Oxford Playhouse programmes a large amount of received work across its 630 seat theatre, 50 seat Burton Taylor Studio and presents a series of offsite events as part of Playhouse Plays Out.

If you have a show or proposal you would like to speak to us about, you can find information here on our spaces, programmes, values and who to contact about programming an event.

Our Values

We make our programming decisions based on the following values;

Ambitious: We strive for bold programming, world-class productions and best practice in co-creation, access and inclusion.

Caring: We aim to be as sustainable, responsible and welcoming as possible. We nurture and support staff, artists, volunteers, visitors and participants.

Together: We work collaboratively, and we are committed to local and national partnerships. We celebrate the power in people coming together to share spaces and experiences.

Our Stages

We have detailed here more about our different programmes and stages:

Oxford Playhouse

Our beautiful proscenium arch theatre seats 630. We host a received or co-produced work all year round, apart from six weeks over Christmas where we produced Christmas pantomime.

Theatre productions makes up the majority of our programme in this space varies from new work, classic texts, contemporary adaptations to work that stretches and plays with form. We also programme, dance, circus, opera, family work, comedy and music.

Full Technical Specs

A wide shot of OP's auditorium. There are seats in red, orange, purple and yellow.

Burton Taylor Studio

Our black box studio space seats 50 people. We host received work in March-April and September-October. We produce and co-produce new work for families at Christmas. For the rest of the year, this space hosts student performances and rehearsals.

Full Technical Specs

Playhouse Plays Out

Our ‘Playhouse Plays Out’ programme receives and produces work in unique and accessible spaces around Oxfordshire. We look for work that plays with the spaces in new ways, including experiential or immersive theatre.

Annually, we also produce work for 5-11 to tour in our Playhouse Plays Out Tent, which tours for free to schools and communities. Find out more.

Actor singing towards the crown with her arms at her side. The backdrop is colourful illustrations of the beginning of the universe, historical depictions of great ships and ancient architecture including the pyramids.

Our Seasons

Our spaces are programmed on a rolling basis, and currently across 3 seasons:

Autumn: Sep to Jan

Spring: Feb to May

Summer: May to Sep

Contact

If you have a show that’s touring that you feel would suit our programme or would like any more information about our programming policy, we would love to hear from you! Please contact our Director of Programming and Creative Partnerships Katy Snelling on Katy.Snelling@oxfordplayhouse.com.

In the first instance, please send us as much information as possible about your show (please include. tour packs, technical riders, reviews and trailers where possible).

Our Decision Making Process

The programming team meets weekly to carefully consider all submissions, based on the criteria outlined in this policy.

We also consult with our Oxford Playhouse Board and wider team. We aim to get back to anyone who asks to be programmed within one month of enquiry.

Offbeat Festival

Offbeat is our festival for new work. This happens in September and is programmed by open call.

A woman dancing on stage

Are you an Artist?

We offer support and guidance through our Artist Development programmes.