WHAT’S ON GUIDE SUMMER 2022
Welcome Welcome to Oxford’s smallest, coolest performance space, where we present the most exciting new shows to add some fizz to your summer. We’re thrilled to welcome back Daniel Bye, this time with Boff Whalley, for some songs, stories and a love letter to adventure. Also returning are Leo & Hyde, who scored a hit in last year’s Offbeat festival, with their distinctive blend of VR and live entertainment. We’ll also explore questions of identity and conformity; and develop our feelings towards lizards (yes, lizards!), with newcomers to the BT Alice d’Lumiere and Serena Flynn. And for children and families, the ever-popular Garlic Theatre sprinkle a little magic with its delightful new show about a paper bag! Plus, we host two further family shows for this year’s Offbeat with storytelling, dance, shadow-puppetry, and quirky comedy, which promise to be lots of fun for everyone. All tightly packed into a few weeks in Oxford’s most intimate venue, where people are still enjoying our beautifully refurbished and well-stocked bar. So don’t miss out! Book now to give your summer an alternative edge. We look forward to welcoming you soon! Robert Bristow, Burton Taylor Studio Manager
THEATRE Produced by ARC Stockton
Tue 21 Jun 7.30pm
THESE HILLS ARE OURS by Daniel Bye and Boff Whalley
Dan and Boff have run a series of routes from the city centre in which they’ve found themselves, to the top of the peak overlooking that city. Award-winning Daniel Bye, and Chumbawamba founder member, Boff Whalley, bring together story and song in a collaboration about escaping it all by running to wild places.
Leo & Hyde
DOUBLE LIFE - A VR MUSICAL
Tickets £10 Discounts £8
Age guideline 12+
Wed 22 to Sun 26 Jun
Guy is gay. Guy is a gamer. And Guy is looking for love - in virtual reality. Double Life is a cutting-edge fusion of live musical theatre and VR and returns updated with more songs and more VR than ever before.
Wed to Fri 1pm, 5.30pm, 7pm & 8.30pm Sat & Sun 1pm, 3pm, 5.30pm, 7pm & 8.30pm Tickets £12.50 Age guideline 14+
The coolest, smallest place to see theatre, comedy and family shows in Oxford Alice D'Lumiere
SPEAKING OUT AND FITTING IN
Tue 28 & Wed 29 Jun 7.30pm
A solo show in striking performance poetry and disarming comedy, with flashes of cabaret and burlesque. Alice d'Lumiere playfully explores the wonderful, if occasionally counter-intuitive, position of the gender-fluid individual, striving to both fit in to another gender whilst yearning to establish a unique, personal voice for themselves.
Tickets £10 Discounts £8
Age guideline 12+
Thu 30 Jun & Fri 1 Jul 7.30pm
Serena Flynn
LIZARD KING
An hour of surreal comedy from Serena Flynn. Drag as you've never seen it before: in the form of an absurdly powerful reptilian. The sexiest, scaliest goddam Lizard you’ll ever set your tiny human eyes on*. For anyone who has ever seen a lizard, owned a lizard, or been to Pizza Express Woking with a lizard.
Garlic Theatre
THE BAG THAT WENT BOO!
Join us for a fantastical journey of paper bag proportions, dive into the sea and travel to the land of snow. Watch out for a giant paper bag wandering about making strange noises...
LOOKING-GLASS AND WHAT FASHION FOUND THERE
Kiera Vaclavik (QMC, University of London) leads a myth-busting discussion on Alice as a style icon, from follower of fashion to international trend setter. Explore how, when and why Alice in Wonderland has become such a rich source of inspiration for the fashion industry. Suitable for academics, fashionistas, and anyone who loves dressing up.
Discounts £8
Age guideline 16+
*Do not attend if you do not want to develop inappropriate feelings towards a lizard.
Sat 2 Jul 11am, 2pm & 4pm
The delightfully comic story of a little red bag that jumps out of a brown paper bag – what in the world is it? And where is it going?
ALICE AS A STYLE ICON: THROUGH THE
Tickets £10
Tickets £8 Discounts £6
Age guideline 3-8
Sat 2 Jul 6.30pm Tickets £5 Age guideline 12+
at the BT
BAD BOY DISCO
Wed 13 Jul 7.45pm What do we do when someone we’ve admired turns out to be a Bad Boy? Can we still enjoy their art? Isn’t it a shame we’ll never know who wrote Father Ted? These are just some of the questions CB4 Theatre are out to answer.
Tickets £10 Age guideline 14+
Armed with verbatim interviews, digital interaction, and a wheelbarrow full of beer, Bad Boy Disco takes a deep dive into social media, celebrity, and fandom.
APPLE ‘N’ SPICE
Sun 17 Jul 11am Tickets £8 Age guideline 3+
Introduce children to storytelling, dance and shadow puppetry with Apple ‘N’ Spice, an original, interactive and multi-cultural dance performance. This new fairy tale tells the story of two stepmothers; one from the East and one from the West, watch the plot thicken as their stories entwine.
“Children and their families watched on in awe.” Colchester and North Essex Gazette
THE MUNCH MISSION
Sun 17 Jul 3.30pm
Oh help, our Munch is missing! Do you possess the wit, nerve and skill to become the next CIA agent? There’s been a theft of world-famous artwork from Oslo National Museum. Work with Agents Kahlo and Dali of the Company of International Artists to solve a fiendishly sneaky art heist. Full of mystery, nods to film noir and a broad streak of quirky comedy, a playful family theatre show from award-winning theatre company Brave Bold Drama.
Tickets £8 Age guideline 6+
DIGITAL STAGE Interesting times call for creative approaches The best digital work for you to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. A Co-Production Between Sharp Teeth Theatre & The Wardrobe Theatre
Thu 2 Jun 4pm & 8pm
SHERLOCK IN HOMES 3: MURDER AT THE GAMES Sharp Teeth Theatre make their debut with a brand new online interactive murder mystery! On your marks, get set, go... to 1960 to solve a crime that will make your heart race. Could it be the chill of the cold war or the heat of the Italian sun? Zoom into Rome’s Olympic village to find out.
Tickets £14 Age guideline 8+ Via Zoom, Online
You’ll interrogate the suspects and attempt to unmask a murder with your fellow audience members as you pit your wits against some of the UK’s most talented performers and improvisers. Photo credit: Chris Vaughan Photography
Only you can solve this case!
Oxford Playhouse and ThisEgg present
ME AND MY BEE
Mon 1 to Sun 14 Aug On demand
Climate change is massive. Bees aren’t. Do bees sing? Can a bee be a carpenter? What happens if you get more than one Queen Bee at a time? You might be surprised to learn that there’s more to the world of bees than the humble bumble. Me and My Bee is a fun, family-friendly take on saving the bees and saving the world. This summer, ThisEgg’s brilliant show returns to the Playhouse in a brand-new digital adaptation Join the Bee Party and help us save the world one bee at a time!
Tickets £5 Age guideline 4+
Around the corner at OP... Tue 21 Jun 7.30pm
Crying Out Loud presents
KUNDLE CRU’S BLAME GAME Blame Game explores the dirty politics of scapegoating that stalks society.
Tickets from £10 Age guideline 7+
Through a fusion of breakdancing, juggling, Chinese pole, Krump and House dance, Kundle Cru has created a textured and surprising movement language.
Photo credit: © CamillaGreenwell
In Blame Game, they combine this physically brilliant style with humour and music to explore group dynamics.
YOUR VISIT Top reasons to visit the BT: 1. Most tickets are £10 or under 2. Oxford’s most intimate theatre space 3. The most exciting new and emerging artists 4. The best touring fringe shows from Edinburgh, London and beyond
5. Regular family gems, plus a play area for little people 6. A new (bigger!) well-stocked bar – beer, wine, soft drinks and ice cream that you can take into the show.
Box Office: 01865 305305 • www.oxfordplayhouse.com Tickets are available to purchase from our website or on the door of the studio up until the show start time, subject to ticket availability. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone during OP Box Office opening times. Discounts are available on most shows for under 18s, full-time students, Universal Credit, NHS Staff, BECTU and Equity members and those with access requirements. These shows have been created here in the county, either by Oxford Playhouse or by local artists, amateur and professional.
Theatre and events especially for families. Come and play in the foyer area before and after the show.
ACCESS FACILITIES The studio is accessed via two flights of stairs. We have a stair climber for wheelchair users. If you require this facility, please book with the Box Office at least three days in advance and inform them while booking.