Theatre

Slow down, you crazy child: What Oxford student theatre can learn from garden plays

Student theatre strives to be as professional as possible, but the annual garden play offers something unique: permission to have fun.

Culture Mair Andrews -

‘Our House’ in the middle of Beaumont Street

'Our House' ultimately becomes not just a story about crime or morality, but about the vulnerability of growing up and the frightening uncertainty of trying to decide who you are.

Culture Gavriella Epstein-Lightman -

Testing my patients: ‘The Effect’ at the BT Studio reviewed

Necessarily navigating the difference between ‘side effects’ and reality, the play strikes a fine balance between what one thinks and what one feels.

Culture Billy Skiggs -

‘The Harrowing of Hell.26’ reviewed

Fundamentally, The Harrowing of Hell.26 is a finely acted, well-produced play which was enjoyable enough to watch, but its conclusion is unsatisfying.

Culture Arun Lewis -

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“Strikingly modern” – Review: Twelfth Night at Waterperry Gardens

May McEvoy reviews Somerville College Drama Society and Sunday Productions' Twelfth Night.

“Inclusive and psychologically profound” – Review: Dracula

Sophie Magalhaes reviews Leah O'Grady's 'queer Dracula' at Michael Pilch Studio.

“Outside, in drag, covered in glitter”: Little Shop of Horrors comes to Oxford

Everybody better beware: Little Shop of Horrors has arrived in Oxford. The wacky musical tells the story of a meek florist, Seymour Krelborn, who finds...

“Student drama done right” – Review: Much Ado About Nothing

"The production harnesses its idyllic, summery setting to explore the [...] ideals of love and courtship in a world dominated by gendered notions of how honour is achieved, and the use of deception as a means to an end."

Girls and Dolls: In conversation with A² Productions

"The popularity of Derry Girls [demonstrates] that shows like this, with a good balance of witty humour and colourful characters, family dynamics and psychological insights, are the perfect blend to watch."

“Why am I the one on trial?” – Review: Prima Facie

"The woman who once vociferously defended the judicial system comes to the realisation that the concept of justice is merely an ideal, which in reality is often unattainable, especially for women."

‘Beckett on speed’: In conversation with Nocturne Productions

"[...] they descend into paranoia, and carnage unfolds in a network of marvellously-layered backstabbing."

“To this I put my name”- Review: Casterbridge

If Thomas Hardy had blessed his female characters with more than an “ephemeral precious essence of youth,” perhaps he would have produced something along the lines of Dorothy McDowell’s Casterbridge, an adaptation of Hardy’s 1886 novel The Mayor of Casterbridge.

Review: Intimacies, after Vallotton

"Against the backdrop of Majek’s enigmatic blue-toned figures, Spencer, with the help of a multi-roling, all-Black voice cast playing a broad spectrum of characters, reveals tantalising glimpses of these figures’ lives."

Bringing Oxford theatre to London via a garden shed: an interview with the cast and crew of Casterbridge

"It’s a bit of a mad play, and a lot of quite mad things happen, because that’s what happens when you translate Victorian characters into the modern era."

‘Uninhibitedly comical’ – Review: The Improv Squeeze

"The performers [...] delivered a cohesive, entertaining and – dare I say it – heart-warming musical which was received with barrels of laughter."

‘Heartbreaking and beautiful’ – Review: Brain Freeze

"From the play’s beginning, this immensely talented cast of Oxford students captured my imagination, and I was swept up by the story they had to tell."

‘A wildly enjoyable ride’ – Review: The Importance of Being Nihilists

"We’re left with a simple truth: not everything has a deeper answer, and perhaps we shouldn’t be looking for one."

‘The modern cult of the Girl Boss’ – Review: She Felt Fear

"Surrounded by the pressure to be beautiful, to craft a beautiful life, and to appreciate beauty, is it any wonder that Kathy goes a bit crazy? She Felt Fear is a portrait of hysteria in the twenty-first century."

‘They might just murder each other first’: A Review of Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter

"Disgusting basement? Check. No gas for the kettle? Check. Cryptic instructions from a mysteriously absent boss? Double check. The lack of workplace protection laws is appalling."

‘Mortality and the human condition’ – Review: Wednesday, Death Meditation

"This uncomplicated plot provides Worth with rich opportunities for philosophical musings, with ideas explored in the piece ranging from the abrupt to the more profound."

Oscar Wilde, the 70s, and psychiatrists: The Importance of Being Nihilists

"It digs into some of the most important things we have to face in our lives. Sexuality, family, the education system, the way we judge others and ourselves."

New writing in Oxford: An interview with Shaw Worth and Kirsty Miles

"I think to write a play you’ve got to be constantly re-inspired. It requires so many exchanges between characters and demands inhabiting so many different psyches."

‘Persevering through anything’: An interview with the cast and crew of Sweeney Todd

'The most thrilling moment so far was singing the opening ballad as a whole cast with the band for the first time. I’d never felt such a mix of excitement and nerves and awe all at once.'

‘I laughed so much that my face hurt’ – Review: The Jericho Comedy Gala 2022

"At best, I expected a night of mildly diverting entertainment – perhaps an audience member would heckle someone – and at worst, I was bracing myself for two hours of second-hand embarrassment. Anyone who is familiar with Jericho Comedy will already know how wrong I was: I laughed so much at this comedy gala that my face hurt."

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Theatre

Slow down, you crazy child: What Oxford student theatre can learn from garden plays

‘Our House’ in the middle of Beaumont Street

Testing my patients: ‘The Effect’ at the BT Studio reviewed

‘The Harrowing of Hell.26’ reviewed

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