July-D ec 201 6
“A blank wall is an appalling thing to look at. Then, you start out to do something – that vague thing called creation.” Edward Steichen
Art
The Society of Wood Engravers’ Annual Exhibition, plus photography, ceramics & illustration.
Comedy
Stand-up from Simon Munnery plus savagely funny cabaret from Bourgeois & Maurice
Music
Gaelic songs from Capercaillie’s Karen Matheson & award-winning folk from The Furrow Collective
Theatre
New writing in the spotlight: a tender portrait of rural life by Bea Roberts and a razor sharp thriller by Tess Berry-Hart
Family
The Family Arts Takeover returns this half term with an insect circus, acrobatic penguins & time-travelling magicians
2 3
Welcome to our new season. This exciting programme of upcoming events celebrates our commitment to doing what we do best.
We programme and create new work that is bold and relevant We have 6 new plays in our season and I am particularly pleased to have Al Smith’s latest work coming to Oxford. Al is an Associate Artist at The North Wall and his play Harrogate is a clever, punchy and provocative piece of writing. Bea Roberts worked with ArtsLab in April as a writing mentor, and I’m delighted to present her play And Then Come the Nightjars this autumn. Beautifully observed and real – this piece looks at rural England and a dying way of life.
We provide opportunities for young emerging artists to develop their voice and their vision Over the summer, we’ll be running two three week residencies which focus on new writing and, for the first time, opera. See page 8 for more details. This autumn, internationally-renowned director Iqbal Khan will direct a new play by a member of the North Wall’s cohort of young writing associates.
Story Pocket Theatre presents
A Pocketful of Grimms Let the magical Storyteller whisk you away to a land of fables and wonder to explore some of your favourite fairy tales. Featuring Hansel and Gretel, the original Beauty and the Beast, Rumpelstiltskin and more. In an exciting and high energy performance, Story Pocket Theatre brings to life some of the most-loved stories collected by the Brothers Grimm, using a rich mix of physical theatre, clowning, puppetry and music. From the winners of the Primary Times Children’s Choice Award 2014 and the Three Weeks Editors’ Choice Award at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015.
“Totally captivating...enthralling make believe” ★★★★ The Stage “Simply splendid storytelling” ★★★★ The Scotsman For ages 4+ Performances: 11am & 2pm Tickets: £8 (concessions £6)
We support established artists and companies in the creation of new work We are delighted that our Associate Company, Iron Shoes have received Arts Council funding for their new production, Fragment. Fragment is a piece of gig-theatre and was developed during our ArtsLab residency in the summer of 2014, and will be co-produced with The North Wall. The piece will rehearse here in Oxford this August and then tour in Spring 2017. Alongside the new writing, there is much to enjoy this season – children’s theatre, Gaelic folk music, outrageous cabaret, contemporary dance and in the gallery – ceramics, wood-engraving and graphic art. We hope to inspire you, our audience, to look at the world in new ways. To enjoy the arts. Young and old. And in-between. I hope to see you here in the months ahead Lucy Maycock Artistic Director
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 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.
Programme design: white space | white-space.net The North Wall photography: Colin Willoughby, Philip Vile
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Family
If you want a highly entertaining master class in post-war British politics – come and see Nottingham Playhouse’s Tony’s Last Tape, a compelling look into the political and personal life of the extraordinary Tony Benn.
SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER
4 5
FAMILY ARTS TAKEOVER R SAT U R DAY 2 2 O C T O B E
Big Imaginations presents
Sponge 10am & 12.30pm
Metta Theatre presents
Blown Away 2pm & 4pm
Tickets: All matinées £5 and workshops FR EE when you buy a Takeover Pa ss for just £2 {£1 chil dren}
Meet Penguin Blue and friends as they go on an acrobatic Antarctic adventure full of good ideas, homesickness and the perils of kites. Packed full of spectacular circus, magical puppetry and catchy songs, Metta Theatre’s new show is a joyous stage adaptation of Rob Biddulph’s award-winning children’s book. For ages 4+
Insect Circus Museum
Time travelling magic duo Morgan and West present an incredible show chock full of jaw-dropping, brain-bursting, gasp-eliciting feats of magic. Be sure to wear a hat Morgan and West might just blow your mind. For ages 7+ Tickets: £8 for Takeover Pass holders See page 21 for more details…
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Background by Freepik
Morgan & West: Parlour Tricks 7pm
Steve Ullathorne
Ladies & Gentlemen! Boys & Girls! Stroll Up! Stroll up for the Magnificent Insect Circus Museum! Behold the Liberty Beetles & the Cheeky Ladybirds! Be thrilled by the Knife Thrower& the Painted Lady! Gasp as Captain Courage, the intrepid Wasp Tamer, defies Danger! See it all with your Takeover Pass!
Family
Sponge is about all things spongy: a child’s ability to soak things up like a sponge, a nice piece of cake or the squashy, squishy texture that fascinates children and adults alike. Infused with audience participation and improvisation, multi-sensory experiences and happy hearted inclusivity. For babies aged from 6 months to children under 4
ival is back this October, and Roll up, roll up! The nationwide Family Arts Fest inviting families to takeover the once again we’ll be flinging open our doors and and get involved – all day long! building. All ages are welcome to come along very special shows and a huge range With behind-the-scenes theatre tours, some eal to the whole family – of wondrous workshops – all designed to app fascinating for everyone. we guarantee there will be something fun and first to find out about the full Buy your Takeover Pass now and you’ll be the 1st September schedule of events - available to download from
6 7
THURSDAY 14 JULY Theatre Ad Infinitum presents
Theatre
Theatre
Bucket List
MONDAY 11 – TUESDAY 12 JULY Developing Artists present Refuge Productions
Queens of Syria
‘I have a scream I want the world to hear’ First staged in Amman in 2013, and the subject of an award-winning documentary, Queens of Syria is an adaptation of Euripides anti-war tragedy, The Trojan Women. Performed by an all-female cast of Syrian refugees, the production skilfully amalgamates the women’s own narratives of bitter exile and ferocious war into the ancient Greek text. Footage from the documentary is fused with the stage play for the first time to create a powerful, extraordinary and unique piece of theatre. These are not the voices of political commentators or journalists, but of ordinary women whose lives have been turned upside down by the turmoil of the Syrian conflict. The stories of these women need to be heard. Queens of Syria comes to the UK for a three week run in 2016. This will be a lifechanging opportunity for the refugees themselves, and an eye-opening experience for British audiences who will hear first-hand the harsh realities of life as a refugee. www.developingartists.org.uk
Multi award-winning Theatre Ad Infinitum (Translunar Paradise, Ballad of the Burning Star, Light) presents the powerful story of one Mexican woman’s fight for justice. When her mother is murdered for protesting corporate and governmental corruption, Milagros finds herself with only a bloodstained list of those responsible. Determined to make them pay, Milagros embarks on a passionate quest for justice – no matter the cost. Using live music, song, and the ensemble’s extreme physical style of storytelling, Theatre Ad Infinitum unfolds a story of love, loss and revenge. See this work-in-progress performance of the company’s latest production before its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August. Praise for previous work by Theatre Ad Infinitum:
“ Epic” ★★★★★ The Times “A theatrical hand grenade” ★★★★ Guardian “Utterly stunning” ★★★★★ What’s On Stage
Age Suitability:16+ Performances: 8pm Tickets: £20 (concessions £15)
Age Suitability:14+ Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £10 (concessions £8)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Summer Residency Showcases Every summer, The North Wall auditions hundreds of young theatre artists from across the UK to take part in ArtsLab, our residential programme for emerging talent. Over the course of three weeks, the participants are partnered with a team of professionals to explore new ideas and sow the seeds of new work. This is an exciting opportunity to see their work at its earliest stage of development, in two work-in-progress performances. FRIDAY 22 JULY
The Audacious Christian Militia
This new play by emerging writer Tom Brennan explores faith and political action, and the contradictions of trying to do good. It will be performed by an ensemble of young actors and directed by Lucy Maycock & John Hoggarth. FRIDAY 12 – SATURDAY 13 AUGUST
ArtsLab
Olivier award-winning OperaUpClose will lead a group of young singers, dancers, designers and musicians to create a genuinely frightening and suspenseful version of Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle – combining opera with elements of the horror film genre, re-invented so that it interacts excitingly with audiences in small theatre spaces.
WEDNESDAY 14 SEPTEMBER Metal Rabbit Productions presents
Cargo
written by Tess Berry-Hart directed by David Mercatali “Goods get damaged all the time. Wouldn’t want to spoil the cargo, now, would we?” In the dark of a container ship, a group sits huddled. Waves lap against the walls. The metal creaks softly. Then, all of a sudden, somebody whispers… For the cargo on this vessel, home is a long-distant memory – and a new land still many miles away. Will they survive the perilous journey to find a better future? Or could the greatest threat to their safety be locked amongst them? This timely new play is a tense and provocative thriller that reveals how much people are willing to risk in search of a better life. Cargo premieres at Arcola Theatre in July 2016 before coming to The North Wall as part of a national tour. Praise for previous work by the company – On Radiant Vermin:
“ Masterfully directed by David Mercatali” ★★★★ The Stage “David Mercatali infuses his production with fierce energy” ★★★★ Evening Standard On Johnny Got His Gun:
“A stunning tour de force” ★★★★ The Independent www.metalrabbitproductions.com Age Suitability: 14+ Performances: 7pm Tickets: £6
Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com // Booking: 01865
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Theatre
Bluebeard’s Castle
8 9
10 11
FRIDAY 16 – SATURDAY 17 SEPTEMBER
The Iqbal Khan Project
MONDAY 19 SEPTEMBER
Dr Kevin Dutton: Good Psychopath…Really?
Rehearsed in an intensive week-long session with a group of trained and untrained actors, this project is a unique opportunity for young writers, directors, actors and designers to create work with an experienced theatre professional. The project will culminate in two work-in-progress performances. Keep an eye on the North Wall website to find out which of the shortlisted plays will be staged.
Age Suitability: 14+ Performances: 7pm Tickets: £8
Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £10 (concessions £8)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Talk
ArtsLab
As part of our commitment to developing work by emerging artists, The North Wall has invited submissions of new scripts from its young writing associates. The winning play will then be directed by internationally-renowned director Iqbal Khan.
Psychopath. No sooner is the word out than images of Ted Bundy and Hannibal Lecter spring to mind. But actually, when psychologists like Dr Kevin Dutton talk about psychopaths they are actually referring to a rare sub-set of individuals with a distinct cluster of personality characteristics... such as ruthlessness, fearlessness, coolness under pressure, charm, charisma, and focus. Being a psychopath is not an all-or-nothing, black and white affair. Instead, rather like height and weight, psychopathy is on a spectrum along which each of us have our place. What is a good psychopath? How can thinking like one help you to be the best you can be? Not all psychopaths are bad... can that really be true? Want to learn how to spot one and find out what makes them tick? Find out in this talk by Dr Kevin Dutton, a research psychologist at the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford. As well as his academic work he has regular consultancy appointments within the military, intelligence, corporate and elite sport arenas. www.kevindutton.co.uk
12 13
SATURDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
Rhum and Clay presents
Bourgeois & Maurice: How to Save the World Without Really Trying
64 Squares
“You might have noticed there are four of me. Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it. I have.” Welcome to B’s mind. B’s got some memories he wants to share with you. He wants to tell you about how he ended up on a cruise ship, playing chess against the current world chess champion. He wants to tell you all about his life and the choices he’s made. The problem? He’s been split into four and can’t remember what happened.
Christa Holka
TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER
Direct from another dimension, the genre-bending, awardwinning siblings of musical satire, Bourgeois & Maurice, return with a brand new show. We all want to do our bit for the world. But sometimes doing our bit is actually quite time-consuming and inconvenient. What if there was an easy way to drag humanity towards a blissful utopian future, without even breaking a fingernail? Bourgeois & Maurice think there is, and they’re determined to find it asap.
Theatre
Adapted from Stefan Zweig’s The Royal Game, the critically acclaimed Rhum and Clay Theatre Company bring you 64 Squares; a tale of madness, memory and chess, accompanied by a live percussive score.
Provocative, thought-provoking and cuttingly hilarious this is a handy guide to engaging with the complex issues of today’s geopolitical climate, without too much effort on anyone’s part.
“Gloriously inappropriate decadence... Nothing’s off limits to these guys” The Guardian
“ Beautifully put together. Intelligent and moodily atmospheric” ★★★★ The Guardian “ Energetic, ingenious with their movement, and funny” ★★★★ Time Out
www.bourgeoisandmaurice.co.uk
Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
Age suitability: 16+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £13)
www.rhumandclay.com
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Comedy
“It’s hard to think of any other act delivering such clever, funny and sharp material” ★★★★ Time Out
14 15
TUESDAY 27 SEPTEMBER
WEDNESDAY 28 SEPTEMBER
Karen Matheson
Show And Tell presents
Music
A Gambler’s Guide To Dying written & performed by Gary McNair directed by Gareth Nicholls
Theatre
The compelling voice of Celtic super-group Capercaillie, Karen’s life in the limelight began with her performing as a child in her local village hall on the West coast of Scotland, where she was brought up immersed in the deep well of traditional Gaelic songs that have been her inspiration for over 20 years of recording and performing worldwide. Her latest album, the solo project Urram (Gaelic for “respect”) is a musical love letter to her family’s Hebridean roots, with a collection of timeless Gaelic songs that evoke the character and atmosphere of island life, through work songs, love songs, lullabies, mouth music and evocative poems to the surroundings.
What are the odds of living an extraordinary life? This is the story of one boy’s granddad who won a fortune betting on the 1966 football World Cup and, when diagnosed with cancer, gambled it all on living to see the year 2000. An intergenerational tale of what we live for and what we leave behind. Following a total sell-out Traverse Theatre season at the Edinburgh Festival 2015, McNair’s widely acclaimed, multi award-winning show comes to The North Wall as part of a national tour.
“ The kind of voice that can leave you shell-shocked” The Sunday Times
“ Rich and earthily funny – a genuine pleasure” ★★★★ The Guardian
“ Remarkable in English but breath-taking when she draws on Hebridean roots to sing in Gaelic” The Daily Telegraph
“ An amusing and affecting monologue… one of the hits of the Edinburgh Fringe” ★★★★ The Times
www.karenmatheson.com
www.showandtelluk.com
Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £13)
Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
TUESDAY 4 - WEDNESDAY 5 OCTOBER
16
17
Theatre503 and Bristol Old Vic in association with Tara Finney Productions present
And Then Come The Nightjars by Bea Roberts South Devon, 2001. Jeff is a dairy vet with a problem. Michael is a cattle farmer - he is a problem. The two men have a grudging respect for one another, usually expressed through a shared fag, a nip of whisky and some boisterous banter.
Tender, funny and full of love, And Then Come the Nightjars is a story of male friendship against the odds, and a tribute to rural English life.
“ Beautifully observed... a small gem of a play from a writer to watch” ★★★★ The Daily Telegraph “ A savagely funny and sad play directed with real delicacy” ★★★★ The Guardian “ A stirring requiem for the vanishing dignity of rural England” ★★★★ The Evening Standard www.theatre503.com
Performances: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Theatre
But when Foot and Mouth sweeps across the UK countryside their friendship – and indeed their whole way of life - is thrown into question. Michael watches in disbelief as his cows are rounded up, and to his horror, it is Jeff brandishing the gun.
18
FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER
THURSDAY 13 – FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
Contender Charlie, China Plate & Warwick Arts Centre present
Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company presents
Macbeth: Blood Will Have Blood
19
Tony’s Last Tape by Andy Barrett
Tony Benn sits in a room faced with a collection of recording devices that he has collected over his long and eventful life. He pours himself the first cup of tea of the day, opens a drawer and takes out a pipe. For more than fifty years he has been recording everything that has happened to and around him and, as the years have passed, so the burden of this documentation has grown. And today he has decided to make his last tape. This critically acclaimed play examines the struggle of a man who realises that maybe it is time to withdraw from the fight, to let others take over, but just doesn’t quite know how.
Theatre
“ A theatrical gem” ★★★★ The Stage www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
Re-invented for 9-13 years-olds, this new production of Macbeth is an accessible and unforgettable introduction to Shakespeare’s shocking story of ambition, greed and the abuse of power. Summoned by the arrival of the audience, a macabre Porter leads us into the dark heart of Shakespeare’s play, offering young audiences a glimpse of life under Scotland’s tyrant King. Using razor sharp storytelling, a dramatic on-screen world and a heart-stopping soundtrack, this one-man adaptation takes us on a break-neck journey through the blood-soaked world of Macbeth. Please note: this is a performance for local schools.If you wish to make a group booking, contact the box office on 01865 319450. www.chinaplatetheatre.com Performance: 1pm Tickets: £8
Performances: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// // Booking: Booking: 01865 01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com
Theatre
“ Warm, sweet and consistently funny” ★★★★ The Observer
20
TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER
SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER
Reel Rock UK Tour
Morgan & West: Parlour Tricks
21
Don’t miss an extraordinary collection of adventure and climbing films from some of the world’s best adventure filmmakers.
A truly inspiring evening of incredible films with great prize giveaways!
Magic
www.reelrock.co.uk Age suitability: 15+ Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £12 (concessions £10)
Steve Ullathorne
Film
Featuring alpine legends, amazing adventurers and climbing icons, prepare to be transported through the big screen to mountains and cliff faces across the globe as they attempt to achieve their dangerous lifelong ambitions.
Time-travelling magic duo Morgan and West present an incredible show chock full of jaw-dropping, brain-bursting, gasp-eliciting feats of magic. The dashing chaps offer up a plateful of illusion and impossibility, all served with wit, charm and no small amount of panache. Be sure to wear a hat - Morgan and West might just blow your mind.
“ It’s impossible not to be impressed” The Daily Mirror “ I can’t recall the last time my awe was this thoroughly struck” The Scotsman www.morganandwest.co.uk
See this show for just £8 as part of the Family Arts Festival – see page 4 for more details
Performance: 7pm Tickets: £12 (concessions £10)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
22
SUNDAY 23 OCTOBER
MONDAY 24 OCTOBER
Alan Bearman Music presents
Kicking the Bucket Festival presents
The Furrow Collective
23
Outside the Box Funny, wise and taboo-busting, Outside the Box features stories collected from life’s finish-line by Liz Rothschild – performer, celebrant and manager of ‘Cemetery of the Year 2015’, Westmill Woodland Burial Ground. This ground-breaking one woman show combines mercurial tales and miraculous truths with a hint of history and some pithy commentary on the funeral industry (from one who knows). For those wanting to join in, there will be a chance to share the conversation and add new stories to the show’s repertoire as it travels around the country exploring the territory outside the box.
Elly Lucas
www.kickingthebucket.co.uk www.fullcircleproductions.org.uk
Music
Described by MOJO as ‘a mouthwatering collaboration’, Alasdair Roberts, Emily Portman, Lucy Farrell and Rachel Newton are four fine soloists sharing a mutual love of traditional songs from both sides of the English and Scottish borders. Moving with ease from jaunty stories of ailing horses, to poignant laments and supernatural ballads, the band’s strikingly unaffected vocals are accompanied by harp, guitar, viola, concertina, piano, banjo, fiddles and musical saw. Since their critically acclaimed debut album At Our Next Meeting and 2015’s outstanding five track EP Blow out the Moon, the group have received two nominations at this year’s BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards for Folk Singer of the Year and Best Traditional Track.
“ A bravely sparse and compelling new take on traditional songs” The Guardian “ A mouth-watering collaboration” ★★★★ Mojo www.thefurrowcollective.com Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// // Booking: Booking: 01865 01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com
Theatre
“ A generous, large-hearted piece of theatre” Broadway Baby
24 25
WEDNESDAY 26 OCTOBER
SATURDAY 29 OCTOBER
Company Chordelia & Solar Bear present
Show And Tell presents
Lady Macbeth: unsex me here
Picks of the Fringe: Jordan Brookes & Sam Fletcher Two emerging comedy talents bring their acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe shows to The North Wall.
Ambition, power, guilt, remorse, loss, death. Paralleling Shakespeare’s time, a cast of three male dancers each play Lady Macbeth, exploring the relationship between masculinity and femininity.
The 2016 Chortle Award Best Newcomer nominee Jordan Brookes presents a bundle of silly faces, uncomfortable poses and unnecessary confessions in his hour-long show, Jordan Brookes: The Making Of.
Dance
The Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominee Sam Fletcher brings a heady blend of jokes, lo-fi showbiz flair, idiotic theatrics and some genuine (sort of) magic tricks in Sam Fletcher: Daftwerk. Hand-picked talent brought to you by producers Show And Tell, whose previous shows at The North Wall include Kieran Hodgson: Lance, Josie Long: Cara Josephine, and Simon Munnery.
“Superbly crafted, he cleverly switches between characters, stand-up and something a little more avant-garde. Easily one of the most creative but funny shows I’ve seen this year” ★★★★★ The Mirror on Jordan Brookes
Following the critical success of Nijinsky’s Last Jump, The North Wall is delighted to welcome back Company Chordelia with this exciting and unique piece of dance theatre, exploring one of Shakespeare’s most complex women.
“An uplifting hotch-potch packed with content… put simply no other show has made me smile so much this year” ★★★★ The Independent on Sam Fletcher www.showandtelluk.com
www.chordelia.co.uk Age suitability: 14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £16 (concessions £13)
Age suitability: 14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £12 (concessions £10)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// Booking: 01865 01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com
Comedy
Using Shakespeare’s language as the source, British Sign Language is used to create choreography, producing a piece of visceral dance & movement theatre which will reach D/deaf and hearing audiences alike, in different ways.
26 27
FRIDAY 4 NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER
The Royal Court Theatre, house, and HighTide present the HighTide Production
Show And Tell presents
Harrogate by Al Smith
I dream about you young. When I’m asleep you’re as young as the girl I met. Time passes. Roles change. People become different versions of themselves. From lover, to father, to husband, one man craves the past but knows his desire for it will destroy his family.
Theatre
After a sell-out run at HighTide Festival 2015, Al Smith’s seminal play returns for a limited run at the Royal Court followed by a national tour.
“ Smith’s writing is punchy, sometimes bruising, and the performances are compelling” ★★★★★ Financial Times www.hightide.org.uk
Simon Munnery: Standing Still Multi award-winning comedian Simon Munnery offers up a new stand-up show. An opening to die for, seven wry observations, a tone poem, four fresh skits and two new commandments. Simon is a British Comedy Award nominee, Perrier Award nominee and Chortle Award winner. He’s a star of Comedy Central’s Alternative Comedy Experience as seen on BBC2’s Culture Show and heard on Radio 4’s News Quiz, amongst others.
“A genuine innovator in the land of the samey, and an annual must-see for any comedy connoisseur” The Guardian
“He might not be a household name, but Simon Munnery is an avant-garde comedy god” ★★★★ Time Out www.showandtelluk.com Age suitability: 16+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Age suitability: 14+ Performance: 8pm Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Comedy
“Convention defying, innovative stuff. Simon Munnery is a brilliant comedian” The Times
28 29
SUNDAY 6 NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 4 MARCH
Carousing with Shakespeare
Camille O’Sullivan
Community
Enjoy an evening of poetry, laughter and music with a selection of sonnets, songs, Shakespeare-inspired sketches and even an Oxford versus Stratford Shakespeare quiz! Special guests include BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz, Baritone Christopher Purves, RSC and Archers actor David Troughton, Lady Jill Freud, Phyllida Hancock, Ali Troughton and Composer and Music Director Ben Parry. Throughout 2016 Oxford has been celebrating Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary in public libraries, theatres, cinemas, concert halls, museums, in parks under the stars, in a carnival and in nightclubs. We invite you to enjoy witty and poignant moments from Shakespeare Oxford 2016, together with sonnets and contemporary poetry, play excerpts and sketches, jazz, choral and musical songs from our special guests and Musical Youth Company Oxford - a recipe for an unforgettable night.
COMING UP IN 2017
The Carny Dream
“A major star” ★★★★★ The Scotsman “Exceptional voice” ★★★★★ Time Out “Hypnotic” ★★★★★ The Independent www.camilleosullivan.com Performance: 7.30pm Tickets: £15 (£10 concs) 50% of proceeds to ARCh Oxfordshire
// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Christopher Purves
Performance: 8pm Tickets: £20
// // Booking: Booking: 01865 01865 319450 319450 or or www.thenorthwall.com www.thenorthwall.com
Music
Camille O’Sullivan enjoys a formidable international reputation for her intensely dramatic interpretations of the songs of Brel, Cave, Waits, Bowie and more. The multi-awardwinning singer has stunned audiences around the world with her 5-star sellout performances, including Sydney Opera House, Royal Festival Hall, La Clique, Royal Albert Hall, Later with Jools Holland (BBC). Dark, sexy, fierce, amusing and mesmerizing, Camille transforms each song into an intense, emotional and theatrical experience. Expect joy and pure passion.
30 31
FRIDAY 2 DECEMBER – SATURDAY 7 JANUARY Creation Theatre presents
Join Creation Theatre this Christmas deep in the forests of Bavaria for their sixth family Christmas show. Enter the magical world of the Brothers Grimm where straw can be spun into gold, the moon can be kidnapped, death can be bargained with and whatever you do, don’t trust your parents! From the director of last year’s raucous Treasure Island and 2014’s freewheeling Wind in the Willows comes another eccentric Christmas treat for all the family. Recommended for ages 7+
“Enormously fun, utterly compelling, seriously off-the-wall, mesmerisingly atmospheric and pretty surreal.” The Oxford Times on The Wind in the Willows “Gari Jones’ adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, which he also directs, is a joyful seasonal offering from Oxford’s everinventive Creation Theatre Company.” Newbury Weekly News on Treasure Island
Performances: Selected matinees 10.00am and 2.00pm, evening shows 7.30pm. Selected evening shows 6.00pm. Full schedule at www.creationtheatre.co.uk Tickets: £13.50-£32 (concessions available, ask at the Box Office.) Special offers for groups of ten or more.
www.creationtheatre.co.uk
01865 766266
32 33
TUESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER
Jonathan Hargreaves: A Vivid Recollection
TUESDAY 2 – FRIDAY 26 AUGUST
MONDAY 5 – SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER
Sonia Boué, Restore: Claudia Figueiredo Dark Arts featuring & Rose Wallace: Charlotte Brennan RE:collections
It is evident that the translation to paint is the essential ingredient in making his work distinctive and poetic – colour harmonies and powerful compositions are brought together in a manner which goes beyond simple recording. www.jonathanhargreaves.com
A poetic celebration of art produced to capture mental illness recovery. This exhibition brings together a collection of art created by individuals connected to Restore, celebrating ongoing recovery journeys and to remind the viewer how far some have travelled. It will showcase art in a variety of mediums, with a focus on photography. The stunning artwork vividly portrays feelings and captures life. Restore is a charity that offers help to people affected by mental illness. They enable people to take control of their own recovery, develop skills and lead meaningful lives. The charity believes that creative expression promotes a healthier life and encourages us all to make our own choices. www.restore.org.uk
// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com
Art
Three artists whose practice explores narratives. Recovering memory through artefacts and presenting contrasting responses in paint, ceramics and print. Sonia Boué: Story telling around objects allows Sonia to be both autobiographical and to comment on the wider picture as she sees it. Disparate fragments of experience, memory and observation become ‘fixed’ on a surface in a work providing layers or snatches of meaning. Claudia Figueiredo paints and collages on wood, appropriating old and making new surfaces. Colour and form and texture are captured on the flat plane, memories are jogged and new narratives made. Rose Wallace CPA: These unique ceramic figures are crafted from casts of contemporary packaging and discarded domestic ephemera. Quietly narrative, they capture the minutiae of modern life.
The North Wall is pleased to announce an exhibition of some thirty recent oil paintings by Manchester based artist Jonathan Hargreaves. In this recent work, Hargreaves mixes the grandiose with the incidental. Subject matter varies from dinosaurs to clothes lines. His reference is eclectically gathered from trips to New York, Berlin and St. Petersburg as well as his immediate surroundings.
// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com
34 35
WEDNESDAY 5 – FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER
TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 5 NOVEMBER
St Edward’s School:
Ion Severin:
Lower School Photography Exhibition
Regeneration
Proudly presenting the best of this year’s entries to the annual open photography competition from the Shells, Fourth and Fifth form. A wide range of work, from beautiful landscapes around the world to experimental long-exposure light drawings. The fluency and imagination demonstrated by the students within this particular show is always an inspiration.
// Gallery: Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com
Art
Born in the Republic of Moldova, Ion Severin is a Romanian graphic artist who works in three main areas: pen and ink drawing, book illustration and oil painting. He is known for his precise, methodical style and as a master of detail and meticulous execution. Severin loves to play with different shapes, in order to create unique images and a feeling of movement. His artworks are like a kaleidoscope which keeps changing, revealing many unexpected patterns. Each of his works challenges us to see beyond the initial impression and to let our imagination run free. More than one hundred books have been illustrated by Severin, many of which have won awards at national and international book fairs and exhibitions; among them, Certificate of Honour for illustration, awarded by IBBY President in Basel, Switzerland (2002). One of his illustrations appeared on the cover of the 2000/1 edition of Bookbird: A Journal of International Children’s Literature. www.ionseverin.com
36 37
WEDNESDAY 9 NOVEMBER – FRIDAY 2 DECEMBER
The Society of Wood Engravers: 79th Annual Exhibition
After a triumphant debut last year the Society of Wood Engravers returns to the North Wall this November with an entirely new selection of relief prints in its 79th Annual Exhibition. Over one hundred wood engravings, woodcuts and linocuts from the UK and around the world reveal the wide range of effects and interpretations this art form is capable of. But traditional or experimental in approach, these prints all have one thing in common; an astonishing level of virtuosity and intensity distilled into exquisitely rendered images. The SWE Annual Exhibition is always stringently selected, choosing only the best from a large open submission, but while standards are always high, prices can be surprisingly modest, bringing the chance of owning a piece of original art enticingly close. www.woodengravers.co.uk
TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER – SATURDAY 7 JANUARY
TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER – SATURDAY 7 JANUARY
David Laing
Freddie Crossley:
Out of Line: Invitation to Voyage
// Gallery: Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com
Freddie Crossley’s workshop is in the heart of the South Downs. It is made of flint, as is his house. The landscape is littered with these stones and some of the shards are tools made by people who lived on that land, tens of thousands of years ago. The tools fit into our hands as if nothing has changed. Freddie’s contemporary and refined domestic ware seeks a deep-rooted connection to the past and future of our landscape. Their elemental motifs speak of grassy earth and find deep blues of windswept sea and stone, counterbalanced in a refined sculptural presence. A selection of Freddie’s 3D pieces will be on display in the glass cases within the North Wall Gallery throughout this period.
// Gallery: Mon-Fri: 10am-4pm, Sat: 12pm-4pm // www.thenorthwall.com
Art
Most of David Laing’s large woodcuts take their starting point in images, lost landscapes, romantic fragments of prints and paintings of the past. They are then redrawn, manipulated, re-invented and pulled into a real present; low tech in a high tech digital age. “I have never lost my love of the physicality of cutting into wood, rolling up and burnishing a woodcut onto paper…risking the possibilities the medium offers… attempting to reach the very edge of an idea …Out of Line. A lot of energy goes in… I hope it comes out.” David Laing studied painting and printmaking at Hornsey College of Art, The Royal College of Art and at the Ecole des Beaux Art, Paris. He founded The Block Studios for Printmaking in London and taught fine art and printmaking for many years. He has exhibited in the UK, Europe and in New York. www.pureandapplied.co.uk
Flint
n
rto
be
Os
le W dd Mi
How to find us
SUMMERTOWN
de ara
th P
Sou
BAN
d
ond
Diam
P P
cliffe
Thorn
D ft
h Cro
Mar
Card & Online Payments: £2 per transaction (£1 if buying a single ticket)
OXFORD CITY CENTRE 1 mile
ry
Fer
nli ffe
eton Mor
ston
Cu
int
on
Beec
Ba
eth
ab
Eliz
KR
s
ing
n Jen
OC
ST OD
Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and from 5pm on performance days. Saturdays 12pm – 4pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.
ld R
WO
’s ward St Edool e Sch akthorp O
rt
Ewe
Y RD BUR
atfie Str
The North Wall Arts Centre
Box office: 01865 319450
Booking fees: Cash Payments: no booking fee
Lons
y
The North Wall Arts Centre South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JN
Online booking: www.thenorthwall.com Email: contact@thenorthwall.com
dale
ers
Rog
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.
25% OFF
For North Wall theatre-goers
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 Multibuy Get 10% off when you book for 3 or more selected events across the season (max. 2 tickets per event)
Groups One ticket is free with every ten purchased. Concessions Where indicated, these apply to schoolchildren, full-time students, UB40s,
Present your tickets to receive 25% off your food bill on the day of your performance.
over 60s and registered disabled. The carer for a wheelchair user receives a free ticket.
School Groups £7.50 tickets on selected shows. Accompanying staff members go free. Portabello Bar and Grill South Parade
Exclusive to North Wall ticket holders ….why not take advantage of a great offer from our friends and partners at Portabello Bar and Grill on South Parade. Receive 25% off the food bill when you present your tickets for the evening’s performance. Give them a call 01865 559653 to book your pre- or post- theatre meal. www.portabellorestaurant.co.uk
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
To book, call 01865 559653 or visit portabellorestaurant.co.uk 7 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7JL
At a glance event guide DATE
EVENT
CATEGORY PAGE
July 11-12 July 14 Jul 22 Aug 12-13 Sep 14 Sep 16-17 Sep 19 Sep 20 Sept 24 Sep 27 Sep 28 Oct 1 Oct 4-5 Oct 7 Oct 13-14 Oct 18 Oct 22 Oct 22 Oct 23 Oct 24 Oct 26 Oct 29 Nov 4 Nov 5 Nov 6 Dec 2-Jan 7 Mar 4 2017
Queens of Syria Bucket List The Audacious Christian Militia Bluebeard’s Castle Cargo The Iqbal Khan Project Kevin Dutton 64 Squares Bourgeois & Maurice Karen Matheson A Gambler’s Guide To Dying A Pocket Full of Grimms And Then Come The Nightjars Blood Will Have Blood Tony’s Last Tape Reel Rock Family Arts Takeover Morgan & West The Furrow Collective Outside The Box Lady Macbeth: unsex me here Jordan Brookes & Sam Fletcher Harrogate Simon Munnery Carousing With Shakespeare Snow White Camille O’Sullivan
Theatre 6 Theatre 7 ArtsLab 8 ArtsLab 8 Theatre 9 ArtsLab 10 Talk 11 Theatre 12 Cabaret 13 Music 14 Theatre 15 Family 3 Theatre 16 Theatre 18 Theatre 19 Film 20 Family 5 Magic 21 Music 22 Theatre 23 Dance 24 Comedy 25 Theatre 26 Comedy 27 Community 28 Theatre 30 Cabaret 29
Exhibitions Aug 2-26 Sep 5-10 Sep 13-Oct 1 Oct 5-14 Oct 18-Nov 5 Nov 9-Dec 2 Dec 6-Jan 7 Dec 6-Jan 7
Sonia Boué, Claudia Figueiredo and Rose Wallace Restore Jonathan Hargreaves SES Photography Exhibition Ion Severin Society of Wood Engravers David Laing Freddie Crossley
See page 38 for special offers and full details of concessions.
32 32 33 34 35 36 37 37