Arts & Culture
Critically acclaimed and hilarious production about the elderly joins Oxford's Offbeat Festival

As part of Oxford’s Offbeat Festival, a new comical play is arriving at Arts at the Old Fire Station to turn heads on stereotypes and society’s secrets.

Directed by Kevin Tomlinson, Beneath the Blue Rinse is a brilliant new comedy by Tom Glover which exposes how our society views and treats the elderly, exploding stereotypes and questioning our so-called ‘care system’, at Oxford’s Arts at the Old Fire Station June 29 to July 7.

 The play centres around the charismatic, passionate, 75 year old Flora (Colette Kelly), her gentle, yet determined 72 year old toyboy George (Chris Bearne), and an unscrupulous salesman, Simon Sudgebury (Kevin Tomlinson). Hidden agendas, lies and secrets slowly unravel during this hilarious comedy. 

Colette Kelly is a much loved Irish comedic actress and singer. Among her extensive stage credits are Ballroom,The Sister Wendy Musical, Guys & Dolls, Happy Days, Beauty Queen of Lenane, Rockaby and Endgame. 

Award winning Chris Bearne is a superb stage and film actor with numerous credits, most recently The Soldier with No Name, When Swallows Fly Low, and Major Barbara. 

Kevin Tomlinson is a highly experienced comic actor, who has performed at many of the UK’s leading repertory theatres (York Theatre Royal, Bath Theatre Royal, Scarborough Stephen Joseph) and alongside the cast of ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ at the Hackney Empire. His improvised comedy shows have toured to 14 countries on 4 continents. 

Beneath the Blue Rinse’ is produced by Oxford based Living the Drama, in partnership with Kepow! Theatre. Living the Drama, is one of the few professional theatre companies in the UK, to produce and write plays which celebrate older people, tackling issues arising from our rapidly ageing society. KEPOW! Theatre is well known for its hilarious comedy (Seven Ages, On the Edge and Crazy Little Thing Called Love!) receiving 5 star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival, before going on to tour all over the UK and abroad.

For further information, and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • Critically acclaimed and hilarious production about the elderly joins Oxford's Offbeat Festival
  • Critically acclaimed and hilarious production about the elderly joins Oxford's Offbeat Festival