North Wall Brochure Spring 2014 by The North Wall Arts Centre

Jan-Ju ly 2014

“Not been to the great Wall, not a great man” Chinese proverb

Comedy

Jo Caulfield’s anger issues, Mitch Benn’s musings on Beatlemania & Henning Wehn’s Teutonic jolliness.

Art

Beautiful sculpture and exhibitions inspired by dystopian fiction, fairy tales & the decline in biodiversity.

Music

Harmonica virtuoso Will Pound plus Armenian jazz pianist Tigran & the award-winning Kairos 4tet.

Theatre

Politically provocative drag cabaret, Kate Tempest’s exhilarating poetry & a prohibition-era La Traviata.

Kids’ Theatre

Roll up roll up – the circus is coming! Plus, take a trip on Grandpa’s Railway & sail away in Arthur’s Dream Boat.

Welcome to our Spring/ Summer season. These are just some of the highlights coming up over the next few months… Two years ago at Latitude Festival, I watched Kate Tempest do a scratch performance of a new piece of work alongside a live band. It was in the earliest stages of its development, and quite rough around the edges, but the simplicity and honesty of her delivery against the backdrop of a live score was exhilarating. It was the first time I had ever been part of an audience that simultaneously stood up and applauded at the end. Since then, Brand New Ancients has won multiple awards and played to sold out audiences across the world. At a time where such high value is placed on celebrity status, this everyday epic’s celebration of unsung heroes strikes a chord. There were two stand-out shows for me at Edinburgh this year. Bryony Kimmings is an extraordinary performer who is impossible to pigeon hole. Her latest piece, Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model, is part storytelling and part polemic, and takes a stand against a culture that sexualises girls from a young age, prematurely curtailing their childhood. Theatre Ad Infinitum’s Ballad of the Burning Star was my other Edinburgh highlight – it was uncompromising, raw, very funny and unabashedly political. This season, we continue our commitment to new writing with plays by Nick Payne, Phil Porter and Barney Norris. Following the critical success of Constellations at the Royal Court, we are delighted to be among the first few venues to stage Nick Payne’s latest work, Incognito, which delves deep into the mysteries of the human mind. Hope to see you here soon. Bring a friend. Enjoy the arts. This is your theatre. Lucy Maycock Artistic Director

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

FEAST The Best of the Fringe in February Feb 6 – 27 Four shows for the price of three* Every August, The North Wall heads up to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to trawl through the thousands of shows on offer and bring our top picks back to Oxford for our lovely (and highly discerning) audience. This year we’ve brought the best of the festival together for a fortnight (and a bit!) of risk-taking, thought-provoking, soul-stirring theatre - and we’re offering you the chance to see all four shows for the price of three. Book tickets for Ballad of the Burning Star (p.15), Blink (p.12), Brand New Ancients (p.17) and Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model (p.13) and get your ticket to the cheapest show free – just quote “Best of the Fest” when booking by phone. *Offer not valid on £5 student tickets

For younger children and their families...

SATURDAY 26 APRIL

SATURDAY 25 JANUARY

Long Nose Puppets present

PuppetCraft presents

Arthur’s Dream Boat

Nobody Rides The Unicorn

www.puppetcraft.co.uk Recommended age: 4+ Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £7

One night, Arthur has an amazing dream about a beautiful pink and green boat with a stripy mast. He can’t wait to tell everyone about it but no one (not even his dog!) is interested. They don’t even notice that this very same boat is growing on his head, getting larger and larger by the minute... A magical stage adaptation of the story by Polly Dunbar, with enchanting puppets and enough imagination to make you want to sail away in your very own dream boat. www.longnosepuppets.com Recommended age: 2+ Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £7

SATURDAY 21 JUNE Tall Stories presents

SATURDAY 1 MARCH

Emily Brown and The Thing One evening, Emily Brown and her old grey rabbit Stanley find a Thing crying outside their window. He just can’t get to sleep. Emily Brown and Stanley set off on incredible adventures to find the Thing’s cuddly… then his hot milk… then his medicine. But nothing seems to settle him. What is really troubling the Thing, and will anyone ever get any sleep? Exciting original music, physical storytelling and lots of comedy combine to create a fantastic adventure based on the hugely popular book by Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton, from the company that brought you The Gruffalo.

M6 Theatre presents

Grandpa’s Railway Imagine a railway that fits in one room But can travel a lifetime in one afternoon A toot of the whistle, a hiss of the steam All aboard for a journey of memories and dreams! Featuring a working model railway, live music and two very playful characters, Grandpa’s Railway is a journey of discovery that explores the past, illuminates the present and lays new tracks for the future.

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

Neal Layton

www.m6theatre.co.uk Recommended age: 5+

www.tallstories.org.uk Recommended age: 3+ Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £7

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

Kids’ Theatre

The greedy King of Joppardy and cunning Doctor Slythe trick an innocent young girl, Zoe, into helping them capture the Unicorn. When she realises that they plan to take the Unicorn’s magical horn, Zoe knows she must set the Unicorn free… But will she be putting herself in terrible danger? Superbly crafted puppets, original live music and moments of unexpected magic, blend together to tell this touching tale, based on Adrian Mitchell’s modern classic.

Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £7

For older children and their families...

WEDNESDAY 12 FEBRUARY

TUESDAY 27 MAY

Thungumajig Theatre presents

A November Day

Transport & Unicorn on Tour present

1001 Nights

In forgotten boxes in an attic, a woman discovers the story of her grandfather, a survivor of the First World War, and his unexpected encounter with a stray dog who knew no boundaries. With evocative puppet characters, live music and an ever-changing set, this is a timeless fable on war and the miracle of friendship when all else seems lost. Although family members who served in the war are no longer around to bear witness to what they went through, the play gently looks at the legacy of their generation, and how we carry on remembering them. A November Day was originally created in 2008 in association with The Imperial War Museum North. Thingumajig launches this revised version of the piece to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One.

Devised and directed by Douglas Rintoul 1001 Nights collects together some of the greatest folk tales ever told. Here they are re-imagined by Shahrazad - a lively young girl who, torn between her old home in the East and her new life in England, re-tells the extraordinary stories of her childhood to her new-found friend, who understands not a single word she says... Using the things she finds around her, Shahrazad fashions saucepans into crowns, old pipes into enchanted telescopes and a mop into a magic carpet to transport us to a fantastical and imagined world of kings, viziers, and jinns. This compelling, funny and absorbing play was nominated for an Off West End Award - Best Production for Young People

“Vivid and affecting remembrance comes with this deftly-crafted two-hander.” The Herald

“An utter delight.” ★★★★ Telegraph “1001 Nights is an enjoyable piece which celebrates the power of stories, family and friendship” ★★★★ What’s On Stage

“Poignant, poetic and masterful” Eolo-Ragazzi

Step through the Wall and come on an adventure! Children aged 3 – 11 are invited to join The North Wall Explorers’ Club. Each time they come to see a show, they’ll collect a sticker and to add to their Explorer’s passport - once they’ve completed five Special Theatrical Quests, their sixth comes absolutely free! Ask at the box office on your next visit.

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

Manuel Harlan

Performance: 7pm Tickets: £10, £8 concessions

www.transport-theatre.eu Recommended age: 6+ Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £7

The Barefoot Books Studio in Summertown is a great place to meet friends, find books and educational games and attend fun workshops. To find out more or to book online go to: www.barefootbooks.com/oxford-calendar If your tummy rumbles after the show and you feel like a bite to eat, present your passport or theatre tickets to the Barefoot Books Storyteller’s Café and enjoy a 20% discount on your order!

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

Kids’ Theatre

www.thingumajig.info Recommended age: 10+

The Circus is Coming!

THURSDAY 10 – SATURDAY 12 JULY

Nicole et Martin present

3 European Fairy Tales

Roll up, roll up and join Nicole & Martin in their beautiful white tent for an unforgettable experience. Playing to packed houses and standing ovations all over Europe, we’re very proud to be the first to bring them to Oxford. Get ready to be amazed as they bring three classic fairy tales to life with a colourful, musical mix of theatre, dance, juggling and acrobatics. Prepare to be enchanted, moved, entertained, and to want to run away with the circus. For the whole family from ages 6 to 106. The Bremen Town Musicians A donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster are old and no longer useful to their master. A sad end seems to be unavoidable... Huh? No way! They’re so outta there! But will they ever reach Bremen? And how will Nicole and Martin manage to play 8 characters all at once? Performance: Thursday 10 July 1.30pm Hansel & Gretel Hansel and Gretel have been left behind in the dark forest. You know the story... Or do you? A thrilling retelling of a classic favourite, full of courage, goosebumps, and delightful surprises. Performances: Friday 11 July 1.30pm & 6.30pm The Fisherman and His Wife The fisherman sits and waits for a fish to bite. But the fish that he catches is a mysterious one, one that grants wishes, and not just three either…! A brilliantly funny tale about the pleasures of being content with what you have. Performance: Saturday 12 July 6.30pm www.nicole-et-martin.ch Tickets: £14 (concessions £10) Family ticket: £42 (1 adult + 3 children or 2 adults + 2 children)

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

Remembering World Holocaust Day... FRIDAY 17 JANUARY

MONDAY 27 JANUARY

New Vic Productions and Eastbourne Theatres present

Etty

by Gail Louw Performed by Elizabeth Counsell

“ One of the finest pieces of solo theatre ever.” ★★★★★ What’s On Stage www.blondepoison.com

Using only Etty Hillesum’s words, Susan Stein’s one-woman play brings us to 1943 when Etty, a young Jewish woman, is about to be deported out of Holland. As she prepares for the three day journey eastward, she digs deeper into her soul to understand “this piece of history” and root out any hatred or bitterness, believing that humanity is the best and only solution for survival. Etty’s words, insights and beliefs reach out from the Holocaust and allow us to see the power of hope and individual thought in the most extreme circumstances. In her gentle yet forthright way, Etty asks us not to leave her at Auschwitz but to let her have a “bit of say” in what she hopes will be a new world. www.ettyplay.org

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

Performance: 10am Tickets: £8

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

Theatre

Stella Goldschlag was a Jew living illegally in war-torn Berlin when she was betrayed and tortured. To save herself and her parents from Auchswitz, she agreed to be a ‘Greifer’ for the Gestapo and betray Jews in hiding. She was a tortured character: victim and murderer, lover and traitor. Given the name ‘Blonde Poison’ by the Gestapo, who revelled in her treachery, she was accused of finding and capturing more than three thousand Jews. Decades later, she tells her story to a wellrespected journalist.

Performed by Susan Stein Directed by Austin Pendleton

Gerard Kyd

Blonde Poison

THURSDAY 23 JANUARY White Rabbit in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Jacksons Lane present

366 Days of Kindness

Written and performed by Bernadette Russell and Gareth Brierley In response to the riots of August 2011, Bernadette Russell committed to be kind to a stranger every single day for a year. This multi-media show tells the heartbreaking, surprising and challenging stories of that year, which began with burning buildings and ended with the flame of the Olympic torch, against a global backdrop of social unrest and economic crisis. Part storytelling, part stand-up, part live documentary, featuring a dinner party with surprise guests including the Dalai Lama, Liam Neeson and Princess Diana, this show attempts to answer the question: is it possible to change the world just by being kind? There will be a Q & A session with the creative team after the show. www.366daysofkindness.com Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY

nabokov and Soho Theatre present

Bryony Kimmings presents:

Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model

Blink by Phil Porter

This is the tale of Jonah and Sophie. It’s a love story. A dysfunctional love story, but a love story all the same. After becoming neighbours, they are able to glimpse into each other’s worlds from a distance. As they find an odd comfort in their shared moments, their lives are slowly brought together and their pasts revealed. Against the lonely backdrop of London, the worlds of two shy individuals collide, and a charming, delicate and darkly funny story unfolds before your eyes. Directed by Soho Theatre Artistic Associate and nabokov Artistic Director Joe Murphy, Blink was a sell-out hit at Soho Theatre and in Edinburgh in 2012.

“Funny, fresh and appealing.” ★★★★ Telegraph “A joy to watch.” ★★★★ Evening Standard www.nabokov-online.com Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

Theatre

Sheila Burnett

In a provocative protest against flagrant global attempts to sexualise and commodify childhood for profit, award-winning artist Bryony Kimmings and her niece Taylor, nine, decided to play the global tween machine at its own game by inventing dinosaur-loving, bike riding, tuna pasta-eating, alternative pop star Catherine Bennett. Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model is Taylor’s and Bryony’s theatre show. It is set in a fantasy land far from our own, where lines are drawn in the sand, girls become knights, eyeballs are gouged, wars are waged and people sell their souls.

In typically screwball and humorous fashion, Kimmings, creator of acclaimed shows Sex Idiot and 7 Day Drunk, begs the question, what does it really take to be a Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model for a child of the 21st century? www.bryonykimmings.com

“ Hilarious, heart-breaking, troubling and inspirational. Kick-ass in all the right ways” ★★★★★ Time Out

“Bold, brave and very brilliant – don’t miss.” ★★★★★ Independent

Age guidance: 16+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

“ A theatrical hand grenade” ★★★★ The Guardian “ A thrillingly edgy piece of entertainment” ★★★★★ The Scotsman

THURSDAY 13 – FRIDAY 14 FEBRUARY Theatre Ad Infinitum presents

Ballad of the Burning Star Multi award-winning Theatre Ad Infinitum presents an explosive tale. Armed with music, killer heels and a lethal troop of divas, an enraged Israeli executes a story of victimhood, persecution, aggression and love. With shrapnel-sharp voices and moves as smooth as an oiled tank chain, this cabaret troop invites you on a journey into the core of a conflicted Jewish state.

www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk Age guidance: 14+

Alex Brenner

Performances: 8pm Tickets: £15 (concessions £12)

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

Theatre

This provocative production took the Edinburgh Festival 2013 by storm, winning 3 awards and critical acclaim across the board. Their previous work at The North Wall includes Translunar Paradise, The Big Smoke and Odyssey.

TUESDAY 25 – WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY Kate Tempest and Battersea Arts Centre on tour present

Brand New Ancients

The gods are in the betting shops, the gods are in the cafe, The gods can’t afford the deposit on their flat... Winged sandals tearing up the pavement, Me, you, everyone, brand new ancients Poet and spoken word artist Kate Tempest tells an everyday epic over an exhilarating live score played by tuba, cello, violin, drums and electronics, that finds the gods of today all around us and reveals that our true heroes are much closer than we think. WINNER: 2013 Ted Hughes Poetry Award for Brand New Ancients WINNER: 2013 Herald Angel Award for Brand New Ancients www.brandnewancientstour.com Age guidance: 14+

Performances: 8pm Tickets: £15 (concessions £12)

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

Theatre

“A genuinely galvanizing presence.” ★★★★ The Guardian

FRIDAY 21 FEBRUARY OperaUpClose presents

La Traviata By Giuseppe Verdi

Directed by Robin Norton-Hale

Verdi’s classic tale of love and sacrifice has been thrilling audiences for generations.

Verdi’s sumptuous melodies are accompanied by a trio of clarinet, cello and piano. With a new libretto in English, La Traviata is brought to you by the Olivier award-winning company behind La Bohème, The Barber of Seville (or Salisbury) and L’Elisir d’Amore.

“OperaUpClose is leading an artistic revolution” Sunday Times Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £25 (concessions £20)

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

Opera

This is the story of Violetta, a ‘fallen woman’ and the three men who rule her life: lover Alfredo, a passionate young man whose optimism has been shaken through time spent fighting in the Great War; her protector ‘the Baron’, a gang boss; and Alfredo’s father, a crooked politician. Set in Atlantic City in 1928, this new production reveals the hypocrisy and heartache behind the glittering façade of the prohibition era’s speakeasies and bootlegging.

WEDNESDAY 5 – THURSDAY 6 MARCH

THURSDAY 13 MARCH

Theatre Alibi presents

house and Theatr Mwldan present the Perth Theatre Company/WeepingSpoon production:

by Daniel Jamieson

The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer

Hammer & Tongs Hammer & Tongs digs deep into the human compulsion to argue the toss. Two men and a woman tiptoe into tiffs, debate high-mindedly, negotiate shoals of red herrings, take offence and descend into glorious, undignified, disgraceful, bad behaviour. From farcical fisticuffs at a wedding disco to squabbling for control of the TV remote, Theatre Alibi presents a very human comedy - physical, funny, absurd, musical, moving, and absolutely bloody-minded... Theatre Alibi has a terrific reputation for new work that’s imaginative, funny and touching. Previous shows include Goucher’s War, Cobbo and Curiosity Shop.

www.theatrealibi.co.uk

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

Seas have risen, billions have died. Alvin Sputnik is our only hope. He must venture to the bottom of the ocean to find his wife’s lost soul and save humanity. The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik is a tiny tale set in the deepest dark blue sea, of a solitary explorer with a heart as big as a whale.

Theatre

“As always with this company, the telling is an inventive delight.” ★★★★ The Guardian on Goucher’s War

by Tim Watts

Direct from sell-out seasons in New York, Sydney, and Auckland, this multi awardwinning piece of heart-warming theatrical magic uses projection, puppetry and live music to tell a one-man micro-epic about enduring love and the end of the world.

“Hugely playful and inventive” ★★★★ The Guardian “Technically accomplished, bittersweetly funny and ultimately moving” ★★★★★ Independent www.weepingspoon.com Performances: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

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

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

FRIDAY 25 APRIL Townsend Productions presents

We Will Be Free!

George and Betsy Loveless were among a group of Dorset farm labourers who were convicted and transported by an oppressive Government for swearing a secret oath and forming a Trade Union in 1834 to fight against a succession of wage cuts inflicted by the local landowner.

WEDNESDAY 2 APRIL Up in Arms presents

Visitors by Barney Norris

In a farmhouse at the edge of Salisbury Plain, a family is falling apart. Stephen can’t afford to put his mother into care; Arthur can’t afford to stop working and look after his wife. When a young stranger with blue hair moves in to care for Edie as her mind unravels, the family are forced to ask: are we living the way we wanted?

This inspirational story of their determination, solidarity and courage is told using the company’s entertaining, theatrical style, political cartoon, puppetry, and the musical arrangements of revered folk singer and squeezebox player John Kirkpatrick.

Visitors takes a haunting, beautiful look at the way our lives slip past us. Up In Arms presents the latest collaboration between playwright Barney Norris and director Alice Hamilton following their productions of At First Sight and the acclaimed Fear Of Music.

www.upinarms.org.uk

www.townsendproductions.org.uk

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

Kraig Winterbottom

“To write like this, while making the audience ache with recognition, is a wonderful thing.” Exeunt Magazine on Fear Of Music

“Grand, populist theatre that is determined to keep history alive. A must see” The Stage

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

Theatre

A new play about the true story of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

TUESDAY 6 – SATURDAY 10 MAY nabokov, Live Theatre Newcastle and HighTide Festival Theatre in association with The North Wall present

Incognito by Nick Payne

The brain builds a narrative to steady us from moment to moment, but it is absolutely an illusion. There is no me, there is no you, and there is certainly no self. Princeton, New Jersey. 1955. Thomas Stoltz Harvey performs the autopsy of the recently deceased Albert Einstein. And then steals his brain.

Theatre

Bath, England. 1953. Henry M undergoes pioneering brain surgery. The surgery changes Henry’s life, and the history of neuroscience, forever. London, England. Today. Martha is a clinical neuropsychologist. When her marriage breaks down she starts to make some radically different choices. Three interwoven stories exploring the nature of identity and how we are defined by what we remember: Incognito is a dazzling new play about what it means to be human. Nick Payne is the youngest ever winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Play. As well as the award winning Constellations (Royal Court/West End), his plays include the recent hit The Same Deep Water As Me (Donmar Warehouse) and If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet at The Bush Theatre and in New York starring Jake Gyllenhall. www.nabokov-online.com

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

Performances: 8pm, Saturday matinée 2.30pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

THURSDAY 22 MAY

FRIDAY 30 MAY

Helen Chadwick Song Theatre presents

bread&circuses presents

Co-commissioned by Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, Sage Gateshead and New Writing North. Supported by Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Written and performed by Danny Braverman Directed by Nick Philippou

War Correspondents

Wot? No Fish!!

Testimonies, music and physicality fuse into a powerful, multi-disciplined song cycle performance which depicts the extraordinary stories and life-changing experiences of war journalists - men and women who risk their lives in extreme circumstances.

In 1926, shoemaker Ab Solomons drew on the wage-packet he gave to his wife Celie. He continued to draw a wage-packet cartoon every week for her throughout their marriage, right up until the early eighties. These cartoons, chronicling the Solomons’ family life with blistering honesty, through all their ups and downs, were recently discovered by his great nephew.

The world premiere of War Correspondents has been commissioned to coincide with the First World War Centenary. This poignant song-theatre performance has been created by composer Helen Chadwick and choreographer and co-founder of Frantic Assembly, Steven Hoggett, (Oliver award winner for Black Watch).

Danny Braverman’s solo show tells the funny and moving story of how he uncovered the lost art of his great-uncle. Premiering to critical acclaim at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, bread&circuses’ new show takes audiences on a captivating journey spanning decades.

“Chadwick…an exquisite find.” The Guardian

“ This brilliant performance has the same shifting feeling, sifting through crackling masses of paper to find grains of truth, and golden flashes of insight.” ★★★★ Exeunt Magazine

www.helenchadwick.com

“ So warm-hearted it makes you melt. One of the best shows I’ve seen in Edinburgh this summer, indeed one of the most touching I’ve seen all year.” The Guardian breadandcircuses.uk.com

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

Malwina Comoloveo

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

Theatre

Whilst reporting the outbreak of war, a journalist is held at gunpoint, caught in the no-man’s land between two nations.

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

Tuesday 3 – Wednesday 4 June Tiata Fahodzi in association with Watford Palace Theatre presents

The Epic Adventure of Nhamo the Manyika Warrior and His Sexy Wife Chipo by Denton Chikura

Theatre

Nhamo, a dashing young goatherd, stumbles upon a mysterious Narrator who has just hours to complete his masterpiece: the ultimate African TV drama. All that’s missing is a hero and Nhamo fits the bill - if he can defeat his arch nemesis, woo the girl of his dreams, appeal to audiences the world over and learn his lines. By midnight. Denton Chikura’s madcap farce turns storytelling on its head in a Zimbabwean comedy of epic… epicness! Tiata Fahodzi has become one of the leading British-African theatre companies through successes such as Belong, part of the Olivier Award-winning season at the Royal Court, and Iya-Ile (The First Wife) at Soho Theatre.

“A total joy.” ★★★★★ What’s On Stage “Denton Chikura’s debut play leaves no cliché unstoned in his witty satire of African stereotypes from western film and theatre. A delight from start to finish.” ★★★★ Financial Times www.tiatafahodzi.com Age guidance: 12+ Performances: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

FRIDAY 2 – SUNDAY 4 MAY

SATURDAY 7 – SATURDAY 14 JUNE

National Theatre Connections

The Oxford School of Drama presents

Othello: deconstructed “And what’s he then that says I play the villain?” Two plays and a bed. On the bed, a play. Sitting on the edge of the bed a young woman smoking a cigarette. Her husband is in the shower. This is the opening scene of the tragedy waiting to unfold. Othello: deconstructed is a psychological thriller interwoven with a private view of the no less compelling story of the actors’ journeys through the play.

Theatre

www.oxforddrama.ac.uk

£5 Student Tickets limited availability

Each year the National Theatre asks ten of the UK’s most dynamic playwrights to create new work for performances by young theatre companies all over the country. From Scotland to Cornwall and Northern Ireland to Norfolk, NT Connections celebrates great new writing for the stage – and the energy, commitment and talent of young theatre-makers. The North Wall are delighted to be hosting this exciting festival for the first time. We’ll be welcoming eight young companies from local schools and youth theatre groups who will each be performing a different play over the course of three days. Come in to visit this hive of activity and grab the chance see these thrilling new works staged for the very first time. Shows yet to be announced – keep your eye on The North Wall website for more details. www.connections.nationaltheatre.org.uk Performances: Fri 4pm & 7pm, Sat – Sun 2pm, 5pm & 8pm Tickets: £6 (concessions £5)

Performances: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

Theatre

“ The Oxford School of Drama is in the top rank of British drama schools. Many of its alumni have appeared with distinction at the National Theatre, and they are conspicuously well-trained for a wide-ranging career.” Nicholas Hytner, Artistic Director, National Theatre

SATURDAY 8 MARCH

TUESDAY 29 APRIL

Sadhana Dance presents

Ballet in Small Spaces presents

Under My Skin

Visible Music

Playing the past, dancing the present…

Enlightening and evocative, Under My Skin is the third work from Sadhana Dance and sees choreographer and artistic director Subathra Subramaniam capturing the unspoken practices of the operating theatre. Drawing on Bharata Natyam technique and contemporary choreography, three highly-skilled performers invite the audience to share a rare insight into the world of surgery where intricate detail, perfectly timed exchanges and analytical spatial patterns challenge the traditional boundaries between clinical practice and dance. Subramaniam aims to build on the idea of surgical simulation as a means of opening a closed and clinical world to a wider public view.

Mark Pepperall Hot Pepper Design

www.sadhanadance.com

Share an intimate and pleasurable evening of music and dance collaboration, with top performers conjuring forgotten pasts into present life through unusual repertoire. The salon pieces of 18th century composer and viola da gamba virtuoso Carl Friedrich Abel range in character from exuberant and playful to wistful and melancholic. They are the inspiration for Two old instruments, in which viola da gamba player Jonathan Rees and Susie Crow of Ballet in Small Spaces reflect on history and memory. Debussy: Dances, Oracles, Mystery features pianists Julian Jacobson and Mariko Brown, singer Jenny Miller and dancer Chiara Vinci in evocative response to piano pieces, songs and the composer’s little known studies for the ballet K’hamma, blurring the boundaries between performing disciplines to create a subtle but exhilarating narrative. www.balletinsmallspaces.wordpress.com

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

Music

The performance is preceded by a curtain raiser created by Subathra Subramaniam and performed by third year undergraduates from Buckinghamshire New University. Quentin Cooper, BBC Radio presenter, will chair a Café Scientifique discussion after the performance.

Dance

WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY

Kairos 4tet Returning to The North Wall for the first time since 2011, MOBO award-winning Kairos 4tet (Best Jazz Act) will be performing music from their critically acclaimed 3rd album Everything We Hold which has received 4- and 5-star reviews across national and international media.

★★★★ MOJO “A beguiling mix of soulful jazz-folk songs and kinetic modern jazz” ★★★★ Jazzwise Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

www.kairos4tet.com

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

Music

“Spellbinding instrumentals that blend highcalibre jazz improvisation with accessible melodies…a scintillating new opus.”

The album showcases the compelling rapport of a working band who have long been fine tuning their intricate dialogue on Europe’s top stages, at the height of their powers. With Adam Waldmann, a graceful player on breathy tenor and quirky soprano sax, bassist Jasper Høiby’s muscular low ends, Ivo Neame’s dazzling piano, Jon Scott’s hypnotic drumming and the ethereal vocals of special guest Emilia Martensson, the band allow the warmth of their communal spirit and improvisational edge to shine through.

SATURDAY 12 APRIL

THURSDAY 1 MAY

The Will Pound Band

Mintaka Music presents

Will Pound is one of the world’s top harmonica players and a festival favourite. He’s taken the instrument to new places and new music with a style that is completely his own. Will creates sounds not usually heard on this little instrument in styles varying from bluegrass, folk, jazz and Arabic to blues, rock, pop and funk.

Tigran “The language I try to use when I am improvising is not jazz but Armenian folk music”

“ A flat-out genius harmonica player.” Mark Radcliffe, The Folk Show (BBC R2) “ An absolute barnstormer.” Tom Robinson (BBC 6Music) “ Remarkable harmonica pyrotechnics.” Daily Telegraph www.willpound.com Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

“His 90 min set lurches from delicate, impressionistic versions of eastern orthodox hymns to bursts of electronica; from Keith Jarrett-like meditations to full-on rock.” The Guardian “Tigran really grabbed me. It makes you want to bang your head, in this really cool way.” Brad Mehldau

FRIDAY 16 MAY OCM presents

Matthew Herbert’s 20 Pianos World Premiere

Introduction from Matthew Herbert and performances by Sarah Nicolls and Sam Beste

20 Pianos tells the story of pianos from around the world and closer to home, drawing on the rich histories of individual instruments to evoke the very personal, domestic and public resonances of music making. Amplified sampled piano tones blend timbres, tunings and histories as they all meet in virtual piano technological wizardry. A unique figure in modern music and experimenter with the avant-garde and the familiar, Matthew Herbert is known for working with raw sound, turning ordinary or so-called ‘found sound’ into stunning electronic music. He has produced and worked with acts as diverse as Björk and Dizzee Rascal. 20 Pianos is commissioned as part of the New Music Biennial

www.tigranhamasyan.com

www.ocmevents.org www.newmusicbiennial.com

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16.50

Performance: 7.45pm Tickets: £15 (concessions £10)

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

Music

Nominated for Best Musician at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Will Pound will be performing for the first time at The North Wall with guitarist/ vocalist Chris Sarjeant (Jackie Oates band) fiddle-player Henry Webster (2013 London Fiddle Convention Winner) and bassist John Parker (Nizlopi, Paper Aeroplanes)

Tigran Hamasyan returns to Oxford with his trio, performing the compositions from his new album Shadow Theater. An evening of lyrical songs that range from gracefully refined compositions to energetic experiments with rhythmic and harmonic diversity, which include the wonderful work of Armenian composer Komitas. Not to be missed!

SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY

Jo Caulfield:

Celebration of Anger

“Feisty, funny, wonderfully bitchy.” The Observer “Sharp-witted, urban comedy that goes down a treat.” The Times www.jocaulfield.com

Mitch Benn

A chance to see the German Comedy Ambassador’s brand new show Eins Zwei DIY prior to the Edinburgh Fringe and his UK Tour in Autumn 2014.

Mitch’s new show combines his Scouse upbringing with his love of music and a lifelong obsession with Liverpool’s most famous sons. “ Anyone who likes music, hates Simon Cowell and likes learning new things will love it.” Chortle “ This expertly-crafted satire is perfect for both hardcore music aficionados and those entirely ignorant.... what really sets the show apart is that it’s incredibly well-researched, informative and engaging .... held the audience totally captivated.”

★★★★★ Three Weeks

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

It is most definitely not a tribute show and while his affection for his subjects is well documented, expect the satirical twists for which Mitch is well known. As Mitch himself says: “Many have claimed the title “Fifth Beatle”. They can’t all be right; some were righter than others...”

An evening with Henning Wehn

Henning will also perform excerpts from his previous show Henning Knows Bestest in a cavalcade of Teutonic jolliness. Recent TV and radio appearances include Room 101 (BBC 1), 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4), Would I Lie To You (BBC 1), QI (BBC2), The Now Show (BBC Radio 4), and his own six part BBC Radio 2 series Henning Knows Best.

“So good-naturedly funny that resistance is futile.” ★★★★ The Scotsman www.henningwehn.de

www.mitchbenn.com Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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

Comedy

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

SATURDAY 17 MAY

Is The 37th Beatle

Jo’s always wondered why anger is seen as such a bad thing. When life presents such irritations as vacuous celebrities, endless TV quiz shows, arrogant shopassistants, emotionally ‘challenged’ men, drunken girlfriends who always pick the wrong partner, and a husband who continually quotes The Godfather, surely having a good rant – and a good laugh – is the only sensible reaction? This is a fantastic night out, for men and women alike. Star of Radio 4’s hugely popular “Jo Caulfield’s Speakeasy”, and seen on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The Apprentice: You’re Fired and BBC1’s The Politics Show.

SATURDAY 1 MARCH

FRIDAY 4 APRIL

Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel Undoubtedly one of the most talked-about shows on the UK comedy scene, Austentatious: An Improvised Novel is a comedy play spun in the inimitable style of Jane Austen – and based entirely on audience suggestions. Performed in period costume with live cello accompaniment, Austentatious is an immersive and hilarious treat for fans of Austen and improvised comedy alike. After total sell out runs in London & Edinburgh, this critically acclaimed show is embarking on its first national tour in Spring 2014. Book early!

“One of the most enjoyable shows on the fringe.” ★★★★ The Guardian “Constant wit and verve.” ★★★★ The Times “Supersmart and terrifically funny” ★★★★ The Scotsman www.austentatiousimpro.com

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

Comedy

Performance: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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TUESDAY 14 JANUARY – THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY

TUESDAY 1 APRIL – FRIDAY 11 APRIL

Oxford Sculptors Group

Following the success of last year’s Sculpture Exhibition by the Oxford Sculptors Group, we are delighted to announce their return to The North Wall. The sculptures and wall hangings will be by both established and emerging artists, giving an insight into the creative pursuit of each individual. The eclectic mix of styles and mediums utilise wood, stone, steel and bronze, thus providing a large and diverse collection including animals, the human form and abstract art. This will be a good investment opportunity for both new and established collectors and a great chance to own a piece of contemporary art.

TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY – FRIDAY 7 MARCH

Paul David Smedley:

GOV.Environment.Health.Safety.

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

Heroes & Villains

TUESDAY 11 MARCH – SATURDAY 29 MARCH

St Edward’s School:

Unfinished Business An exhibition showcasing the work of students across all age groups, and displaying a wide variety of media and techniques. Print making, ceramics, drawing, painting and textiles amongst others. This is often the first opportunity that these young artists will have had to exhibit in public.

Once upon a time there was a group of over 20 artists from near and far far away. Some painted, some sculpted. Others photographed or used the magic of the digital world to express their creative thoughts. What bound them together was their love of fairytales. And so they banded together to form an exhibition that they would call Mirror Mirror: Heroes and Villains. These artists loved the idea of looking at traditional characters through contemporary eyes. But they soon realised that their memories would be coloured by adult experience. So they sought the assistance of local Oxfordshire children who promised to remind them of who they once were. The artists and the children decided to place their works side by side in the Mirror Mirror show. And they – and their audience – lived happily ever after.

TUESDAY 17 JUNE – SATURDAY 5 JULY

St Edward’s School: Summer

Exhibition & Leavers’ Show

An exhibition celebrating artistic achievements from the past academic year. From the 17th – 30th June, work from a variety of year groups and disciplines will be on display. From the 1st – 6th July the 9 talented Upper Sixth leavers will showcase their work from their ‘A’ level and IB courses. A show not to be missed!

Art

George Orwell, in 1984, feared those who would deprive us of information; that the truth would be concealed from us; that we would become a captive culture. Aldous Huxley, in Brave New World, feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egotism; that the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance; that we would become a trivial culture. GOV. is a visual fiction which, beginning with a series of direct to metal prints and accompanying printed aphorisms, presents an exposition of our past, a comment on our present, and a vision of our future. The exhibition proffers an enlightened interpretation of what it is to be human, and gives us a glimpse of the truth beyond the trivia.

Mirror Mirror:

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TUESDAY 15 APRIL – FRIDAY 2 MAY

MONDAY 5 MAY – SATURDAY 10 MAY

James Hillman: GRDN GRDEN JRDN

Oxford Decorative and Fine Arts Society:

“FLWRS F SUTHWST EURPE THGHT SME F TH MST VRIED + BEUTFL SCNRY . TH ROS EWTHOUT THRNS FLWR OF CHLD IN MTHRS WMB LRNS SPRNG BLOOM” Born in 1992, James Hillman has grown to become an adequate builder, satisfactory foundry worker and ex manager of the Parisian artist commune, The Territory. He is now living and working in the foothills of the French Pyrenees as a stone mason on a château, where the bulk of the show has been made. The exhibition consists of predominately round paintings in acrylic and calcium carbonate on board, sculptures in aluminium sheet and refractory grog alongside various works on paper.

Young Arts Award Winners Exhibition 2014

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NADFAS is a national association that promotes decorative and fine arts appreciation and education. Young Arts is a NADFAS initiative to provide funding for local children and young people to enrich their education and experience within the visual arts. Oxford DFAS invited sixth form students in Oxford state secondary schools and academies to enter a piece of work for a Young Arts Award of up to £400, to be judged on its artistic merit and the development potential of the student. In addition to a cash prize awarded by OxDFAS, the winning work is being publicly displayed thanks to the North Wall.

www.oxforddfas.org.uk www.nadfas.org.uk

WEDNESDAY 28 MAY – FRIDAY 13 JUNE

Jane King and Neil Mabbs:

MONDAY 5 MAY – FRIDAY 23 MAY

Connecting the Dots:

A group exhibition of works by Graduates of the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Class of 1976-1979. The contemplative journey through a lifetime of making art continues for these artists who first met at the Ruskin School in Oxford and who come together now to celebrate their vision after 35 years. Participants in this group exhibition include: Kerry John Andrews, Catriona Brodribb, Michael Buck, Thelma Chambers, Barry Cottrell, Peter Lloyd Jones, Candy Kuhl and Victoria Rees.

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

Lost & Found is a multi-media installation created by Oxfordshire based artists Jane King and Neil Mabbs, in collaboration with scientists from Oxford University Natural History Museum and Professor Dave Goulson at the University of Sussex. King and Mabbs explore links between our consumer driven society and the unprecedented number of British plant and animal species that have declined and become threatened with extinction over the past half century. Lost and Found is a powerful and challenging installation of visual arts including mixed media prints, photography, films and projections, artists’ books and self-published newspapers, supported by the latest scientific research in the area.

Art

35 Years of Life & Art

Lost and Found

THURSDAY 19 JUNE Performed by the children of SS Philip and James Primary School

Set in Stone Written by N.E.A. Carter Directed by Jon Bliss

Community

Oxford. May morning. Dawn at St Bartholomew’s College breaks with a large SMASH! Something has been stolen from the College. That something turns out to be the most important book in the history of the college: the Book of Divination, a ninth century manual of the future. Will the gargoyles and grotesques overcome their differences to solve the burglary and save one of their kind from a terrible fate? They’ve got one hour to do so! Full of fun, humour, songs and calamity, Set in Stone is a play for all ages. Performances: 3.30pm & 6.30pm Tickets: £7.50 (Concessions £5.50, children £3.50)

WEDNESDAY 23 JULY – FRIDAY 1 AUGUST Pegasus Theatre presents

Mesh: Oxford Youth Arts International Festival This is Oxford’s third year of the unique Youth Arts Festival, one of the first to be co-planned, run and hosted with, by and for young people! Experience the unique, fresh flavour of their energy and ideas alongside the professional expertise of staff and international artists all working together to present Mesh. See shows here at the North Wall, as well as at Pegasus and the Town Hall, from South African Xhosa singing and dancing to Lithuanian drama, plus street theatre, parades and debates with well-known writers and young people from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Croatia, Thailand, Russia, Lithuania, South Africa, Oxford and Oxfordshire. Thanks to all of the supporters of Mesh who are helping to bring this 10 day festival back to Oxford once more. Full programme and tickets will be released in summer 2014.

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

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North Wall Summer Outreach 2014 Aged 18 – 25? Passionate about working creatively in the arts? Then read on…

The North Wall has carved out a reputation for its commitment to providing unique vocational opportunities for talented young artists, and helping them find their way into meaningful careers in the arts. Every summer, we run residencies for groups of young performers, writers, designers and technicians aged between 18 and 25, bringing them together with inspirational professional artists to make new works of art and theatre together. This summer is no different, and we will be on the lookout for dedicated young people, who want to work as part of an ensemble in the creation of a new piece of theatre. The entire project is offered free of charge and full board and lodging is provided at no cost to participants.

How to get involved:

We will be holding a series of auditions and interviews for this year’s project in the spring. Want to know more? Please contact us to go on our mailing list and we will send you full details of the application process and audition dates nearer the time. Contact Sherrell Perkin, perkins@thenorthwall.com, tel. 01865 319457

Some of the comments from last year’s participants: “ A fantastic project that every aspiring performer should want to be involved in.” “ An exhilarating and extremely informative experience…overall this residency was one of the greatest 3 weeks of training I have ever received.” “ Innovative and unique … wonderfully experimental.”

E N G AG E D W I T H L E A R N I N G, E N G AG E D W I T H L I F E

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Music, drama and art are high profile... richer here than in many more prominent schools.â&#x20AC;? The Good Schools Guide Offering A Level with the Extended Project plus the IB Diploma. Free places are available through means-tested scholarships and bursaries.

Please contact the Registrar: 01865 319200 registrar@stedwardsoxford.org www.stedwardsoxford.org

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o Diam Box office: 01865 319450 P Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and cliffe gs Thorn until curtain-up on performance days. nin n e ry J Fer eth on Saturdays 12pm – 4pm. ab Croft arst z h i c l e M e E B Online booking: www.thenorthwall.com eton Email: contact@thenorthwall.com Mor Booking fees: OXFORD CITY Cash Payment: no booking fee. CENTRE 1 mile Card & Online Payments: £1 per transaction. Gallery: Entrance to the Gallery is free. Opening hours are 10am – 4pm Monday to Friday and during performances in the Theatre. Saturdays 12pm – 4pm. 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 rail station is 2 miles 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.

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Booking Information Groups One ticket is free with every ten purchased. Concessions Where indicated, these apply to schoolchildren, full-time students, UB40s, over 60s and registered disabled. The carer for a wheelchair user receives a free ticket.

Students and school groups Special £5 ticket offer for some shows. Contact box office for availability.

Make a meal of it with Cibo! (at 4 South Parade, just a step from The North Wall) On performance evenings North Wall audience members can enjoy a pre- or post-show meal and receive 25% off their bill. Dated ticket or other proof of attendance on the night must be shown.

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.thenorthwall.com

The North Wall is part of St Edward’s, Oxford: charity number 309681

At a glance event guide DATE

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