Oxford Playhouse announces a season of brilliant work that will take to the stage this summer.

Season highlights include:

• Major new stage adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women tours to Oxford, starring Belinda Lang and Honeysuckle Weeks.
• The internationally acclaimed physical theatre show, The Vanishing Elephant.
• The return of Oxford’s festival of queer new writing, Queer Fest. Back at the Burton Taylor Studio for a second year.
• Two Playhouse family open days featuring free performances of The History of (Almost) Everything.
• World class dance from Aakash Odedra Company in Songs of the Bulbul, as part of the Oxford Festival of the Arts.
• A summer of family entertainment, including Olivier Award-winning Dinosaur World Live, The Koala Who Could, and The Gingerbread Man.

Inspired by Louisa May Alcott’s own experiences of growing up in New England, Little Women has become a timeless classic. It now takes on new life in Anne-Marie Casey’s adaptation, following the journey of the March sisters. The landmark production will star Belinda Lang, Honeysuckle Weeks, Jack Ashton and Grace Molony.

Fresh from a run at London’s Southbank comes an uplifting journey of friendship and epic adventure, spanning decades and continents. The Vanishing Elephant follows a young boy from Bengal as he tries to reunite himself with his friend Janu, a majestic Asian elephant. This moving tale of friendship, belonging, and a remarkable journey from Bengal to Broadway was named a Critic’s Pick by The New York Times.

Other rich drama this summer includes the Netflix smash hit Kim’s Convenience, Moira Buffini’s fiercely funny comedy Handbagged, and Out of Chaos’ high-octane Macbeth, directed by Mike Tweddle.

After a successful premiere last year, The Playhouse will play host to a selection of emerging queer artists who will take the stage in the Burton Taylor Studio as part of Queer Fest 2025. Partnering with Pegasus Theatre, the Oxford venues will support and nurture new artists who showcase intimate, powerful, and thought-provoking performances that reflect the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ experiences.

The Playhouse will open its doors this summer for two days of family fun, as they bring its touring tent show, The History of (Almost) Everything, home for six free performances. Families can also enjoy free activities and taster sessions during the weekend.

Family entertainment continues on the Main Stage with the celebrated Dinosaur World Live; an adaptation of the bestselling picture book The Koala Who Could, and Stuff & Nonsense’s production of The Gingerbread Man.

Olivier Award-winner Guy Masterson brings his globally acclaimed solo performance of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood back to The Playhouse. He vividly conjures all 69 characters, capturing the pathos of a day in the fictional Welsh town of Llareggub. Inspired by his uncle, Richard Burton, Masterson has performed this award-winning production over 2,000 times worldwide since 1993. With Burton’s own rich legacy with the Oxford theatre, The Playhouse is delighted to welcome Masterson back.

The Playhouse’s summer programme of dance includes captivating juggling and illusion from Gandini Juggling in Heka; a new dance work Songs of the Bulbul from Aakash Odedra Company, in association with the Oxford Festival of the Arts, and an astonishing acrobatic comedy, Six°, by FLIP Fabrique, a renowned Québec-based circus company.

Comedy acts and one-nighters include Jay Rayner, Mark Steel, Kerry Godliman, Sara Pascoe, and A Night of Laughs with Adam Kay, Lucy Porter, Arthur Smith and friends in aid of Oxfordshire charity, Lawrence Nurses. For one night, Herija will fill The Playhouse with the sounds of Joni Mitchell, honouring her groundbreaking work of the late 70s.

The multi-award-winning physical comedy company Le Navet Bete also returns, with Robert Louis Stevenson’s legendary tale Treasure Island – a swashbuckling, smash hit for all the family.

Community and student work returns to the Main Stage this summer. Oxford Operatic Society will present Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar; Magdalen College School brings Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers to life, featuring original songs; while University of Oxford student company Full Moon Theatre stage the acclaimed rural tragedy Blood Wedding, with an electrifying new translation and original score. For the very first time, the Playhouse Adult Company will bring their work to the Main Stage, presenting Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, directed by Emma Webb.