Connecting professional and amateur theatre in Newbury, West Berkshire and beyond

BT Studio (Burton Taylor), Oxford

Beaumont Street, Oxford

Box Office

01865 305305

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Oxfringe indicates productions that are part of Oxfringe 2010.

Knives in Hens, 9th to 13th March, 19:30
By David Harrower. This post-modern classic explores a young woman’s journey from innocence to knowledge, from conformity to expression, but not without devastating consequences. This dark and immersive production promises to transport an audience into a world where nothing is certain.

Burton, 16th to 17th March, 19:30
The life of the great Welsh actor, Richard Burton, vividly presented in his own words, from humble beginnings to Hollywood mega-stardom. Beautiful women (not least Liz Taylor), alcohol, wealth, stage and screen are the threads woven into this sad, happy, exuberant and often hilarious one-man show.

This is a That, 19th to 20th March, daytime
Join Josette and her Papa as they dance with their ears, eat a piece of the moon, and meet a toy soldier called Jacqueline. A magnificent, magical, physical, musical journey about a father and daughter who let their imagination run away with them. Ages 4 to 7 years.

Meeting Joe Strummer, 23rd to 24th March, 19:30
Charting Nick and Steve’s attempts to maintain their ‘oath’ to Strummer while living through Thatcherism, paying the bills and maintaining relationships. This passionate punk comedy is about attitude, friendship and celebrity – and a celebration of the man who set the agenda for a generation.Oxfringe

Jubilate!, 24th to 27th March, 18:30 at New Road Baptist Church
Anna, the vicar’s wife, has it all. Anna has sex 2.4 times a week. Anna has charisma. Anna has all the answers. Slightly famous due to a remark she made on the radio, Anna is an agony aunt by inclination as well as by profession. God help us all...Oxfringe

The Big Bite-Size Soirée, 24th to 27th March, 20:00 at New Road Baptist Church
Drama, comedy, eccentricity, wrapped up in two great collections of award winning ten-minute plays from around the world.Oxfringe

Never Tell Them, 24th to 27th March, 21:30 at New Road Baptist Church
Never Tell Them describes a returning soldier and his family trying to come to terms with the aftermath of World War I. Can spiritualism provide the answer?Oxfringe

Reflections in a Distorting Mirror, 25th to 26th March, 19:30
Catherine is heavily pregnant and desperate to break out into the big wide world but her father, the Commander-in-Chief, won’t give her the key to the door. To escape, she allies herself with Prince Baxendale, but they are defeated by a web of conspiracy. A farcical look at how family is the model for political conspiracies and corruption.Oxfringe

Cling to Me Like Ivy, 25th to 26th March, 20:00 at The North Wall Arts Centre
Rivka wants the perfect wedding. She has the man, the dress, the wig and two weeks to go. But when doubt is cast on her wig, everything starts to unravel and Rivka finds herself far from home, caught up in an anti-road protest.Oxfringe

To and Fro, 25th to 27th March, 20:00 at The Rookery, Old Headington, Oxford
You are invited to a party at The Rookery in Old Headington, where you will enjoy an intimate and enticing journey into the bustling and secret world of the characters and images inspired by T S Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock. As a party guest you will move around the house encountering the evening’s events.Oxfringe

Morgan and West Time Travelling Magicians, 31st March to 1st April, 20:00
The 19th century ‘s greatest magical duo comes to a millennium near you!Oxfringe

Between Me and You, 31st March to 3rd April, 18:30
Examines the paradoxical state inherent in long-distance relationships.Oxfringe

Lady in Bed, 31st March to 3rd April, 21:30
One-woman show about a real-life quest for love and sexual adventure.Oxfringe

Loving April, 1st April, 20:00 at The North Wall Arts Centre
April spends her time amongst the wild swans on the nearby river and, most importantly, keeping away from the boys in the village. But all that changes when beautiful Barbara Piggot arrives with Tony, her well-educated son.Oxfringe

Borges and I, 1st to 2nd April, 19:00 at The Cherwell School Drama Studio
A library, a chance meeting, a collision of worlds. An exploration of the human capacity to love through the stories of Jorge Borges, his life, and his readership.

Grimms, 2nd to 3rd April, 20:00
A witty, high energy adaptation of the original Brothers’ Grimm stories.Oxfringe

Billy Goats Gruff, 3rd April, 16:00
Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge? This is the simple story of three hungry goats and a grumpy old troll. Told with puppets, live music, storytelling and singing. Ages 3 to 6 years.Oxfringe

Now is the Winter, 7th to 10th April, 18:15 at Old Library, University Church St Mary
… of our discontent played out below stairs. A loyal servant watches her beloved master rise to power, only to see her world unravel as naked ambition takes over. Kate Saffin returns to Oxfringe for a third year with this striking new re-working of Richard III performed by Helen McGregor.Oxfringe

LOL, 7th to 10th April, 18:30
A one-act play about love, life and internet dating.Oxfringe

All Hail Ye Mighty Lords of Nowhere, 7th to 10th April, 19:45 at Old Library, University Church St Mary
The world is a silent ruin, and mankind is finished. Only two demons – the cat-like Tibs and monstrous Tattoon – remain, lonely and deprived of purpose. And on Tibs’s birthday, Tattoon has a present: a live human audience. Follow their adventures in this grim and hilarious puppet show for adults!Oxfringe

First Class, 7th to 10th April, 20:00
A man rediscovering his passion for life in the unlikeliest of places.Oxfringe

Byron and Shelley: A Romantics Comedy, 7th to 10th April, 21:15 at Old Library, University Church St Mary
Lake Geneva, 1816. Lord Byron and Percy Shelley have fled England for the Continent. Here, as they holidayed, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, after their famed ghost-story writing contest – but the full details of their stay have remained hidden until now. This completely improvised comedy reveals what probably definitely happened there.Oxfringe

A Prayer for Wings, 7th to 10th April, 21:30 at Moser Theatre
Sean Mathias’ play A Prayer for Wings sensitively explores the lives of a mother and her daughter, seemingly trapped together through severe disability and the hard financial years of the 1980s.Oxfringe

Crush, 9th April, 20:00 at The North Wall Arts Centre
An acutely observed insight into modern relationships, seducing audiences with sharp humour and digging out the darkness in our fascination with online gambling and socialising.Oxfringe

What Would Helen Mirren Do?, 13th to 14th April, 19:30
A delightful new one-woman comedy about love, work, letting go and finding out who we really want to be. Susan, a supermarket checkout operator, has never had to give much thought to role models until she gets promoted and is forced to adopt one. Oscar-winning actress and international star Helen Mirren is an unlikely choice, but once Susan starts seeing life through Helen’s eyes, there’s no going back to sitting on Baskets Only.

To Have and to Honk, 15th April, 11:00 and 14:00
With their special blend of amiable chaos and hilarious physical theatre, The Honk Project will have you laughing until you cry, even as you thrill to the musical delights on offer. Come along for an hour, laugh and listen, and enjoy a unique and honkingly good show. Ages 3+.

How the Koala Learnt to Hug, 17th April, 11:00 and 14:00
A charming tale about the magic of family and, of course, the importance of a nice warm hug. Join a host of wild characters for some great stories, sing along songs, superb games and first class hugging. Ages 4+.

Bob, the Man on the Moon!, 24th April, 11:00 and 14:00
Every morning, Bob rises at six, has his breakfast and boards his rocket for the daily commute. He vacuums space junk out of craters and enjoys a picnic lunch with Billy the Man on Mars and Sam the Man on Saturn. He knows almost everything about the moon, but he’s blissfully unaware of one thing; aliens! Ages 3+.

Propaganda, 24th April, 19:30
Shakespeare a traitor? Very nearly! Will and friends recall their reluctant role in paving the way for the Earl of Essex’s 1601 rebellion against Elizabeth I. A brand new play being previewed at the Burton Taylor Studio to coincide with the launch of Shakespeare United 2012.

The Bug and the Butterfly, 25th April, 11:00 and 14:00
Go outside. Look under a leaf. Turn over a log. Part the grass and look very carefully. What do you see? In a world where a dew drop is the size of a swimming pool, and a lower is as tall as a skyscraper, an insect falls in love with a beautiful butterfly. Ages 5+.

For more details

see the Burton Taylor web site: www.burtontaylor.co.uk.