Thursday 28th May 2026

Culture

Oxford on-screen: Historical atmosphere and fantasy worlds

Ideally, we should strike a balance; an awareness of the reality of life at Oxford can co-exist with an appreciation of its grand architecture and historical atmosphere.

The rise of Stats.fm: Music as a signal of identity

It is far harder to maintain a separation between your taste, your identity, and how you are thought of by others.  

‘Would you mind if I asked you a troubling question?’:  ‘Ulster American’ in review

Arun Lewis reviews Grá Productions' staging of David Ireland's 'Ulster American', and finds fault in an otherwise fascinating performance.

Subs, dubs, and AI flubs: Lost in film translation

How hard could it be to watch an entire film in German when I could not even introduce myself in the language? Quite hard, it turns out.

‘Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again’ review

It's a film sure to make piles of "Money, Money, Money" at the box office, but will this sequel have you saying "Thank You For The Music", or reaching to flush it down the "Waterloo"?

An Exploration: Death Grips’ Year of the Snitch

The Sacramento-based experimental hip-hop trio have released a project that mixes up plenty of fresh, new sounds even if some ideas fail to deliver

‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ – the best action film of the year?

The summer blockbuster is back on Cruise control, as Ethan Hunt attempts to save the world for a sixth time

What should the British national anthem be?

The current national anthem is boring, difficult-to-remember, and outdated – but which song should replace it?

“Studio 54” is an era’s “Paradise Lost”

"Studio 54" is a predictable story fascinated with the fall of an era of glamour.

Love Island’s connection to World Cup fervour

These two hotly contested competitions have gripped the nation this summer, and are more similar than you might expect

The Actor’s Nightmare Review – “a high octane sprint through an abominable nocturnal dystopia”

Mercury Theatre Productions' venture into theatrical hell is impressive, but the length of the production lets it down

Daniel Craig and the rescue of James Bond

Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond began with Casino Royale, and the highly successful 2006 blockbuster proved a fitting starting point for the ‘Blonde...

‘Whitney’ is a documentary in search of its lost soul

Whitney Houston's turbulent life is rendered conventionally in Kevin Macdonald's new documentary

Modern China from a new perspective

Jacob Cheli talks to BBC Correspondent Michael Bristow about his travels around China with a cross-dressing language teacher

Sexism in Jazz

Lola Grieve explores the underrepresentation of women in jazz in discussion with female jazz musicians at Oxford

For Colored Girls Review – “An intimacy that focuses solely on the lives of black women, the beautiful and the haunting, is...

A powerful performance of Shange's work that presents personal stories of love, loss, hope, and renewal

Dining Al Desko review – ‘pure tragicomedy’

Alastair Curtis' intertwined monologues tease out the humour and poignancy of office life

Romeo and Juliet Review – ‘immensely effective’

A bold and haunting production that places the deadly feud in HM Prison Verona

A Doll’s House Review – ‘the pace of the narrative was stunted’

A cohesive aesthetic experience, but a shortened script hampers character development

No Man Ever – Preview

A production that is wholly and intensely focused on human interaction and language

Is the publishing boom ‘a sign of cultural vitality’?

Despite the recent publishing boom, the literary landscape is looking increasingly

Romeo and Juliet – Preview

A close cast and crew underline the generational aspects of Shakespeare's tale of conflict, all in a female offenders unit

Dining al Desko Preview – ‘a tale of high treachery and highlighters’

An acutely observed examination of inane office politics, despair, and social media

Spotlight: Donald Glover

Donald Glover makes the uncomfortable popular

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