By Ben Morris
Full to bursting with great new writing and an extensive family friendly programme, the BT Studio also sees the continuation of VOTE100. the Oxford Playhouse’s year-long festival of events celebrating women’s stories.
Kicking off the season is the European premiere of On the Exhale by Martín Zimmerman, which opens at the BT on Tuesday 28 August following a run over the summer at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This intimate and charged one woman performance explores the heart wrenching aftermath of a parent losing a child, and the intoxicating power of gun ownership. The following week, expect live music, comedy and drag when Oxford based Marvellous Machine returns to the BT from Tuesday 4 to Saturday 8 September with their adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s high spirited romp, Orlando. Plus ThisEgg’s touching and laugh out loud show, Unconditional, which celebrates equality between a real life mother and daughter, comes to the BT from Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 September. This follows its success at Offbeat 2017 as a work in progress performance.
There are also some cracking family events in the diary. Oxford Playhouse and Polka Theatre’s own production of How to Hide a Lion, returns to the BT on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 September. This production sees Helen Stephens’ magical book come to life with playful humour, dazzling puppetry and original songs. There’s some free fun too! You can join in with Fun Palaces 2018 on Saturday 6 October. A nationwide family festival of arts and science, the BT will be jam packed full of hands-on workshops, activities and performances
This year’s BT Christmas show is Oxford Playhouse and Reading Rep’s production of Alby the Penguin Save Christmas, running from Thursday 6 December 2018 to Saturday 5 January 2019. An enchanting story full of music, puppetry and a very special penguin, it’s the perfect festive treat for children aged three to six and their families, and a great introduction to theatre.
For further information or to book tickets for any show taking place in the Burton Taylor Studio, call the Oxford Playhouse Ticket Office on 01865 305305 or book online at www.oxfordplayhouse.com