Sunday 8th June 2025

Culture

‘Love in the face of hate’: A closer look at ‘Blood Wedding’

Emma Nihill Alcorta is the director of a new adaptation of the Spanish masterpiece Blood Wedding, running at the Oxford Playhouse. With flamenco rhythms and Spanish soul, our passionate ensemble...

Duplicity, infidelity and loyalty in ‘Crocodile Tears’

“An Italian summer romance that goes wrong” – this is how Crocodile Tears was...

Review: The Great Gatsby – ‘Indulge the extravaganza’

Sophia Eiden’s production of Simon Levy’s script of The Great Gatsby is an undoubted...

Barry Lyndon – Kubrick’s ultimate antifilm?

Barry Lyndon has always been dismissed within Kubrick’s filmography. While he is a filmmaker...

Cherwell Introducing: Zahra

In our Introducing series, Cherwell will be bringing you the best up and coming artists in Oxford. This week, Joseph interviewed Zahra.

Immersive, seductive, orgasmic: review of The Bacchae

Inhale, exhale. The beating drum sounds louder as I walk further into the Keble O’Reilly. Turning left into the auditorium, I find the source...

Saltburn: a Mid-Noughties Fashion Revival

"It seems necessary to dissect Fennell’s portrayal of noughties trends to see what deserves to return, and what ought to be left in the past."

Cherwell Introducing: Zahra

In our Introducing series, Cherwell will be bringing you the best up and coming artists in Oxford. This week, Joseph interviewed Zahra.

Remembering Oxford: Memorialising “The City of Dreaming Spires”

"As I exit the library, it strikes me that in its memorials of people long deceased and its unchanging historical landscape, Oxford seems often at a standstill."

Wattpad: the new online course in creative writing?

The only issue that sites like Wattpad face is their association with ‘low value’ feminine writing and smut.

Unbodied identity? – A Review of Bodies

"Bodies captivates in its exploration of 'bodied' and 'unbodied' existence. The play challenges traditional notions of life, meaning, and identity"

Literary Red Flags: Cause for Alarm?

"The internet loves to tell us what to do, especially when there's a healthy smattering of pseudo-psychology involved."

Making reading for pleasure pleasurable

"After being a bit too optimistic with my 2023 Goodreads Challenge, 2024 is going to be the year where I repair my relationship with books."

Review of Tennant as Macbeth: An Auditory Experience

"Last week I took a trip to London to see the new production of Macbeth starring David Tennant at Donmar Warehouse."

Forget her not: Rediscovering women in music: Week 0

"Stumbling upon Fiona Apple’s 1999 album When The Pawn… actually inspired the concept of this column."

Rebel Moon – Review

"Call me cynical, but I always find reviewing bad movies far more enjoyable than good ones."

Bands to Watch Out For in 2024

"As the new year unfolds there is no better time to expand your music taste and explore genres and artists that you may not otherwise have chosen to listen to"

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before- Week 0

Rufus' first column of the term reviews All-Purpose Poem for State Occasions by Wendy Cope. He will be introducing a different poem to readers alongside each edition of Cherwell.

50s musicals are making a comeback: Review of Guys and Dolls at The Bridge Theatre

"I was lucky enough to go with my family to see a production of Guys and Dolls, which is currently running at the Bridge theatre, London."

Murder is Easy- Review

"It’s unsurprising that the BBC’s latest Agatha Christie series, Murder is Easy, has managed to precipitate a full-scale conflict."

False Prophets: Prophet Song Review

"Prophet Song is neither prescient nor melodious; it is a self-proclaimed seer’s message which reads as an exhausting description of current events"

Introducing 2023’s Standout Reads

"2023 was truly a year of amazing writing, and I am so grateful to have explored such a wide variety of literature and non-fiction."

The Queer Pop Perfection of Chappell Roan 

"Chappell Roan is the newest pop star who is quickly rising through the ranks, and charts; she is confident, queer, and bold."

The Saltburn We Should Have Had

"There are few films that are able to generate as much buzz among Oxford students as Saltburn (2023), a sophomore project directed by Greyfriars alumna Emerald Fennell."

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