North Wall Jan - May 2019 Brochure by The North Wall Arts Centre

Jan-M ay 201 9

Theatre

Music

Comedy

Family

Exhibitions

Welcome to The North Wall Spring Season. We are thrilled to have gathered together a collection of amazing creatives and stunning shows: brilliant artists sharing big ideas in the intimate surroundings of The North Wall. Arts, culture and creativity are wonderful things. We believe in their power to make you laugh, think and cry - and in their potential to inform and transform. The arts enable us to connect to others, share experiences and discover new things about the wider world around us. What’s not to love? We want the work at The North Wall to delight you, entertain you, challenge you. We have a huge variety of drama, music, dance, comedy, talks, exhibitions and family shows, gathered together in your local beautiful theatre. Through the programme we explore the state of the NHS, media manipulation, our mental health, and much more. We’ll teach our kids to beatbox; we’ll dream about flamenco and sing like there’s no tomorrow. There’s something for everyone. Book for your favourites or come and try something new. We would love you to join us on our Spring adventure. Ria Parry and John Hoggarth Co-Directors of the North Wall

Programme design: white space | www.white-space.net The North Wall photography: Colin Willoughby, Philip Vile

TUESDAY 15 – WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY

THURSDAY 24 JANUARY

Fuel presents

The Wardrobe Theatre presents

The Dark

Rocky Shock Horror

Written by Nick Makoha Directed by Roy Alexander Weise

Theatre

Fragments of a forgotten journey flicker in front of his eyes. It is night, November 1978. He is four years old. He is holding his mother’s hand as they wait on the escarpment. They are leaving Kampala. Buying safe passage and silence with all they have, they travel by matatu and the conductor asks no questions. Their companions are the missing, lost and displaced. Those who have suffered eight long years under the rule of Idi Amin. The Dark is a story of the journey taken by a four-year old boy and his mother to escape a country divided by dictatorship and consumed by conflict.

When small-time boxer Rocky Featherboa is challenged to the fight of a lifetime, the Italian Stallion must risk it all and learn to float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, dance like a rock’n’roll star and sing like a queen! A playful fusion of the boxing classic with the cross-dressing cult musical masterpiece, the darkly comic, adults-only, Rocky Shock Horror is a show you won’t forget…

“A smash hit must-see… fantastically entertaining” ★★★★ The Fix “Laughs aplenty” ★★★★ The Reviews Hub

Age Guidance: 12+ Performances: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

Age Guidance: 16+ Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Theatre

Night is not the only darkness. Nick takes a breath as he tries to remember.

It’s a hook to the left! And then a jab to the right! Let’s do the time-warp back to 1976; a world without men and women – only lovers, fighters, dancers and all-nighters, and where the mean streets of Philadelphia are filled with campy song.

6 7

TUESDAY 29 JANUARY

SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY Helen Chadwick Song Theatre & November Productions present

Truth Singing Workshop

Combined workshop/ performance:

Truth is a spell-binding fusion of song and choreography which uses real testimonies collected from all over the world. Some are brutal, some hilarious but all are presented in a fresh and exhilarating style that truly pushes the idea of what theatre could be. Composer Helen Chadwick joins forces with Olivier awardwinning choreographer Steven Hoggett to create this beautiful and thought-provoking song theatre show which explores the once-simple notion of truth in our messy modern age of fake news.

£20 (concessions £16)

The night will give space to first drafts and first attempts, from upcoming performancemakers throughout the body of Oxford University students and recent graduates.

Age Guidance: 12+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £5

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

// // Booking: Booking: 01865 01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com

Theatre

CAKE is a scratch night designed by University of Oxford students for anything new – from theatre to improvised music, from magic to brand-new comedy sets.

4.30pm – 6pm A singer, songwriter, composer, ethnomusicologist and voice coach, Helen Chadwick has been leading choirs for over 30 years. Join her for a fun & focused workshop of uplifting songs & harmonies.

When truth threatened my life, I told a lie...

8 9

TUESDAY 12 – THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY Rhum & Clay presents

The War of the Worlds Theatre

Theatre

No-one would have believed in the early years of the twentieth century that this world was being watched... But they did believe. They believed that Martians landed in New Jersey. They believed a water tower was an alien war machine. They believed a man walked on the moon. They believed everything the internet trolls told them... Written in collaboration with the playwright Isley Lynn and inspired by Orson Welles’ famous radio broadcast and H.G. Wells’ sci-fi novel, The War of the Worlds wrestles with the boundaries of truth in a thrilling broadcast of the end of the world. Born at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris in 2010, Rhum & Clay is a multi-award winning theatre ensemble led by artistic directors Julian Spooner and Matthew Wells. Press for previous Rhum and Clay shows:

“A magnificent production” ★★★★★ The Stage on Mistero Buffo “Pulled-off triumphantly” ★★★★★ Time Out on Hardboiled “Beautifully put-together, intelligent and moodily atmospheric” ★★★★ The Guardian on 64 Squares

Age Guidance: 14+ Performances: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

TUESDAY 26 FEBRUARY Script Club and Boundless Theatre present

Drip

Words by Tom Wells, music by Matthew Robins Directed by Jane Fallowfield and performed by Andrew Finnigan

Theatre

Support The North Wall Become a member today

Our membership scheme is a brilliant way to support our ArtsLab work with young artists, as well as entitling you to a fantastic selection of benefits. For £40 per year, members receive: • 15% off tickets for selected shows (max. 2 per performance) • 10% off at the bar • Invitations to ArtsLab events & gallery openings • A membership card & exclusive members’ newsletter each season JOIN NOW Call the box office on 01865 319450 or join online at www.thenorthwall.com The North Wall Trust is a registered charity no. 1146851

Liam is fifteen and he’s just signed up for Bev Road Baths’ first ever synchronised swimming team. It’s for his best mate Caz really. She needs to get a team together to win the annual Project Prize at school. She tries every year. She always loses. But Liam’s an optimist, he’s determined to help. There’s just one problem. Liam can’t swim. Drip is a heart-warming one-man musical comedy about friendship, pride, and keeping your head above water.

“ Tom Wells is master of the adorable. There’s a lovely gentle, huggable quality to his plays” The Stage Age Guidance: 12+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

SATURDAY 2 MARCH

g: 01865 // Booking: // 319450 Booking: or01865 www.thenorthwall.com 01865 319450 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com or www.thenorthwall.com

The PappyShow are a playful physical and visual theatre company. In this double bill, they present their award-winning show BOYS alongside a brand new piece of dance theatre for an all-female ensemble, GIRLS. BOYS is a celebration of manhood. The way we move. The way we talk. The way we think. We want to show you the things about boys that you never get to see. Performed by an ensemble whose communities, families and heritage span across the world, BOYS is a joyful and tender dance that uncovers the endless possibilities that make up a man.

“Tender, strong, funny, vulnerable, charming and so much more” ★★★★ Broadway World GIRLS brings you the stories of our sisters, daughters, mothers, nanas, aunts, lovers, best friends - the queens who have touched our lives. Devised by a chorus of women whose ages range from seventeen to seventy - this is a whole-hearted dance, investigating what it means to be a woman now, through the lived experience of our GIRLS. BOYS/GIRLS will be preceded by a curtain raiser created by the participants of the halfterm Dance Masterclass (see page 44 for more details about how to take part)

Age Guidance:12+ Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Dance

The PappyShow Double Bill: BOYS/GIRLS

TUESDAY 5 MARCH

MONDAY 11 – TUESDAY 12 MARCH

Dotdotdot Dance presents

tiata fahodzi and Tara Finney Productions in association with Watford Palace Theatre present

Mixtape

good dog by Arinzé Kene

Dance

good dog – set during the early noughties – tells the story of growing up in a multi-cultural community, and the everyday injustices that drive people to take back control. Delicately observed and fearlessly told by writer Arinzé Kene (Netflix’s Crazyhead, Eastenders, Channel 4’s Youngers, West End smash Girl From the North Country, and Misty at Bush Theatre), good dog embarks on its second national tour following its acclaimed premiere in spring 2017.

“Compellingly vital” ★★★★ The Stage “A finely observed new play” ★★★★ WhatsOnStage An evening of evocative contemporary flamenco that reflects on the world we live in and keys into the primitive essence that resides inside the flamenco woman. This mixed bill is curated by Dotdotdot Dance and features solo and duet work from dancer/choreographers Magdalena Mannion and Noemí Luz. The company presents work that challenges the flamenco stereotype whilst embracing its rhythms, energy and power. The North Wall are delighted to welcome back Dotdotdot Dance once again following the success of No Frills in 2017.

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)

Age guidance: 12+ Performances: 7.30pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Theatre

Mum’s promised him that bike so even when school or homelife bites, he knows to keep his chin up, his head down and his shirt clean. No harsh word, no sudden push to the ground will distract him from growing up to be a good man. Because in the end, everyone who’s good gets what they deserve. Don’t they?

THURSDAY 21 MARCH English Touring Theatre presents

The Funeral Director by Iman Qureshi

FRIDAY 22 MARCH Lakin McCarthy presents

Mark Thomas: Check Up – Our NHS @ 70 Directed by Nicolas Kent Supported by The Wellcome Trust

Theatre

Based on a series of interviews with leading experts in and on the NHS and residencies in hospitals and surgeries, Thomas uses his own demise to explore the state we’re in. What’s going right, what’s going wrong and how does it get better? Winner of an Edinburgh Fringe First Award 2018

“Infectious wit and political fury” ★★★★ The Guardian

Until Tom walks in to organise his boyfriend’s funeral. A snap moral decision, informed by the values of their community and their faith, has profound consequences. Forced to confront a secret she has hidden even from herself, Ayesha must decide who she is – no matter the cost. Winner of Papatango’s 10th annual New Writing Prize, The Funeral Director is an incisive and heartfelt story of sexuality, gender and religion in 21st-century Britain.

“Tackles a tricky subject with grace and dignity” ★★★★ The Guardian Age Guidance: 14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

Age Guidance: 14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £17 (concessions £13 )

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Comedy

“Offers up a cornucopia of facts and fascinations... the laughs come, regular as heartbeats, for the duration... This is a show that comes from the guts” ★★★★ The Telegraph

Theatre

Mark Thomas is 54, the NHS is 70, UK national average life expectancy is 84. If Mark makes it to 84 the NHS will be 100, what will they both look like?

Life as the director of a Muslim funeral parlour isn’t always easy, but Ayesha has things pretty sorted. She and Zeyd share everything: a marriage, a business, a future.

TUESDAY 26 – WEDNESDAY 27 MARCH

WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL

High Tide & Loose Tongue in association with Bush Theatre present

Box Of Tricks presents

The Trick

SparkPlug by David Judge

Theatre

Theatre Manchester, 1983. Dave loves Rod Stewart, Joanne and his Ford Capri. He’s all set for a new start. Only Joanne’s about to have someone else’s baby. Is Dave ready to become a Dad even though he’s not the father?

“It makes no difference to me really whether you believe me or not.” Mira lost her husband seven months ago, but just because he’s died doesn’t mean either of them are ready to let him go... The Trick is a magic show about getting older and coming to terms with loss. Ghosts, goldfish, mediums, and sleight-of-hand collide in this beautiful meditation on ageing and grief by Eve Leigh, directed by the award-winning Roy Alexander Weise (Nine Night, National Theatre; The Mountaintop, Young Vic). Age Guidance: 14+ Performances: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

g: 01865 // Booking: // 319450 Booking: or01865 www.thenorthwall.com 01865 319450 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com or www.thenorthwall.com

Post Show Talk Tue 26 March

A punchy and poetic exploration of family, race, identity and love, SparkPlug is the story of a white man who becomes the adoptive father, mother and best friend of a mixed-race child, David. Inspired by autobiographical events and exploring the playwright’s background as an actor and spoken word artist, SparkPlug is a lyrical and energetic monologue that examines what family means in today’s society. Age Guidance: 14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

SATURDAY 13 APRIL Three Sisters present

Walk Swiftly and With Purpose Written by Siofra Dromgoole Meet Eve, Lana, Robbie and Misha – four friends on the cusp of adulthood. Until now they’ve lived mostly in their imagination – suddenly, real life interrupts, and their loyalties are tested.

ALCHYMY is The North Wall’s annual festival showcasing and developing the talents of earlycareer theatre-makers.

Provocative, pretentious and playful, the young women reflect upon themselves, their friendship, and what it is to grow up in the twenty-first century. As a graduate of the Catalyst Programme, Siofra Dromgoole originally showcased Walk Swiftly and With Purpose at the 2018 Alchymy Festival. We are delighted to be presenting the full production as part of Alchymy 2019.

For 3 days every April, the building bursts with new plays, panel discussions, workshops, and the buzz of creativity.

“It is both a celebration of the process (of growing up), as well as a swansong. A must see when the chance comes round again” A Younger Theatre

After hugely successful festivals in 2017 and 2018, Alchymy 2019 will be bigger and better than ever. The festival will feature:

“Possibly the most authentic portrayal of youth at the fringe this year” ★★★★ The Student

● Three specially-commissioned monologues from some of the country’s leading writers, created by top directors and actors ● Performances of some of the best shows made by emerging companies from across the UK

Stephen Beeny

● The winning show from the Alchymy Company Award: our first national competition to find the best work made by emerging theatre companies

● An inspiring programme of talks, workshops, panels and individual sessions with leading theatre practitioners. Entertainment, connections, and training, by and for the most talented early-career theatre-makers in the country. More information and tickets will be available in January 2019. For more information and to enquire about opportunities, please email the Festival Producer, Ellie Keel, on keele@thenorthwall.com

Age Guidance: 14+ Performances: 2pm & 6pm Tickets: £10

// // Booking: Booking: 01865 01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com

Alchymy

12-14 April 2019

THURSDAY 2 – FRIDAY 3 MAY Wildcard presents

Electrolyte

Written by James Meteyard Music & Lyrics by Maimuna Memon

The North Wall at the Jericho Tavern

This Spring, we’re thrilled to be teaming up with the iconic Jericho Tavern to present two very special performances in their cosy upstairs space.

WEDNESDAY 6 FEBRUARY Red Fox Theatre presents

Catch of the Day

Theatre

Ireland, 1966. Joe Welch, a skipper, sails in Dingle Bay with a very unusual catch… What follows is a bizarre series of events involving Eamon De Valera, a publican and part-time marine biologist with a biscuit tin, The Queen of England and a whole lot of nuns.

‘We are a blip. A speck of dust. To be wiped off the face of time like you might a bike chain’s rust. But to each of us, we are everything’

Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, Red Fox Theatre present the award nominated (Best Musical Award, Musical Theatre Review) Catch of The Day. Expect live music, great craic and a lot of silly voices. Performance: 8pm Tickets: £8

WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY

SK Shlomo: Surrender Album Tour 2019

The record-breaking beatboxer and collaborator with Ed Sheeran, Bjork and Damon Albarn turns electronic singersongwriter on his album tour, blending his innovative live-looping and breath-taking beatboxing with epic synths, crushingly honest lyrics and lush electronic layers. Massive Attack meets James Blake.

“Gloriously melancholic” The Times Performance: 8pm Tickets: £6.50

Electrolyte is a multi-award-winning piece of gig theatre that powerfully explores mental health for a contemporary audience. Written in spoken word poetry and underscored by original music, this explosive production is performed by six multiinstrumentalists who seamlessly integrate live music with expert storytelling. Electrolyte is the winner of the Mental Health Fringe Award, The Stepladder Award, The LET Award, The Voice Mag Pick of The Fringe Award and the Pleasance Best Newcomer Award 2018.

“ This is what it must have felt like when audiences first watched Shakespeare” ★★★★★ Broadway Baby “ Packs an emotional punch that could floor Tyson Fury” ★★★★ Daily Mail “ Loud, liberating… exuberant” ★★★★ The Stage Age Guidance: 14+ Performances: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

SATURDAY 23 FEBRUARY

FRIDAY 1 MARCH

Voice: How Sweetly You Burn

Julia Biel Described as ‘the best British vocalist to emerge in an age’ by The Independent, the MOBO-nominated singer-songwriter Julia Biel will be showcasing songs from her acclaimed recent self-titled third album in a magical evening of uplifting, stirring and soulful music.

A cappella trio Voice perform Hildegard’s sacred devotional music from the 12th century alongside contemporary pieces and commissions of vibrant secular works by modern female composers. The programme title is taken from the 2014 composition by Emily Levy for the trio, which explores the parallels between the plot of Hildegard’s play, Ordo Virtutem, and imagined experiences of love, betrayal, and loss in her life. These themes also feature in the traditional songs included in the programme, all from the British Isles and all arranged by the trio, such as O Waly, Waly and the witty Lovely Joan.

Backed by a stellar band and accompanying herself on guitar and piano, her voice evokes the spirituality of gospel music, the joie-de-vivre of soul, the sorrow of the blues and the freedom of jazz whilst her poetic and incisive lyrics reveal a razor-sharp perspective on life and love. With her musical influences ranging from the classic jazz of Billie Holiday to the soaring guitar pop of Radiohead, Julia Biel is hip enough to be on the coolest Spotify playlists. Very much part of the current vibrant UK jazz scene, she can deliver an emotional punch as powerful as any of the jazz greats of old.

How Sweetly You Burn includes compositions by: Hildegard of Bingen, Emily Levy, Stevie Wishart, Helen Chadwick, Ayanna WitterJohnson, Carmel Whelen, and Virgina Firnberg.

“ Smart, intimate songs delivered in a voice both crystalline and dreamy… a total delight” ★★★★ Evening Standard “ The best British vocalist to emerge in an age” The Independant

This concert will take place in the Ogston Music School at St Edward’s School.

“ Voice (Victoria Couper, Emily Burn, Clemmie Franks), are one of several such groups competing for the slot left by Anonymous 4. They sound excellent” Gramophone Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Music

A programme celebrating women in music as composers, poets, and performers from Hildegard of Bingen to the fresh wit of young female composers.

SATURDAY 16 MARCH

TUESDAY 7 MAY

Jon Boden and the Remnant Strings

Sam Sweeney: The Unfinished Violin

BBC Folk Award winner and former Bellowhead frontman Jon Boden has become the ‘stand out performer of his generation’ (The Guardian) of traditional folk artists, but one whose repertoire extends far beyond the boundaries of the genre.

A new live show and album of instrumental music inspired by the Great War, The Unfinished Violin centres on a fiddle that Sam Sweeney came across in violin maker Roger Claridge’s shop in Oxford, carved but never finished by one Richard S Howard of Harehills, Leeds, in 1915.

Drawn from the line-up of Jon’s genre-busting big band The Remnant Kings, Jon Boden & The Remnant Strings features Jon Boden (fiddle, guitars, concertina, stomp-box), Helen Bell (viola), Morven Bryce (violin) and Lucy Revis (cello). They bring the music of his 2017 album Afterglow, which explores stories from a post-oil world, interspersed with songs and tunes from across Jon’s eclectic interests and career.

Music

“ Nobody can bring you the chaos of a dystopian street carnival better than Jon Boden” Simon Mayo, BBC Radio 2

Sam Sweeney is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, artistic director of the National Folk Youth Ensemble, founder member of the acclaimed instrumental trio Leveret, and a superb instrumentalist at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music. Anglo Concertina player Rob Harbron, guitarist Jack Rutter, double bassist Ben Nicholls appear with Sam on The Unfinished Violin.

“ The Unfinished Violin is vital and powerful, and simply gorgeous” Folk Radio UK

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £21

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Music

It’s the instrument Sweeney has used for numerous albums and countless gigs. In time he set about digging into its history, and uncovered the fateful tale of Howard, a music hall performer called up in 1916 to the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment to fight and lose his life in the Battle of Messines on 7th June 1917.

WEDNESDAY 15 MAY

FARA Following their debut release Cross the Line in 2016, Orcadian folk Quartet FARA are touring the UK with material from their second album, Times from Times Fall. Comprised entirely of self-penned songs and instrumental tracks, FARA will celebrate the community which inspired them to become musicians. An album rooted in the spirit of the Orkney Isles and its people, it combines the unique Orkney fiddle tradition with contemporary and original songs and tunes. The Orcadian imagery running through these songs, alongside new melodies brimming with the islands’ tradition whilst also pointing in new directions, celebrates the ever-expanding Orcadian folk tradition. Following their sold-out show in 2017, FARA return to The North Wall with a concert of new music that will excite and delight.

SATURDAY 26 JANUARY

FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY

Avalon presents

Off The Kerb presents

After a sellout national tour in 2017, Ed Gamble is back with another bracing flurry of idiocy. As seen on Mock the Week (BBC2), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), Comedy Central at the Comedy Store (Comedy Central), Drunk History (Comedy Central), The Apprentice You’re Fired (BBC2), Man Down (Channel 4), Conan (TBS) and a short film he can’t remember the name of where he killed a man from The Bill (ITV) with a spade.

If you don’t have anxiety, I don’t think you’re concentrating! Suzi is worried about everything - from someone breaking into her flat, to human rights across the globe, to her cat’s quality of life – and it’s keeping her awake.

Music

Ed Gamble: Blizzard

Star of Live At The Apollo, Live From The BBC, Mock The Week, and Live From The Comedy Store, Suzi Ruffell takes her sell-out, critically-acclaimed show Nocturnal on tour.

“ Positively bursting with comedic energy and the gags tumble out at a breakneck rate” ★★★★ The List

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £14)

Age Guidance:14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16

Age Guidance:14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Comedy

“ This is a super show from a comic who may be about to become more of a force in the game” Chortle, 2017

Suzi Ruffell: Nocturnal

FRIDAY 29 MARCH Show And Tell in association with United Agents present

Kieran Hodgson: ’75 Passion. Betrayal. Harold Wilson. Character comedian Kieran Hodgson returns with the epic and surprising tale of how Britain joined Europe in the first place. On a deeply personal quest for understanding, Kieran perfects a series of obsolete impressions and discovers that the 70s were about more than just TISWAS, the colour brown and the words ‘Let’s go on strike again’. Kieran Hodgson is a three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee, star of Radio 4’s Earworms and Lance, and is seen regularly on BBC2’s Two Doors Down, Upstart Crow and Dad’s Army: We’re Doomed.

FRIDAY 22 FEBRUARY Show And Tell presents

Simon Munnery: The Wreath That’s what came to Simon Munnery, from the mysterious source of the inexplicable. Hear the story of the joke, the painting, and what happened next. Simon is a British Comedy Award nominee, Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and Chortle Award winner. His stand-up career spanning 32 years has seen him regularly perform all over the world. Recent television appearances include The Alternative Comedy Experience (Comedy Central), The Culture Show, It’s Kevin and Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle (BBC 2).

FRIDAY 8 MARCH Off The Kerb presents

Ivo Graham: Motion Sickness

“Ravishingly entertaining, informative, full of insight and plenty of laughs” ★★★★ The Times Age Guidance:14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

A feisty new hour about facing the future, named after Ivo’s fourth favourite Hot Chip song (and a beaut by Phoebe Bridgers). As seen/heard on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Live From The BBC, Jon Richardson’s Ultimate Worrier, Fighting Talk, The Now Show, It’s Not What You Know, and eating Subway sandwiches in petrol stations.

Comedy

“I went to a funeral the other day. Caught the wreath…”

Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show nominee 2018

“Endlessly amusing hour from the politest man in comedy” ★★★★ the i

“Oh the deep, deep joy of an hour of Simon Munnery” ★★★★ The Scotsman

“Not an ounce of flab on his routines… a joy” ★★★★ The Telegraph

Age Guidance:14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

Age Guidance:14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

SATURDAY 26 JANUARY

TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY

Long Nose Puppets presents

Little Angel Theatre presents

Out of the Hat! When Doris and Delilah wake up to find something strange and sparkly has fallen from the sky, they are inspired to put on the world’s greatest magic show! But HOW do you make real magic happen? What ingredients do you need and who can help them? From the creators of Penguin and PatA-Cake Baby comes a spectacular new show about friendship and true magic, full to the brim with lively songs by the talented Tom Gray of Gomez that will have everyone joining in!

WOW! It’s Night Time The curious little owl is back, and this time she’s ready to discover the wonders of night-time, from the big, bright moon to the bats in the sky and the foxes deep in the forest. But where are all the other owls? When the wind blows the leaves from her tree, you’ll soon see… Little Angel’s production of WOW! Said the Owl enthralled our young audiences in 2017 and we are delighted to present this stunning adaptation of Tim Hopgood’s nocturnal sequel.

WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY

Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids Shlomo is a world record-breaking beatboxer who makes all kinds of music using just his mouth and a mic. Join this sonic superhero and become one of his sidekicks in a world of funny sounds, brilliant noises and cool music, whether you’re aged 1 or 101!

“The kid’s good. Jaw-droppingly good” The Guardian

“Slick theatrics and soulful vocal gymnastics” Evening Standard

Age Guidance: 2-8 Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)

Age Guidance: 2-5 Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Performance: 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Family

“Forget one-man band, this guy is a one-man music festival” The Times

SATURDAY 9 MARCH

WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL

SATURDAY 25 MAY

Hawk Dance Theatre and The Knotted Project present

Theatre of Widdershins presents

Tarzanna

The Chit Chat Chalk Show follows Kiko, a confused young girl, struggling to understand how she feels about the strange new world she lives in. With the help of her quirky new friends, she embarks upon a quest to discover the mixture of emotions and colours that make her unique. With a cast of skilled performers, the story dances, draws & giggles its way through from beginning to end. The Chit Chat Chalk Show is sure to put a smile on faces, young & old.

Snow White and Rose Red have lived in the forest since they were Babes in the Wood. Brought up by their hardworking Mother to be kind, caring and forest fluent... if sometimes a little over enthusiastic in their deeds! When their quiet life is interrupted by a friendly bear a new chapter begins. But why has the bear chosen them as playfellows? Why is there sadness in his eyes? And who on earth is that rude little man with a ridiculously long beard that they keep bumping in to? All questions will be untangled in this new show from the Woods of Widdershins, using puppets, storytelling, original music and a fantastical fairytale forest.

The Chit Chat Chalk Show

Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown

Age Guidance: 3-8 Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)

Age Guidance: 4+ Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Age Guidance: 3-8 Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Family

Anna doesn’t like mess - she likes things to be in order. But her neat world is turned upside down when she is magically transported to the rainforest, where she discovers wonders she’s never seen before. Wild creatures appear and dance before her as she swings through the jungle of her dreams. When her new home is put in danger, can she let go and become the wild Tarzanna she needs to be in order to save her new found friends? This magical aerial theatre show will take young audiences on a journey into a new world through playful aerial storytelling, interactive fun, puppetry and acrobatic brilliance.

THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY

Julian Baggini: How The World Thinks

Anita Anand: On Sophia Duleep Singh

Dr Julian Baggini is the author, co-author or editor of over 20 books including How The World Thinks, The Virtues of the Table, The Ego Trick, Freedom Regained (all Granta) and The Edge of Reason (Yale University Press). He was the founding editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine. In this event, Julian Baggini will be discussing his global overview of philosophy, travelling the world to provide a wide-ranging map of human thought by exploring the philosophies of Japan, India, China and the Muslim world, as well as the lesser-known oral traditions of Africa and Australia’s first peoples. Based on interviews with people from around the world, Baggini asks questions such as: why is the West more individualistic than the East? What makes secularism a less powerful force in the Islamic world than in Europe? And how has China resisted pressures for greater political freedom? Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £10 (students £5, free for schools)

Journalist and TV and radio presenter Anita Anand tells us the extraordinary story of Sophia Duleep Singh, a princess turned Suffragette. Bold and fearless, Sophia was born into Indian royalty but devoted herself to battling injustice and inequality, and, above all, fighting for women’s rights. This amazing story about the rise of women and the fall of empire, and the key role Sophia played in the first British women getting the vote in the UK was unearthed by Anita Anand in her acclaimed book Sophia - Princess, Suffragette, Revolutionary. Her latest book, Koh-i-Noor, the story of the world’s most infamous diamond, is already an international bestseller. Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £10 (students £5, free for schools)

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Talk

The Inspiring People series is a joint venture between The North Wall and its principal sponsor, St Edward’s School. This series of talks gives a platform to renowned speakers from a wide range of fields – from art history and neurosurgery to theatre and environmental science. The North Wall has a mission to educate and inspire and our hope is that this series will do just that: half of all tickets are offered free to local schools. Each event will be followed by a Q & A session, giving you the opportunity to have your questions answered by the experts themselves.

MONDAY 28 JANUARY

// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

WEDNESDAY 16 JANUARY – SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY

WEDNESDAY 6 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 9 MARCH

Imogen Rigden: Lace Weight

Paul Preece: Cloisters

This multi-media show was conceived during research for a trip to the Atlantic islands of St. Kilda. Evacuated on August 29th, 1930, the exhausted population had elected to leave their home island, Hirta, occupied by their forebears for four thousand years. This is of constant relevance as people travel to escape the effects of climate change and conflict. The artist contemplates how the disintegration of any community affects cultural continuity and the well-being of women. The security of our own networks and the potential pain of isolation are explored through the existence and destruction of a lace weight shawl. Careful drawings of feathers speak of versatility, resourcefulness and strength but also of vulnerability as we navigate hostile environments. Paintings, drawings and sculptural pieces evoke an outward journey of courage, optimism and fearfulness. Unwalkable landscapes continue the theme of travel into an uncertain world www.imogenrigden.com

// Gallery: Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Exhibition tour 6 February 6.30pm – 7.30pm Join us in the gallery for a free exhibition tour, Decoding the Hidden Symbolism of Oseira, with the photographer.

// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com

Exhibitions

Paul Preece is an Oxford based photographer and scientist. In this exhibition, Preece presents photographs of a range of gothic cloisters from Portugal, Spain and England. The exhibition explores the fleeting nature of light as a metaphor for life, set against a backdrop of cold, hard stone that measures time in centuries. Like a beating heart, light is at its most intense in the centre of the cloister. Darkness surrounds it. The light is always within. Until, of course, it’s not. Memento Mori. Included in the exhibition is the enigmatic work “The Sacred Heart of Oseira”, an image born in the 21st century but rooted in medieval mystery due to the accidental presence of divine symbols hidden in plain view. www.paulpreece.com

WEDNESDAY 13 – SATURDAY 30 MARCH

THURSDAY 25 APRIL – FRIDAY 3 MAY

St Edward’s School: IB Leavers’ Exhibition

St Edward’s Art Department: 395

The IB Leaver’s exhibition is a celebration of the fantastic work produced by St Edward’s School students during the IB diploma. The exciting work displayed will see large scale thread portraits, screen printed fabrics, ceramics vessels and Rococo inspired paintings, alongside eco printed panels and large scale charcoal drawings. Pupils will curate and install their own work, to highlight the best work produced over the course. An outstanding exhibition that is one of the highlights of the St Edward’s Visual Arts calendar.

395 is an exciting new collaboration from the Art department at St Edward’s School. The Art staff who consist of Adam Hahn, Nick Permain, Lorraine Turley, Jane Bowen, Peter Lloyd-Jones, Phil Jolley, Sharon Keen and Richard Siddons are all practicing artists and will exhibit their latest work.

// Gallery: Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com

This exhibition will vary in both subject and media ranging from paintings of interiors, portraits, ceramics, textiles and print, highlighting the extraordinary skills of these artists and the breadth of technical abilities they are able to offer the students they teach.

Exhibitions

TUESDAY 7 MAY – SATURDAY 1 JUNE

Touching the Earth: Paintings by Addy Gardner, Sculpture by Martin Smith, curated by Jenny Blyth Addy Gardner and Martin Smith, each distinct in their practice and chosen medium, share a love of the core elements, expressing through landscape and nature, the essence of their subject. Treading a fine line between figuration and abstraction, Addy Gardner invites the viewer to journey between an earthly landscape and a canvas of dreams. Her paintings aspire to ‘Peak Experience’ where the viewer releases their sense of self to a sense of oneness within nature. Gardner commands an ability to create form, transforming the colours of earth, sky and water, to a spectrum of light and ambivalence. Martin Smith, sculptor, is an Oxford man. He studied modern languages and has for many years been editor of the Voltaire Foundation at Oxford. Smith is delighted by language, and therein lies the key to his metamorphosis from academic to sculptor – the teasing of language out of stone. A love of Italy is core to the artist’s wellbeing. He is able to happily knit the intellect of Oxford with annual trips to Tuscany to source stone and attend annual residencies at the Centro d’Arte Verrocchio in Casole d’Elsa to secure quiet, focussed time. Working in alabaster and marble, his sculpture is organic, talkative, sensual, abstracted – his subjects ranging from clouds, flames, and wings, to seeds, buds and pods. It is at times ethereal and sometimes explicit, as in nature is the language of biology and reproduction. Smith reveals the form hidden within the stone.

Exhibitions

// Gallery: Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com

Arts Lab

at The North Wall

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Find Out More:

For 18 - 25 year olds:

EASTER RESIDENCY: CATALYST s

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Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and from 5pm on performance days. Saturdays 12pm – 4pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.

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Box office: 01865 319450

Online booking: www.thenorthwall.com Email: contact@thenorthwall.com

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Parking: Two public car parks are five minutes’ walk from the North Wall (see map). There is limited on-street parking in South Parade. Park and Ride: from Pear Tree or Water Eaton until 11pm, Mon-Sat. By train: Oxford and Oxford Parkway stations are both two miles away from The North Wall. By bus: Buses run frequently to Summertown from Oxford City Centre. The bus stop is South Parade. For more info on travel and parking visit www.summertown.info Access: The North Wall has full disabled access and facilities. We also have infra-red and audio-loop systems for people with hearing difficulties.

Booking Information Groups

St Edward’s is the principal sponsor of The North Wall’s innovative public programme of theatre, music, exhibitions, dance and talks.

One ticket is free with every ten purchased.

Concessions Where indicated, these apply to schoolchildren, full-time students, UB40s, over 60s and registered disabled. A wheelchair user’s companion receives a free ticket.

School Groups £7.50 tickets on selected shows. Accompanying staff members go free.

Keep up to date with news and offers Don’t miss out – join our mailing list by registering on the homepage of our website or email contact@thenorthwall.com.

www.stedwardsoxford.org

www.thenorthwall.com The North Wall is part of St Edward’s, Oxford: charity number 309681 Registered Charity No: 309681

At a glance event guide DATE

EVENT

Gallery Jan 16 – Feb 2 Feb 6 – Mar 9 Mar 13 – 29 Apr 25 – May 3 May 7 – Jun 1

Imogen Rigden Paul Preece St Edward’s School St Edward’s School Art Department Addy Gardner & Martin Smith

Jan 15-16 Jan 24 Jan 26 Jan 26 Jan 28 Jan 29 Feb 1 Feb 2 Feb 6 Feb 12-14 Feb 19 Feb 20 Feb 20 Feb 22 Feb 23 Feb 26 Feb 28 Mar 1 Mar 2 Mar 5 Mar 8 Mar 9 Mar 11-12 Mar 16 Mar 21 Mar 22 Mar 26-27 Mar 29 Apr 3 Apr 12-14 Apr 17 May 2-3 May 7 May 15 May 25

The Dark Rocky Shock Horror Out of the Hat Ed Gamble Inspiring People: Julian Baggini CAKE Night Suzi Ruffell Truth Catch of the Day The War of the Worlds WOW! It’s Night Time Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids SK Shlomo Simon Munnery Voice Drip Inspiring People: Anita Anand Julia Biel BOYS/GIRLS Dotdotdot: Mixtape Ivo Graham Chit Chat Chalk Show Good Dog Jon Boden & the Remnant Strings The Funeral Director Mark Thomas The Trick Kieran Hodgson Sparkplug Alchymy Festival Snow White Rose Red Bear Brown Electrolyte Sam Sweeney Fara Tarzanna

CATEGORY PAGE

Theatre Theatre Family Comedy Talk Theatre Comedy Theatre Theatre Theatre Family Family Music Comedy Music Theatre Talk Music Theatre Dance Comedy Family Theatre Music Theatre Theatre Theatre Comedy Theatre Festival Family Theatre Music Music Family

See page 46 for special offers and full details of concessions.

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