The Playhouse is pleased to share its varied and exciting summer season of events for its Main Stage and Burton Taylor Studio, as well as a creative programme of Take Part opportunities for all ages and abilities.

As part of the Oxford Playhouse summer season, the theatre is delighted to launch its first queer new writing festival, in partnership with Pegasus Theatre. Staged in the Burton Taylor Studio, Queer Fest platforms original work from a selection of LGBTQIA+ artists, offering them a new Oxford-based community and resources to create queer theatre. Queer Fest is devised by Oxford Playhouse Resident Producer Leah O’Grady and Resident Director Lauren Carter.

Now in its eighth year, Offbeat Festival is back this September with an exciting programme full of emerging local talent. A partnership between theOld Fire Station, Oxford Playhouse and New Theatre Oxford, this is Oxford’s very own fringe festival. The festival’s full line-up will be announced this summer.

One of the major highlights of the Oxford Playhouse summer season is William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, a Playhouse co-production with Oxford University students, directed by world-renowned director and Shakespearian Sir Gregory Doran. Greg, former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is the current Cameron Mackintosh Visiting Professor of Contemporary Theatre at the University of Oxford. He is the first Visiting Professor to direct a student production as part of his tenure, choosing one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, The Two Gentlemen of Verona. This is the only title in the First Folio that Greg is yet to direct, with this production marking his completion of Shakespeare’s canon of dramatic work.

Celebrating seventy years of performing at The Playhouse, Oxford Theatre Guild returns with their first ever staging of Oscar Wilde’s iconic play, The Importance of Being Earnest. With OTG the longest-standing group to perform on The Playhouse stage, the theatre is delighted to be a part of such a special production.

Making a splash in Oxford this summer, Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black) and River Medway (RuPaul’s Drag Race UK) star in Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch. The tell-all musical parody, from the perspective of Ursula, features all new songs and filthy humour (strictly for those 16 and over).

Floella Benjamin’s award-winning and iconic book Coming to England bursts to life on stage with music, storytelling and humour. This new musical tells the story of a young Floella, born in Trinidad in 1949, before coming to England with her family in 1960 as a Windrush child, facing racism and intolerance in London. Overcoming so much adversity, Coming to England depicts how a young Floella grew to become Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham.

A new production of Richard B Sheridan’s comedy of manners The School for Scandal heads to Oxford on a major UK tour, featuring The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Joseph Marcell as Sir Peter Teazle. Expect an a lightning-paced evening of romance, revenge and rollicking fun that promises to leave audiences entertained, enamoured – and perhaps even a little scandalised.

Direct from an acclaimed Broadway season, the stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel The Kite Runner comes to The Playhouse. The theatrical tour de force tells the incredibly powerful story of friendship which spans cultures and continents.

After nine years on the West End, Patrick Barlow’s hilarious adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller The 39 Steps tours to Oxford. Loosely based on the novel by Scottish writer and politician John Buchan, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning production stars The Crown's Tom Byrne as Richard Hannay. This fast-paced production of The 39 Steps features the four fearless actors playing 139 roles in 100 minutes.

From Simple8, Jesse Jones directs a swashbuckling adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic adventure Moby Dick, with sea shanties and an assortment of musical instruments played live on stage. In association with Royal & Derngate, Northampton, this fun, fast and joyous production tours to Oxford, transporting audiences right to the heart of the hunt for the most famous whale on earth.

From the award-winning company 1927 comes a brand-new production, Please right back¸ co-produced by Burgtheater Vienna. Experimenting with what happens when performance, live music and animation come together, their new show is part social realism, part science fiction with a healthy dose of mischief and a dash of dystopia.

In association with Oxford Festival of the Arts, The Playhouse is excited to present Chotto Desh, a heart-warming story brought to life by the Olivier Award-winning Akram Khan Company. Adapted by Theatre-Rites’ director, Sue Buckmaster, in 2015 from Akram Khan’s Olivier Award-winning solo and critically acclaimed DESH, this heart-warming story follows a young man trying to find his place in the world. Chotto Desh is an enchanting and poignant dance-theatre experience for all the family to enjoy together.

Dance this season also includes Ballet Central, whobring a mixed bill to the stage with performances from the dance talents of the world-renowned Central School of Ballet.

The very best of Oxford’s community theatre comes in the form of performances from Magdalen College School and the celebrated Oxford Operatic Society.

Presented by MCS Drama, their talented students return with a new telling of the Homeric epics with a powerful rock-inspired musical store, including original songs and electrifying choreography. The production is created by the Resident Team of Oxford Playhouse, and written by Oxford-based Alex Thomas, Director of Drama at MCS.

After sell-out success with their last production, Evita, at The Playhouse, OXOPS returns with the musical theatre classic Funny Girl, following the life of Fanny Brice. With music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, the much-loved Oxfordshire theatre company prepares to entertain audiences with such iconic songs as People, Don’t Rain on My Parade and I’mThe Greatest Star.

This season’s programme also includes an exciting array of music from some of the best jazz and folk artists, as well as a night of reggae from the returning Rush Theatre Company.

Achieving an unprecedented cross-over appeal, Kate Rusby brings her acclaimed folk sound to the Main Stage in her new show: Singy Songy Session. Exquisite musicianship and folk delights continue with a prose and music collaboration in Saltlines, who bring some of the most celebrated names on the British folk scene to The Playhouse. From the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall, prepare for a special evening of jigs and percussive clog dancing as Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening take to the Main Stage. And for jazz fans, Jacqui Dankworth brings an intimate concert to audiences, with a sparkling collection of songs drawn from her highly praised studio albums, and her much-anticipated new album Windmills, alongside tracks that have inspired her incredible career.

After last year’s sell-out success of A Joyous Jamaican Journey, Rush Theatre Company returns to Oxford with their outstanding production of The King Reggae: The Man – The Music. Featuring over twenty of Bob Marley’s iconic hits (including One Love, No Woman No Cry and Is This Love), performed live on stage by The King of Reggae Band.

Paying glorious homage to the music of one of the most influential voices in British music, Sarah-Louise Young (Fascinating Aïda, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical) brings her critically acclaimed show An Evening Without Kate Bushto The Playhouse. Featuring some of Bush’s classic hits like Running Up That Hill, Cloudbusting and The Man With The Child In His Eyes.

Other one-night-only entertainment includes the return of Danny Robins in Uncanny: I Know What I Saw. Following its record-breaking sell-out success last year, this stage show is unlike anything else, featuring chilling, real-life contemporary stories of supernatural encounters experienced by ordinary people in ordinary places.

Improvisation meets musical comedy this summer in the Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. Created on the spot through audience suggestions, each show is packed with drama, dazzling dance routines and catchy melodies.

This summer, comedy at Oxford Playhouse kicks off with Griff Rhys Jones’ eclectic ramblings in his brand-new stand-up show, The Cat’s Pyjamas. He’s followed by The Scummy Mummies, celebrating ten years of scumminess with all their greatest hits – a show full of their much-loved songs, sketches, and stand-up. Rich Hall takes to the stage in Shot From Cannons, an evening of hilarious rants, knife-edge observations and thrilling musical interludes. Detailing his surprising career shift from street cop to BBC radio star during his 40s, Alfie Moore also brings his new show A Face For Radio to the Main Stage.

Nish Kumar – one of The Guardian and The Telegraph’s 50 Best Comedians of the 21st Century – is back on tour with his brand new politically-charged stand-up show,Nish, Don’t Kill My Vibe. As seen on The Mash Report, Taskmaster and Live at the Apollo.

Hugh Dennis and Steve Punt are back on tour for the first time in ten years, older but not really much wiser, they present their new show We Are Not a Robot. Still as unapologetically irreverent as ever, they showcase a medley of classic sketches, improvisation, and new material.

Comedy highlights also include the fast-paced gem Buffy Revamped. In just seventy minutes, comedian Brendan Murphy brings the entire 144 episodes of the hit 90s TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to the stage. Told from the perspective of Spike, this hilarious pop-culture parody goes on the road following its award-winning Edinburgh Fringe premiere and sold-out national tours.

Starring Kacey Ainsworth, Jo Brand and Stephan Mangan, BBC Two’s flagship book show Between The Covers takes to the stage. The book club will be joined by the bestselling author of Star of the Sea, Joseph O’Connor, who will tell all about his books and writing habits.

A ‘Legendary Comedy’ heads to Oxford in the form of King Arthur, presented by La Navet Bete. The award-winning physical theatre company, made up of Nick Bunt, Al Dunn and Matt Freeman, retell Arthurian legends which will have audiences of all ages crying with laughter.

For younger audiences, our family programme is made up of wonderful delights featuring characters from the likes of Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler, and Judith Kerr.

Brightening up the May Half Term is Little Angel Theatre’s acclaimed new musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s well-loved tale Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book. Also from the esteemed picture book duo, Freckle Productions brings the bestselling sequel, Zog and the Flying Doctors back to The Playhouse stage. The castincludes Oxford-born actor Edward Conroy in its roar-some cast, who plays Gadabout and Doctor.

Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award-nominated show The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns this summer. Everybody’s favourite tea-guzzling big cat makes a surprise visit to Sophie and her mum in this delightful musical play adapted from Judith Kerr's much loved book.

A big show for small people, Stuff and Nonsense presents their adaptation of Pinocchio, directed by Niki McCretton, with music by Dom Coyote and additional music by Tim Dalling. E

The Playhouse also has a wide range of workshops and activities for audiences to join in with through its own Take Part programme.

Continuing to make Monday mornings musical, Hey Diddle Diddle sessions continue for ages 5 and under and their adults.

Ahead of The Playhouse pantomime Sleeping Beauty this year, the theatre invites Oxfordshire-based young people to audition to perform alongside its professional adult company. Other activities for young people include the Playhouse Youth Theatre (ages 12 to 16) and Playhouse Young Company (ages 17 to 25) with both cohorts preparing to perform in a public performance in the BT Studio at the end of term.

For adults, the Playhouse Adult Company returns for those over 26, facilitated by Oxford People’s Theatre co-founder Emma Webb. Monthly Social Thursday events also continue for those over 50 – a short session for people later-in-life to experiment with creative activities and build new friendships. Previous sessions have included playwriting, dance, costume and lighting design.

This season, The Playhouse hosts a special CPD workshop for teachers and facilitators, exploring the methods used by theatre industry experts, including vocal warm-ups, projection skills and character voice. Delivered by Voice Practitioner Bernadette O’Brien.

Round the corner from the Main Stage, the Burton Taylor Studio provides a stellar programme of new writing and fringe work.

Olivier Nominee Gerard Logan returns to Oxford with two new solo performances to delight audiences: Wilde Without the Boy, a dramatisation of De Profundis, and Night Terrors, a spellbinding evening of three tales of the supernational from E.F. Benson’s brilliant collection of ghost stories.

Also returning is Shôn Dale-Jones, the multi-award-winning writer and performer behind Hugh Hughes with award-winning show The Duke.