOWritten and directed by Nic Young

Tue 17 MarchDawn State Theatre Company

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KINGWritten and directed by Dan Coleman

Show times 11am and 2pm Tickets £8 Children £6 Age guideline 3+

Sat 4 April Peut-être Theatre

SHH...BANG!

Shh…Bang! is a delightful show for young children and their families that playfully explores silence and noise. “Quiet” lives in a muffled world of clouds and softness. Right next-door “Loud” collects more and more noises and wild sounds. In drawers and suitcases there are boings, splashes, bangs and swooshes. How can Quiet and Loud possibly find a way to listen to each other? Join Peut-être Theatre for this fun, interactive production featuring dance, theatre and music. Proof that children’s theatre can be beautiful and brainy without losing sight of a good old-fashioned story. Whatsonstage.com on Peut-être


JANUARY TO APRIL

Show times 11am and 2pm (no shows Mon 30 Mar) Ticket prices £8 | children £6Age guideline For everyone aged 4 to 8 and their familiesLook out for... Not-So-Still Life Easter Holiday workshop for 4 to 9 years on pg 58

My name is Tony and I have the most extraordinary friend…Pablo Picasso!

Come and play down on the farm with Tony and Picasso. We’ll have loads of fun, make crazy pictures and we’ll tell the true story of how a young boy became friends with one of the greatest artists who ever lived.

Oxford Playhouse presents The Boy Who Bit Picasso, an interactive theatre show for everyone aged four to eight. With storytelling, music and lots of chances to make your own art, this hands-on family show introduces one of the 20th century’s most influential artists through the eyes of a young boy.


THE BOY WHO BIT PICASSOSaturday 28 March to Thursday 2 April

Devised and directed by Jake OldershawInspired by the book by Antony Penrose

Be sure to wear some play-clothes because it’s going to get messy!

Photo:© Lee Miller Archives, England. All rights reserved.

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Show times Thu: 7.30pm Fri: 6pm and 8.30pm Tickets £10 Discounts £8 Age guideline 13+

Thu 23 and Fri 24 AprilDerby Theatre presents

PENELOPE RETOLDWritten and performed by Caroline Horton


Thu 9 and Fri 10 April

STANDBY FOR TAPE BACK-UPWritten and performed by Ross Sutherland

After a hard-drive crash and a near death experience, Ross Sutherland found himself house-bound with only one thing for company: an old videotape that once belonged to his granddad. Layering the tape’s images of old ads and vintage sit-coms with tongue-twisting lyrical dexterity, Ross opens a dialogue with his late grandfather and confronts the illness that nearly ended his life. A sell-out success at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, this is the true story of one man’s journey into synchronicity and madness. A triumph of creative storytelling and split-second timing.


Tue 7 and Wed 8 AprilFinger in the Pie

WAITING FOR STANLEY

1945. A wife waits anxiously at a railway station for her husband, Stanley, to return from the front line. The train arrives full of homecoming soldiers, but her Stanley doesn’t appear… Throughout this touching physical comedy, suitcases transform into radios, cribs, typewriters and a whole host of other props as clowning and puppetry combine to paint a picture of how life was for London’s women during the war. Hilariously funny as well as deeply poignant, this is a show that you simply have to see. HHHHH Edinburgh Guide

Welcome to Ithaca. Island paradise and home to Penelope. She’s married to a world famous war hero and she’s had enough of waiting quietly. Penelope RETOLD is an irreverent collision of classic myth The Odyssey and contemporary rage. Made with input from soldiers and military spouses, this theatrical storm sweeps through poetry, songs, comedy and YouTube clips towards a poignant and furious conclusion. Olivier Award-nominee Caroline Horton presents an epic, heart-breaking and fiercely playful tale of love, loneliness and the need to be free.


APRIL

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7 | 10 – Mondays 11 | 15 – Tuesdays 16 | 22 – Wednesdays

Dates Mon 12 Jan to Mon 23 Mar (no session Mon 16 Feb)Time 4.30pm to 6pmTickets £50 per termAges 7 to 10

Dates Tue 13 Jan to Tue 24 Mar (no session Tue 17 Feb)Time 5pm to 7pmTickets £50 per termAges 11 to 15

To find out more about joining 16|22 from April 2015, please email [email protected]

Oxford Playhouse Young Companies 7|10, 11|15 and 16|22 meet once a week during term time. If you’re looking for an after-school or college group to build your drama skills, increase your confidence, make friends and have bags of fun, then our Young Companies are for you. This Spring…

7|10 will be looking at rebels throughout British history as inspiration for recreating (and reinventing!) key moments in history.

11|15 will be finding hidden heroes and giving them a voice, devising monologues about the untold stories of extraordinary people who didn’t hit the headlines.

16|22 will be rehearsing for its production of The Odyssey on the main stage in March. See page 31 for more details. Why not come and watch the show before joining for the summer term from April?

If you’re aged between 7 and 22, why not join one of Oxford Playhouse’s Young Companies and get really stuck into theatre.

I had an amazing time being part of this company. I have made friends for life and I feel like I have learnt so many valuable skills.16 | 22 Member

I loved 11|15! It was great fun creating our characters and learning new skills. I would definitely recommend coming. It was the highlight of my week!11|15 Member

CLOSER YOUNG COMPANIES

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Time 10am to 4pmLocation Top RoomTickets £25Ages 14+

This half term, Oxford Playhouse is inviting you to immerse yourself in American drama with corresponding workshops about two of the country’s greatest playwrights. Come to either or both days to get to grips with some fascinating characters.

Tennessee Williams wrote some of the most powerful modern roles for woman on stage. From Blanche and Stella to Maggie, and Amanda Wingfield, Williams’ Women will explore the personalties beneath these iconic figures and how Williams’ relationship with his own mother informed his writing.

Mon 16 Feb

WILLIAMS’ WOMEN

Half term workshop

Time 10am to 4pm ( drop off from 9am, pick up before 5pm)Location Top RoomTickets £50Ages 9 to 13

This two day workshop is about the language and characters of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The perfect introduction to Shakespeare for young drama fans, come ready to explore the relationship between dreams and reality, actors and the audience.

There will be a sharing for parents and guardians at 3.30pm on the second day.

Tue 17 and Wed 18 Feb

THIS GREEN PLOT WILL BE OUR STAGE...

Half term workshop

Time 10am to 4pmLocation Top RoomTickets £25Ages 14+

The second half of our workshop series on American drama will study the male characters within Arthur Miller ’s work. From Joe Keller to Eddie Carbone, participants will immerse themselves in these classic male roles working on gritty and gripping monologues and duologues.

A must for all keen dramastudents, this workshop can be enjoyed alone or after attending Williams’ Women.

Fri 20 Feb

MILLER’S MEN

Half term workshop

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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Time 10am to 4pm (drop off from 9am, pick up before 5pm)Location Top RoomTickets £50Ages 4 to 8

Time 9am to 3pmLocation Top RoomTickets £25(or £30 inc. ticket for 4pm show)Ages 6 to 12

Time 10am to 4pmLocation Top RoomTickets £50Ages 13 to 16

Inspired by our BT Studio family show, The Boy Who Bit Picasso, this two day Easter Holiday workshop will use Picasso’s work as a stimulus to create scenes and devise your own show.

There will be a sharing for parents and guardians at 3.30pm on the second day.

Look out for... The Boy Who Bit Picasso on page 54.

As part of our Easter Holiday show for families, I Believe In Unicorns, come and take part in this one day workshop exploring the ideas from Michael Morpurgo’s magical tale, before staying on to watch the performance at 4pm.

Look out for... I Believe In Unicorns on page 35.

Michael Morpurgo is one of the UK’s greatest children’s writers, creator of hugely popular books and the inspiration behind stage shows including War Horse, Private Peaceful, Why the Whales Came and many more.

This two day workshop will use physical theatre techniques to explore Morpurgo’s magic and create a short performance inspired by his work.

There will be a sharing forparents and guardians at3.30pm on the second day.

Mon 30 and Tue 31 Mar

NOT-SO-STILL LIFEWed 1 Apr

I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS

Tue 7 and Wed 8 Apr

THE MAGIC OF MICHAEL MORPURGO

CLOSER


Easter Holiday workshopEaster Holiday workshopEaster Holiday workshop

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Time 10.30am to 11.15amLocation Top RoomTickets £5 (1 adult, 1 pre-school child - £2 for second child)Age 5 and under

Time 6.30pmLocation Hospitality Room,Tickets Up to two FREE per schoolBook via the Ticket Office

Time 12pm to 1.30pmLocation Hospitality RoomTickets £6 (includes lunch)Age 50+

Have you discovered the perfect fun, friendly and musical way to start the week for you and your child? Hey Diddle Diddle is a friendly sing-a-long and play session held weekly during term time at Oxford Playhouse.

With free tea or coffee and a chance to stay, play and meet other parents afterwards too, Hey Diddle Diddle makes for a fun Monday morning.

(No session Mon 16 Feb).

Oxford Playhouse Teachers’ Nights are a great way to find out about everything the Playhouse can do to support your class, school and students’ learning objectives.

Come and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine whilst networking with other teachers and finding out what’s coming up for schools in the next six months. From performances by curriculum companies to learning resource packs, workshops and more.

Afterwards stay to take in a performance of Wayne McGregor | Random Dance’s Atomos.

Spotlight is for anyone aged 50 or over with an interest in theatre. Each session is a friendly and relaxed lunchtime meet-up to socialise and talk all things theatre.

Spotlight is led by a member of OP staff joined by a guest to talk more about their show or role.

Enjoy interesting conversation and a sandwich lunch before taking in the matinee performance. New Spotlighters are always welcome, why not bring a friend?

Mon 19 Jan to Mon 23 Mar

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE

Wed 4 Mar

FREE TEACHERS’ NIGHT

Thu 12 Feb, Thu 19 Mar and Thu 16 Apr

SPOTLIGHT

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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Pre school children AdultsSchools, Colleges and Universities

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READY STEADY COLOURAn interactive art and theatre show for all the family, Ready Steady Colour will be popping up in shopping centres in London and around the country during March and April including:

Camden Lock Market, LondonBrent Cross, LondonBullring, BirminghamHighcross, LeicesterThe Wheatsheaf, Rochdale

THE BOY WHO BIT PICASSOFollowing its world premiere performances at the BT Studio this Easter, The Boy Who Bit Picasso will be visiting venues including The Egg at Theatre Royal Bath; South Street, Reading; MAC, Birmingham; Albany at the Lounge, London.

Watch out for full tour details coming soon.

FEBRUARY TO MAY 2015

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Photo:© Lee Miller Archives, England. All rights re

serv

ed.

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BATH TIMEThis magical show is perfect for very young children, is filled with comedy, music and silliness and will be splashing around the country this February half term.

The Gulbenkian, CanterburySun 15 Februarywww.thegulbenkian.co.ukThe Everyman, CheltenhamWed 18 to Fri 20 Februarywww.everymantheatre.org.ukSalisbury PlayhouseSat 21 Februarywww.salisburyplayhouse.com

STANDOxford Playhouse’s co-production of Chris Goode’s STAND premiered in Oxford last year to sold-out performances and a huge audience response. Catch it in Oxfordshire and Berkshire before it transfers to London for a three week residency at Battersea Arts Centre.

The Old Fire Station, Oxford Thu 9 to Sat 11 April www.oldfirestation.org.uk Corn Exchange, NewburyTue 14 Aprilwww.cornexchangenew.com South Street Arts, Reading Wed 15 April www.readingarts.com/southstreetThe Mill Arts Centre, BanburyThu 16 April www.themillartscentre.co.uk Battersea Arts Centre, LondonMon 20 April to Sat 9 May www.bac.org.uk


Photo: Nick Holmes

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AccessRead more about the Access facilities available at the Playhouse on page 68.

DiscountsTurn to page 65 to make sure you’re getting any discounts we offer.

Age GuidelinesAge guidelines are listed against as many events as possible to help you choose whether a performance is right for you, your family, class or group. The suggested minimum ages are recommendations only based on potential content and available information at the time of printing. If you are booking tickets for other people we ask you to take responsibility for whether a show is appropriate for everyone within your party. If you would like more details about any production, please contact the Ticket Office.

12+ Content may include themes and subjects of a more adult nature and/or occasional mild swearing.

14+ Content may include violent scenes, swearing, sexual innuendo and/or partial nudity.

16+ Content may include graphic scenes of violence, nudity, drugs imagery and/or prolific swearing.

18+ Content will contain scenes which may be disturbing and are unsuitable for children.

Family Friendly 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 booster seats, toilet steps and seats and a buggy store. There’s a baby change facility on the ground floor and babies 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.

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.ticketsoxford.com for further details or follow us on Twitter @TicketsOxford.

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

USEFUL INFORMATION


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Our Address:Oxford Playhouse Beaumont Street, Oxford OX1 2LW

By Road:Park and RideUsing one of Oxford’s five Park and Ride services is probably the easiest and cheapest way to get around the city. For more information visit: www.parkandride.net

ParkingParking in Oxford can be expensive. It is often cheaper to park on-street. You will find pay-and-display meters on Broad Street, St. Giles and in Jericho.

Car ParksGloucester Green (underground, nearest to the Playhouse), Westgate Shopping Centre, Worcester Street, Abbey Place, Oxpens and Oxford Rail Station.

By Train:Oxford rail station is a 10 minute walk from the Playhouse.

By Bus and Coach:The city’s main bus and coach station is a two minute walk away from the Playhouse situated in Gloucester Green.

Botley Rd

The Oxford HubTurl Street

HOW TO GET TO THE PLAYHOUSE

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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 but only 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.

Possible limited view. Please call the Ticket Office for further information.

These seats can be removed to accommodate wheelchairs. Please call the Ticket Office for further information.

Rows A – 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

In personMonday to Saturday 10am to 6pm or until 30 minutes after the start of the evening performance. Sundays and Bank Holidays two hours before the performances.

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

Returns and exchanges Oxford Playhouse is able to exchange ticket(s) (to the same value) or resell your tickets if the show has sold out. Oxford Playhouse can only exchange or resell pre-collected ticket(s) that have been returned to the box office, or ticket(s) that are waiting for collection. To exchange your tickets to another event, you must inform us at least 24 hours prior to the advertised start time of the event for which you are unable to use your tickets. If you would like us to try and resell your tickets (non-guaranteed), you must let the Ticket Office know as soon as possible before the advertised start time of the event.

01865 305305www.oxfordplayhouse.comBOOKING INFORMATION

Seating Plan

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DISCOUNTS

ENJOY!Discount Group Ticket Price Conditions

Up to 50% off opening night or Saturday matinees for week-long shows. Bonus Enjoy! discounts of 50% or 25% on most shorter runs Free You must be aged 16 to 25 and a member of OPT in! £5 and £10 Membership costs £1. Join at the Ticket Office or subject to availability visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/optin!/ for more details. Multibuy 15% off tickets to Buy tickets to 3 or more Multibuy shows in the selected shows same booking and receive 15% off every ticket over £12.50. Valid on The Woman in Black, Macbeth, All My Sons, The Absence of War, Arcadia, Measure for Measure and Mermaid.

In Advance £2 off each ticket Available for most shows on full priced tickets of £12.50 or more for under 18s, over 60s, full-time students, ES40s, BECTU and Equity members.

Access users £11 or £14 per ticket Available for most shows for access facility users, wheelchair users and one companion.

Schools & Colleges £11 or £14 per ticket An allocation of tickets is available plus one free teacher Monday to Thursday. School tickets for seat for every 15 seats Beauty and the Beast from £11.50. booked

Group Rate 20% off full priced For all groups of 10 or more. tickets for most Not available online, email katherine.jones@ performances oxfordplayhouse.com for group bookings. Payment must be made as one transaction. Student Standby £11 or £14 per ticket Best available seats on the day of the (full-time) performance. Book in person at the Ticket with valid photo ID Office. Standby rate available in advance for West Side Story and Noises Off.

Over 60s Standby £12.50 or £14 per ticket Best available seats for all matinee performances bookable during the week of the show. Not available online.

Standby £11 or £14 per ticket Best available seats on the day of the performance for under 18s, ES40s, BECTU and Equity members for most shows. Book in person at the Ticket Office.

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.

Available on up to two tickets, on either the opening night or the Saturday matinee, for almost every production, for all Enjoy! members. Join the Enjoy! scheme via the Ticket Office for an annual fee of £50.


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OUR CORE FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERSOxford Playhouse gratefully acknowledges the support of its core funders:

Trusts:AnonymousDoris Field Charitable TrustThe D’Oyly Carte Charitable TrustThe Dragon Christmas Charity SaleThe Foyle Foundation

Hamilton TrustThe Lord Faringdon Charitable TrustMr & Mrs JA Pye’s Charitable SettlementThe Still Point Fund

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

University of Oxford College Members:All Souls CollegeLincoln CollegeThe Queen’s College

Platinum: Gold: Silver:

Bronze:

Building Support:Equipment and Technical Support:

OP Business Club:

16|22 Young Company Sponsors:Learning and Productions Support:


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OXFORD PLAYHOUSE

FOR THE STARS OF THE FUTUREOxford Playhouse is a charity and makes a difference to the lives of around 200,000 people every year. Share the love – come to see shows, spread the word and help secure our future. The Playhouse has to raise £250,000 each year to create great theatre, subsidise tickets for everyone, give free tickets to those who can’t afford to pay and provide transformative opportunities for children and young people.

This year Arts Council England will give us £1 for every £1.50 you give. Donations of any size are greatly appreciated and make a real difference.

In addition, we will soon be launching a fundraising campaign to help us refurbish our auditorium in 2016 which will cost an estimated £350,000. Further details of how you can help will be available soon. The generous support of our donors has already helped us to refurbish our foyer and circle bars this year – thank you!

For information on making a donation or leaving a gift to the Playhouse in your Will, please visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/supportus or email [email protected] You can also support the Playhouse by texting OXPL01 £5 or £10 to 70070.

01865 305305

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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. Look out for these symbols on the show pages of this Guide.

Captioned and signed performances are excellent for people who are deaf, deafened and hard of hearing. During a signed performance an interpreter stands at the side of the stage. Captioned performances 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. Via headphones, a live narrator describes the action in the pauses between the onstage dialogue. Touch tours accompany audio described performances.

The auditorium has a Sennheiser infrared system for audience members who are hard of hearing. Please ask the Ticket Office at the time of booking to advise you on the best places to sit for using the Sennheiser headsets within the auditorium. Relaxed performances are aimed at anyone who would benefit from a laid back environment including people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, a learning disability or very young children who might be afraid of the dark. The atmosphere in the auditorium will be relaxed with the house lights partially on. Audience members will be free to come and go as they please throughout the show and make noise if they want to.

Reserve your access tickets by emailing [email protected] or calling the Ticket Office on 01865 305305.

68 01865 305305

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December

28 Sun Beauty and the Beast 4pm 3

January

3 Sat Hurry Up, Father Christmas! 12pm RELAXED 4

3 Sat Beauty and the Beast 7pm 3

10 Sat Beauty and the Beast 11.45am TOUCH TOUR 3

10 Sat Beauty and the Beast 12.30pm TOUCH TOUR 3

10 Sat Beauty and the Beast 2pm 3

11 Sun Beauty and the Beast 1.45pm TOUCH TOUR 3

11 Sun Beauty and the Beast 2.30pm TOUCH TOUR 3

11 Sun Beauty and the Beast 4pm 3

February

14 Sat Jeeves and Wooster 2.30pm 13

March

18 Wed All My Sons 7.30pm 27

21 Sat All My Sons 1pm TOUCH TOUR 27

21 Sat All My Sons 2.30pm 27

April

3 Fri I Believe in Unicorns 11am RELAXED 35

15 Wed Arcadia 7.30pm 39

18 Sat Arcadia 1pm TOUCH TOUR 39

18 Sat Arcadia 2.30pm 39

May

20 Wed Mermaid 7.30pm 49

23 Sat Mermaid 1pm TOUCH TOUR 49

23 Sat Mermaid 2.30pm 49

Access Diary


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Diary...

Date Day Production Time(s) Venue Access Page

December 2014 to January 2015 Beauty and the Beast Various OP 3 Hurry Up, Father Christmas! Various BT RELAXED 4

January 8 Thu The Honolulu Cowboys 8pm BT 51 9 Fri The Shipwrecked House 7.30pm BT 51 10 Sat Oxjams 8pm BT 51 13 Tue The Pier 7.30pm BT 5214 Wed The Pier 7.30pm BT 5215 Thu Mindspiders 7.30pm BT 5216 Fri Too Much, Too Young 7.30pm BT 5217 Sat Too Much, Too Young 7.30pm BT 52

22 Thu Mark Watson 7.30pm OP 523 Fri The House of Fun 7.30pm OP 624 Sat Jacqui Dankworth 7.30pm OP 7

26 Mon The Woman in Black 7.30pm OP 927 Tue The Woman in Black 7.30pm OP 928 Wed The Woman in Black 7.30pm OP 929 Thu The Woman in Black 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 930 Fri The Woman in Black 8pm OP 931 Sat The Woman in Black 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 9

February 4 Wed West Side Story 7.30pm OP 115 Thu West Side Story 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 115 Thu The Litvinenko Project 5.30pm & 7.30pm The Oxford Hub 446 Fri The Litvinenko Project 5.30pm & 7.30pm The Oxford Hub 446 Fri West Side Story 8pm OP 117 Sat West Side Story 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 11

10 Tue Jeeves & Wooster 7.30pm OP 1311 Wed Jeeves & Wooster 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 1312 Thu Jeeves & Wooster 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 1313 Fri Jeeves & Wooster 8pm OP 1314 Sat Jeeves & Wooster 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 13

18 Wed Noises Off 7.30pm OP 1519 Thu Noises Off 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 1520 Fri Comedy Club 4 Kids 5pm OP 2020 Fri Noises Off 8pm OP 1521 Sat Noises Off 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 15

24 Tue Macbeth 7.30pm OP 1725 Wed Macbeth 7.30pm OP 1726 Thu Macbeth 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 17 27 Fri Macbeth 8pm OP 17 28 Sat Macbeth 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 17


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Diary...


March 3 Tue Atomos 7.30pm OP 194 Wed Atomos 7.30pm OP 195 Thu Gina Yashere 7.30pm OP 216 Fri National Youth Jazz Orchestra 7.30pm OP 227 Sat Simon Amstell 7.30pm OP 23

10 Tue Mary Stuart 7.30pm OP 2511 Wed Mary Stuart 7.30pm OP 2512 Thu Mary Stuart 7.30pm OP 2513 Fri Mary Stuart 8pm OP 2514 Sat Mary Stuart 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 25

17 Tue All My Sons 7.30pm OP 2717 Tue The Man Who Would Be King 7.30pm BT 5318 Wed All My Sons 7.30pm OP 2719 Thu All My Sons 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 2720 Fri All My Sons 8pm OP 2721 Sat All My Sons 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 27

23 Mon The Trials of Galileo 7.30pm BT 5324 Tue Outings 7.30pm OP 2825 Wed Andy Parsons 7.30pm OP 2927 Fri The Odyssey 8pm OP 3128 Sat The Boy Who Bit Picasso 11am & 2pm BT 54 28 Sat The Odyssey 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 3129 Sun The Boy Who Bit Picasso 11am & 2pm BT 54

30 Mon Stewart Lee 7.30pm OP 3331 Tue The Boy Who Bit Picasso 11am & 2pm BT 54 31 Tue Stewart Lee 7.30pm OP 33

April 1 Wed The Boy Who Bit Picasso 11am & 2pm BT 54 1 Wed I Believe In Unicorns 4pm OP 352 Thu I Believe In Unicorns 11am & 2pm OP 352 Thu The Boy Who Bit Picasso 11am & 2pm BT 543 Fri I Believe In Unicorns 11am & 2pm OP RELAXED 354 Sat I Believe In Unicorns 11am & 2pm OP 354 Sat Shh...Bang! 11am & 2pm BT 53

7 Tue Waiting for Stanley 7.30pm BT 558 Wed The Absence of War 7.30pm OP 378 Wed Waiting for Stanley 7.30pm BT 559 Thu The Absence of War 2.30 & 7.30pm OP 379 Thu Standby for Tape Back-up 7.30pm BT 5510 Fri Standby for Tape Back-up 7.30pm BT 5510 Fri The Absence of War 8pm OP 3711 Sat The Absence of War 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 37

01865 305305

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Diary...


April continued 13 Mon Arcadia 7.30pm OP 3914 Tue Arcadia 7.30pm OP 3915 Wed Arcadia 7.30pm OP 3916 Thu Arcadia 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 3917 Fri Arcadia 8pm OP 3918 Sat Arcadia 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 39

22 Wed Crazy for You 7.30pm OP 4123 Thu Crazy for You 7.30pm OP 4123 Thu Penelope RETOLD 7.30pm BT 5524 Fri Wonderstuff: The Magic of Modern Materials 5pm OP 2024 Fri Penelope RETOLD 6pm & 8.30pm BT 5524 Fri Crazy for You 8pm OP 4125 Sat Crazy for You 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 41

28 Tue Measure for Measure 7.30pm OP 4329 Wed Measure for Measure 7.30pm OP 4330 Thu Measure for Measure 7.30pm OP 43

May 1 Fri Measure for Measure 8pm OP 432 Sat Measure for Measure 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 43

11 Mon The King’s Speech 7.30pm OP 4712 Tue The King’s Speech 7.30pm OP 4713 Wed The King’s Speech 7.30pm OP 4714 Thu The King’s Speech 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 4715 Fri The King’s Speech 8pm OP 4716 Sat The King’s Speech 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 47

19 Tue Mermaid 7.30pm OP 4920 Wed Mermaid 7.30pm OP 4921 Thu Mermaid 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 4922 Fri Mermaid 8pm OP 4923 Sat Mermaid 2.30pm & 7.30pm OP 49

Printed October 2014All information accurate at the time of going to print. Please check with the Ticket Office for full and final details.

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This season’s cover is a quote taken from 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson. If you have a suggestion for a summer quote to feature on the cover of next season’s guide send it to [email protected]

EMILY DICKINSON, POET

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 and large print. Please contact Dee Millard on 01865 305301 or at [email protected]

Look out for our next season... April to August 2015 On sale March 2015

Join our mailing list at www.oxfordplayhouse.com Follow us on Twitter @OxfordPlayhouse Like us on Facebook

oxford playhouse season brochure january to may 2015

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