Thursday 28th May 2026

Culture

‘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.

Barker & Co. Booksellers: Oxford’s newest independent bookshop

A new secondhand bookstore opened in Oxford city centre last week. Located in the Golden Cross shopping centre, just off Cornmarket Street, the bookstore stocks hundreds of secondhand books, ranging from accessibly priced paperbacks to rare and expensive antiquarian first-editions.

‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ in review

The Harris Manchester Players immersed Oxford’s inhabitants in the delightful world of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest this May.

Placing society’s margins under the microscope

The psychological and physical decay resulting from drug addiction is tactfully explored in Darren Aronofsky’s masterpiece.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: transformation tv done right

Netflix’s latest hit sparks more than just joy.

Review: Velvet Buzzsaw – “rebellion of art against the pretentious world”

Netflix’s latest thriller stars Jake Gyllenhall and Rene Russo in a tense satire on the contemporary art world

Review: Kinky Boots – ‘a poignant message amongst the glitter and glamour’

This touring production of Cyndi Lauper's celebratory musical seems a fitting show for LGBT History Month

Listening to Music on Repeat

Why shuffle is simply no longer an option

Math Roberts discusses his new song cycle ‘What Comes After’

How did 'What Comes After' come about, is it a new piece or have you had it in the pipeline for a while? The idea...

91st Academy Awards: Predictions

It’s a fascinating mixture of nominees, especially considering the variety of outcomes in precursor awards ceremonies (such as the Golden Globes and BAFTAs), but guessing what should or will win in each category is as subjective as it’s ever been – and even more difficult than ever. Jonnie Barrow offers his predictions for this year's Oscars.

The year of the underdog: will outsider nominees come out on top at this year’s Oscars?

Awards season is well and truly upon us. After last week’s BAFTAs and Grammy awards, it is inevitably time for the Oscars, the Big...

Taboo: the work and legacy of Nobuyoshi Araki

Hannah Healey investigates the controversial work of Nobuyoshi Araki

Preview: Many Moons – ‘the edges of a crowd’

Small Fry Theatre’s production of the Alice Birch play provides a tense snapshot between the worlds of the intimate and immense

Fame, fortune and failure

Debunking the Unk: the curious tale of Curtis Adams

Jeff Koons: A world of Paradoxes

Pocketed in the Ashmolean is the world of paradox that is Jeff Koons’ exhibition. The first room introduces his work as we are met by...

Made in Dagenham Review – ‘a fight that will affect women for generations to come’ –

Daanial Isaaq Chaudhry finds the latest Playhouse production completely compelling

Music and the Comeback Kids

Molly Innes discusses the art of the comeback, the “reunion” cash cow, and throwback culture

OUDS New Writing Festival 2019 – A Roundup

A summary by their writers of the plays which are part of this year's OUDS New Writing Festival.

Preview: Skin a Cat – an interview with playwright Isley Lynn

"The final scene I saw – a relentless, breezy epiphany, beautifully handled in all its profanity by Tupper – emphasises this point more than any: it’s about 'creating your own metric for your own happiness'."

The rise of lo-fi

What makes imperfections so attractive?

Review: Waiting for Gary – ‘surpasses the Beckettian classic’

High praise given to Waiting for Gary for its emotional truth underlying the humour

Urban Decay

Exploring the metropolis in 1890s Decadent literature and its origins in Baudelaire and Huysman

Reality check: the power of relatable crises

"Conflicts in literature don’t work when they fail to resonate". Regardless of genre, books are most impactful when their crises are rooted in everyday human experience.

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