OXFORD PLAYHOUSE
A Review 2020-2021
A Year Like No Other
Monday 16 March 2020. Early evening. The company for The Woman in Black were busy getting into costume in their dressing rooms, the crew were pre-setting the stage and making final adjustments to lighting channels ahead of that evening’s sold-out performance in the main house.
Around the corner in the Burton Taylor, the tech team was running sound checks ahead of The Best of BE Festival scheduled for 8pm. Excited schoolchildren and their teachers were on board coaches en route to the theatre, where Front of House volunteers were starting to welcome audiences. And then, in a matter of minutes, everything changed. Following the Prime Minister’s live briefing from Downing Street, theatres across the land were advised to suspend performances with immediate effect. Bewildered actors and company members started spilling out into the foyer areas; Box Office staff were flat out phoning audience members; the Marketing team was upstairs posting updates on social media. The sense of disbelief amongst actors, tech teams, audience members and staff was palpable. As the evening wore on, no one imagined what the next twelve months would bring.
As we mark the first anniversary of theatres closing, we look back on a year of great challenges and unparalleled change. A year which has seen much of OP’s artistic and participation programme delivered digitally; the Playhouse team operating remotely; socially distanced audiences, and uncertainty around reopening at every turn. It has also been a year filled with opportunity, reflection, resolve, hope and ultimately faith in the power of creativity to shape and transform people’s lives. Now more than ever, the role of cultural organisations, like Oxford Playhouse, in our lives and in our communities is vital.
We will be back! Louise Chantal and Vanessa Lefrancois Joint CEOs & Directors
PLAYHOUSE PLAYS ON
Live OnStage & Online Summer 2020
Autumn 2020
Wise Children’s ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS
A THEATRE NEAR YOU
NINA CONTI live on stage & live streamed
OP’s first ever Live Streamed performance to 1000+
COMEDY CLUB with Flo & Joan live on stage
Starring Marcus Brigstocke, Rachel Parris, Lucy Porter, Stephen Fry & friends
SEEDS podcast with Nina Sosanya
SARA PASCOE live on stage & live streamed DIGITAL SEASON Coney Telephone Escape Zoom Love Letters at Home The Believers are But Brothers The House Never Wins Rich Kids ONLINE FAMILIES Rock Pool The Great Big Story Mix Up Kaleidoscope Concert IN CONVERSATION with Inua Ellams, Lemn Sissay, Amrou Al-Kadhi KNEEHIGH’S The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk
Spring 2021 SAMMY & THE BEANSTALK Opera Up Close IN CONVERSATION with Ella Hickson and Jasmine Lee-Jones
ChriStmaS 2020 FATHER CHRISTMAS from Lyric Hammersmith, streamed to schoolchildren and families across the county THE GIFT OF WINTER interactive seasonal fun for younger audiences
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY with Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, Alfred Enoch, Emma McDonald, Russell Tovey and Fionn Whitehead Oxford Playhouse Co-Production
PLAYHOUSE AT HOME
Staying Connected through Creativity Whilst our physical doors have been closed, people across the county have taken part in our creative learning and schools activities from their homes and temporary classrooms. > Everyday creative activities on our social media channels > Community Playmaker to encourage everyone to have a go at writing their own play! > Online classes & workshops > Online drama masterclasses > Supporting literacy and creative writing in schools > Monologue Jam for young people > Digital Fun Palace bringing art & science together creatively
Oxford Playhouse was the first stage I set foot on in my childhood, and it continues to give an inspiring platform for young people in the community and beyond. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Actor & Patron
Father Christmas streamed to over 100 hundred families, 46 primary schools, and patients at Oxford’s Children’s Hospital
1800
280+
School children took part in OP’s flagship Primary Playmaker project
babies and toddlers have enjoyed sing song and story sessions online with Hey Diddle Diddle
463
Young Company Members
4500+ People of all ages have engaged with Playhouse at Home programme
COMMUNITY STORIES Here are just a few of the communit y projectS we have delivered, and partner organiSationS we have worked with over the last year TEA TALKS with AGE UK Addressing loneliness and social isolation through the sharing of stories
SOUND STORIES with Oxfordshire Association for the Blind Audio workshops for those who are blind or partially-sighted
GETTING THEATRE with Be Free Young Carers Supporting young carers and their families across Southern Oxfordshire through drama
1500+
Some of my favourite memories have been made at OP. It’s not just a theatre. It’s a community.
PEOPLE TOOK PART
DRAMA WORKSHOPS with KEEN OXFORD – fun and inclusive drama workshops for disabled and non-disabled participants
OP YOUNG LEADERS A passionate new team of young people onboard helping shape the future of Oxford Playhouse
ARTISTS It’S been a tough time for everyone
– no more so than for freelancers and self-employed artists. Artists are at the heart of everything we do at OP & we’ve continued to support them during these unprecedented times
4
emerging or mid-career artists supported by OP Evolve
We formed a partnership with The Plot a group of later-career playwrights, to support them in developing their own voices and practice
6
writers graduated from Playhouse Playmaker, mentored by playwright Clare Bayley & 157 applied for the new year
Regular ARTIST DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTERS
30+ 1:1 ARTIST ADVICE SESSIONS 250+ HOURS OF MENTORING Oxford Playhouse joined forces with other UK arts organisations to support a Freelance Task Force with OP appointing artist Amantha Edmead
12
female artists and makers supported in their work through Mothers Who Make programme
EMBRACING THE NEW Oxford PlayhouSe is proud to have commiSSioned
a series of new plays during lockdown, inviting artists to embrace bold and brave new ways of working whilst inviting audiences to experience that work in new ways.
Jenni Jackson’s TAKE UP SPACE Mandala Theatre SMALL HOURS
Jocelyn Cox & Samuel E. Taylor DO YOU LOVE ME YET?
OP Digital Stage
5000+ audiences have joined OP
on our digital journey and enjoyed our live streamed performances, digital productions and events from the comfort of their own home.
Tamasha UNDER THE MASK
Thank You
We would like to thank ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND the DEPARTMENT FOR CULTURE, MEDIA & SPORT HM GOVERNMENT and the CULTURAL RECOVERY FUND without which the future of Oxford Playhouse could have been very different. EVERYONE who has donated to the PLAYHOUSE PLAYS ON APPEAL raising £216,500 to date, to ensure we can carry on doing what Oxford Playhouse does best. Thank you to ALL AUDIENCE members who have donated the cost of their tickets back to OP, raising £68,000.
Our AUDIENCES & PARTICIPANTS UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, ST JOHN’S COLLEGE OXFORD CITY COUNCIL our LOCAL MPs. Our REGULAR SUPPORTERS & FUNDERS our ARTISTS, our DONORS, our PATRONS our COMMUNITIES & PARTNERS, UK THEATRE our VOLUNTEERS, STAFF TEAM & BOARD. The incredible SUPPORT, GENEROSITY and LOVE shown to the Playhouse and all that it represents has been both HUMBLING and INSPIRING.
OXFORD PLAYHOUSE TEAM PATRONS Rowan Atkinson, Michael Codron, Sinead Cusack, Dame Judi Dench, Michele Dotrice, Paterson Joseph, Stewart Lee, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Palin, Dame Maggie Smith, Samuel West BOARD Elizabeth Paris, Chair Liesl Elder, Vice Chair Sir Rory Collins Moss Cooper Debbie Dance Eleanor Lloyd Sos Eltis Colin Mayer Chilina Madon Annabel Mutale-Reed Sandip Popat Bob Price Sue Staunton Rebecca Surender Katherine Wilkes Committee Members Felicity Dick Danby Bloch Edward Bernard Mark Charter Roland Fuggle David Jackson Jens Tholstrup Susan Sternberg Alison Jeffreys
STAFF TEAM Administration Louise Chantal Vanessa Lefrancois Matilda Rose Development Shona Nicholson Richard Gladstone Finance Carol Jesudason Elwira Trofimczuk Emilie Lambert Operations Chris Robins Rachel Joubert Richard Willoughby Dee Millard Jonny Bell Lil Robinson
Thanouk Y
Marketing & Sales Marianne Jacques Sarah Jervis-Hill Russell Souch Craig Russell Sara-Jane Lee Rachel Titchener George Sawer Megan Hiorns Robbie Thielker Programming & Participation Laura Elliot Daniel Gilbert Paul Simpson Beth Sedgwick Jo Noble Robert Bristow Eleanor Warr Alexander Lui Technical Ashley Bale Indi Brodley Jacky Baker James Thearle
TO OUR FANTASTIC TEAM OF CASUAL STAFF & 100+ VOLUNTEER USHERS – WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU BACK.
FINANCE & FUNDING In a ‘normal’ year, Oxford Playhouse contributes around £13.2 million to the local economy (Shellard). INCOME 19/20 TOTAL £4,277,697
EXPENDITURE 19/20 TOTAL £4,430,133 40% PRODUCTIONS, PARTICIPATION & TOURING
3% OTHER 13% GRANTS
5% MARKETING
4% FUNDRAISING & DONATIONS
3% SALES 11% OTHER
1% TICKETS OXFORD
3% ADMINISTRATION & IT
8% BAR & CATERING
6% BUILDING
18% PRODUCTIONS, PARTICIPATION & TOURING
32% STAFFING
53% TICKET SALES
INCOME 20/21 TOTAL £1,886,622
EXPENDITURE 20/21 TOTAL £1,706,178 60% STAFFING
75% GRANTS
9% BUILDING 6% ADMINISTRATION & IT
4% OTHER
2% SALES & MARKETING
7% TICKET SALES
4% DIGITAL
14% FUNDRAISING & DONATIONS
14% OTHER 5% PRODUCTION
Please note, 20/21 Income and Expenditure figures taken from Management Accounts, prior to final audit.
“I LOVED WORKING AT OXFORD PLAYHOUSE, ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT AND EXCITING THEATRES.” DAME JUDI DENCH, PATRON “I HAVE USHERED AT OXFORD PLAYHOUSE FOR SIXTEEN YEARS. I HAVE LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT… THE THEATRE IS A SECOND HOME TO ME.” PENNY, VOLUNTEER USHER “OXFORD PLAYHOUSE HAS BEEN PART OF OUR FAMILY LIFE FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS.” CLAUDIA, AUDIENCE MEMBER “OXFORD PLAYHOUSE WAS MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL ACTING JOB – IT CHANGED MY LIFE. TOURING WITH VARIOUS PLAYS HAS BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE PLAYHOUSE FROM TIME TO TIME – AND THE MEMORY OF THOSE WONDERFUL STARTING DAYS ALWAYS COME FLOODING BACK. PLAYHOUSE, I LOVE YOU!” IAN FLINTOFF, ACTOR “THE MEDIUM TO LONG RUN SURVIVAL OF THAT JEWEL IN OXFORDSHIRE’S CULTURAL CROWN THE PLAYHOUSE - IS EXTRAORDINARY IMPORTANT AND WILL BE DOUBLY SO AS WE EMERGE FROM THE CURRENT CRISIS.” TIM STEVENSON, LORD-LIEUTENANT OF OXFORDSHIRE “I AM PROUD TO BE A PATRON.” STEWART LEE, PATRON
Looking Forward As we mark a year of closure on 16 March 2021, we stand in solidarity with theatres across the countryby lighting up our beautiful building in red. We take the opportunity to acknowledge the challenges and struggles faced not just by arts organisations, but by everyone over this extraordinary year. We look forward with cautious optimism to the months ahead, and bringing live theatre back to
our stages, audiences back into our spaces and taking vital creative projects back out into our communities. We know the recovery of the arts sector will take time and we are just at the beginning of that journey. But we are ready to start. We can’t wait to all be together again. Let the good times roll! Everyone at Oxford Playhouse
“MY FIRST EVER VISIT TO A PROFESSIONAL THEATRE. I WAS ENTRANCED… IT LIT THE FIRE AND IT WON’T GO OUT.”
A PLAYHOUSE FOR EVERYONE “I LOVE THE PLAYHOUSE AND COULDN’T IMAGINE OXFORD WITHOUT IT.” “SOME OF MY FAVOURITE MEMORIES HAVE BEEN MADE AT OP. IT’S NOT JUST A THEATRE. IT’S A COMMUNITY.”