Culture

The return of the surreal 

Mythical, dreamlike, phantasmagorical, and absurd: Surrealism, which took the art world by storm in the early 20th century, has enjoyed a huge resurgence in the past decade.  The original pioneers...
Art Sylvie Quick -

Must theatre be so dire? Thoughts on the “unworthy scaffold”

If 'art est celare artem' (true art is to conceal art), then theatre is pretty poor art. You ain't fooling me into thinking that's a storm.
Culture Saul Grenfell -

Seasonal reads: On childhood hobbies, growing up, and guilt

Reconnecting with reading is something many people tend to do on a summer holiday,...
Books Elizabeth Gammaidoni -

Between beer gardens and picnics: Climate Culture Care at the Ashmolean

When I returned to Oxford this term, just as England teased us with the sixth heat-wave of the year, I found myself at a loose end. With the deadline for two vacation essays still far in the distance, the sun lit up the sign for Soma Surovi Jannat’s Ashmolean Now exhibition, Climate Culture Care.
Art Leo Maudsley-Barton -
Latest

‘Dark, revealing, gripping’: In conversation with the cast of ‘JACK’

JACK, by Musketeer Productions, reimagines the cult story of the most notorious serial killer in British history. Shining a light particularly on the mistreatment...

‘The political is also political’: Ash Sarkar’s ‘Minority Rule’

Universities have often been seen as bastions of radicalism. Forgetting the fact that higher educational institutions, particularly ancient and elite ones in the Anglophone...

Graceful and self-assured: Circle Mirror Transformation reviewed

Boulevard Productions’ Circle Mirror Transformation is a faithful and competent take on Annie Baker’s 2009 tragicomedy.  The play follows a group of people of different...

‘We’re all mad here’: Alice in Won-DRE-Land at Tingewick 2025

When I wandered into Tingewick Hall on a cold, dark evening in seventh week, I was utterly unprepared for the madness that awaited me...

A comical approach to a classic text: ‘Hedda Gabler’ reviewed

Tiptoe Productions’ Hedda Gabler, co-directed by Ollie Gillam and Gilon Fox, delivered a strong version of the classic text, impressive in its ability to...

‘Lux’ by Rosalía review: A breath of fresh air

'The Latin title ‘Lux’ perfectly embodies the concept and overall aesthetic of divine femininity, as well as the multilingual aspects that run throughout the work. With complex and meaningful lyrics written in 13 languages, and split into four movements, the record is a breath of fresh air for the pop scene'.

Illuminating American conservatism: William F Buckley’s biography, reviewed

The ornate, Latinate vocabulary. The debates peppered with witticisms. The patrician air, the untraceable accent, the playful glint in his eyes.  William F. Buckley was...

The Magdalene Songs: Giving a singing voice to victims

★★★★★ Trigger warning: abuse Modern slavery, abuse, and human rights violations are not something you would usually expect to be tackled in an evening of classical...

‘Everything is constantly emotion’: An interview with the cast and crew of ‘Doctor Faustus’ 

Seabass Theatre has carved out a niche for itself producing original takes on canonical texts, most memorably last year’s plant-inspired Hamlet staged at the...

Between performance and reality: ‘To What End?’ reviewed

To What End is a new meta-theatrical, absurdist play written by Billy Skiggs and Billy Hearld. It begins in what seems to be simplicity:...

The day she died

  ...

Death’s Lament

Please, I have done what you asked.  I burned it all for her. I wrench the parchment from my pocket, fingers shaking, chest convulsing, screams eviscerating my...

And she woke up…

Yesterday I thought I saw you between blinks of an eye: a lecture together and notes left behind for curls and a sharp jawline; the same old eyes...

An affectionate, homely play with hidden ambition: ‘Under Milk Wood’ reviewed

The lights dimmed, a small plaque was illuminating the stage with the red letters, “ON AIR”. I know I am in for a treat:...

Peach Juice and Other Inappropriate Attachments

My hostel sheets smell like regret and Chanel No. 5 sprayed like insecticide. I suspect it was me. The scent now mingles with the...

Can movie violence ever be fun?

“Because it's so much fun, Jan!” This was Quentin Tarantino’s answer when an interviewer asked him to justify on-screen violence. Few would disagree. From...

What I discovered when I started reading French books

My most hated subject at school was French. I mean, I hated every subject – the only thing I remember liking in all my...

Oxford Art Society: Discovering local talent on St Giles’

On a grey, rain-soaked afternoon in September, St John’s Kendrew Barn Gallery offers a quiet beacon away from busy St Giles’. The mix of...

‘An evening of refined fun’: ‘An Ideal Husband’ reviewed

An Ideal Husband is a guaranteed evening of refined fun. Carfax Productions’ take on Wilde’s classic play is charming and does the text’s wittiness...

An architectural tour of the Schwarzman

The product of a controversial £150 million donation, the new Schwarzman building is a dominating new presence for the city and university, built within...
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