Monday 19th January 2026

Culture

‘Songs, skits, and a third thing beginning with S’: Jack McMinn in conversation

If there’s one thing I believe Oxford’s theatre scene is missing, it’s a button-down-shirt-wearing ex-zoology student with a penchant for writing songs about Pret A Manger.

The Oxford art calendar: Hilary 2026

Oxford’s frosty Hilary term is best spent looking at new exhibitions. This art calendar will guide you through some of the upcoming highlights.

‘Beautifully we may rot’: ‘Madame La Mort’ in review

In a small, black-painted room on the top floor of a pub in Islington, known as The Hope Theatre, Madame La Mort was staged for the public for the first time.

Damaging detachment: Reflections on the Booker Prize 

This Christmas vac, I made up my mind to get out of my reading slump using the Booker Prize shortlist, revealing toxic masculinity as a key theme.

The Corridor review – ‘a serious spectacle of operatic drama’

Isaac Pockney is spellbound by an opera that puts a fresh twist on a classic tale

Salman Rushdie and Trump: Migration, modernity, and transformation

William Arlid Crona writes about Rushdie's latest

5 minutes with…. Sophie Khan Levy, the solo star of Papatango’s Hanna

How did you first get involved in the process and how much input did you have in the development of the final product? We did...

Dining al Desko review – ‘gently depressing but hilarious’

The subtle destruction of office careers, told via its character's monologue is amusing and meaningful.

The Scythians British Museum review – ‘a vivid and intriguing exhibition’

A vivid depiction of an ancient culture excites at the British Museum

A feminist rereading of Austen for 2018

The 18th century novel is surprisingly relevant to the issues facing women today

Doctor Feelgood offers a happy release from Oxford stress

Doctor Feelgood delivers a homespun and happy night at the Bullingdon

Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. preview – ‘bracingly honest’

Adam Radford gets a privileged glance at this incendiary piece of feminist theatre

Fiddler On The Roof Review – ‘thoughtful and timely’

Izzy Troth sits on the roof, not on the fence, about the Oxford Playhouse's latest show

A long way home

Christmas dinners, children’s plane toys, and the difference between ‘chirpsing’ and ‘tuning’: living 10,000 miles away is both a blessing and a curse for Verity Bligh.

Coco sees Pixar back on delightful form

Pixar's latest venture may feature the Day of the Dead, but it's packed with heartwarming life and vitality

Making bad art

Oxford art students discover making bad portraits isn't as easy as it looks.

Amadeus review – ‘Salieri cackles in a high-backed chair like a Bond villain’

Tom Graus praises a theatrical spectacle containing a masterclass in stage performance

Twelfth Night preview – ‘a darker version’

Post-Truth Theatre Company's Twelfth Night is a clever and satirical take on modern life, says Nina Crisp

Twelfth Night Review – Shakespeare for the Love Island Generation’

Harry Hatwell is impressed by the mirror of contemporary reality in an ambitious adaptation at the Keble O'Reilly

Rachel Whiteread Tate review: ‘her pieces are embodiments of domestic memories’

William Hosie's mind is changed as he appreciates the ways that Whiteread's sculptures speak to our shared domestic reality.

Gender-swapped remakes are a risk not worth taking

Bad remakes don't do female actors any favours

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature: reflections on Kazuo Ishiguro’s recognition

Did the Swedish Academy miss the subtlety of his writing?

Five Minutes with Harry Househam

We chat to Harry Househam, producer of Jericho Comedy and Stand-up History, about comedy in Oxford and his brand new show.

The Greatest Showman falls on its face

This longtime passion project for Hugh Jackman is far more ugly and cynical than it first appears

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