Daily Info's recommended events for the week ahead, Thursday 12th February - Wednesday 18th February
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There's a theme this month, but we've kept it very subtle. We have musicals and romance, dancing and romance, stormy Yorkshire romance, loving family fun, and local government divorce plans. Enjoy!
We’ve lots to see in the coming days (plus one show that Steps neatly into next week). Sherlock Holmes graces the Cornerstone this very night, locked in a mortal if metaphysical battle with his creator. Conan Doyle has come to hate Holmes so much he invents Moriarty to do away with him, but he’s reckoned without a character so big he has a life of his own. Conan Doyle’s belief in life after death isn’t going to help either…
Two student shows (among many this week!) are in our sights. La Voix Humaine (Cocteau in translation) fixes on a woman’s agonising phone call as she learns her lover is marrying someone else the next day. We’ve said it before: the BT can be wonderfully claustrophobic, intensifying emotional exchanges. Meanwhile Tick… Tick… BOOM! leads us musically through a crisis in the life of its author Jonathan Larson, trying to write the next big musical, negotiating his girlfriend’s wish to leave NYC, while around them friends are suffering in the AIDS epidemic. Is it time to give up on pursuing his dream?
Next week, another musical, perhaps less philosophical and definitely no Tragedy: Here and Now sets a tale of love, friendship, disappointment and betrayal to the music of Steps. Jukebox musicals are all the rage and this one is fabulous, it’s glittery, it’ll have your feet tapping, and it'll brighten your February!
Sherlock Holmes: The Death and Life: Cornerstone Arts Centre (Didcot), Thu 12th Feb, 7.30pm. £16, £14.40 Concessions & Under 16s
La Voix Humaine: Burton Taylor Studio, until Sat 14th Feb, 7.30pm. Tickets: £8 / £6 concessions.
Tick... Tick... BOOM!: Michael Pilch Studio (Jowett Walk), until Sat 14th Feb, 7:30pm + Sat matinee 3pm. Tickets: £9.50 / £7.50 (conc).
Here and Now: The Steps Musical: New Theatre, Tue 17th - Sun 22nd Feb. Mon - Sat 7.30pm, plus 2.30pm matinee Wed and Sat; Sun 3pm only. Tickets from £25.
The shops are crimson with hearts, chocs and roses which can only mean one thing - Valentine’s Day is nearly here! In case you still haven’t made plans for the 14th, we’ve gathered some highlights from our Valentine’s blog to inspire you.
First off, for something a little saucy, head to the Old Fire Station for the Valentine's edition of Be My Cabaret. Gathering some of Oxford's very best drag, burlesque, music and comedy talent, you're sure to fall for with Nathan Grassi and Justine Malone's anarchic variety show, this instalment's theme being - of course - love.
Next, a night of steamy salsa is sure to fire things up at Salsa Fuego; start your evening off with a salsa tutorial from resident teachers Lisa and Mark (all abilities welcome!), before strutting your stuff to your heart’s content, as the dancefloor stays open until 1am. The dress code calls for you to wear something red, so if you’ve needed an excuse to get something bright out of your closet, the time is now!
Of course, you might prefer to gaze into each other’s eyes over a delicious dinner, in which case you’ll be spoilt for choice. You’ll find some delicious sharing menus to mark the occasion across Oxford’s restaurants - we’re particularly keen on the Valentine’s Feasting Menu from Indian street food haven Mowgli , the sophisticated gastro-pub offerings at the Prince of Wales’ one-night Valentine’s Dinner , and the refined and inventive flavour combinations found in the Folly’s Valentine’s menu (citrus-cured bass, anyone?).
And for those suffering from Valentine’s fatigue, we’ve got you too. If lurve is the furthest thing from your mind, you’ll be in great company at the UPP for this year’s Anti-Valentine’s screening of Misery . Two people, alone in a secluded cabin on the outskirts of town - what could be more romantic than that, eh?
Be My Cabaret: Old Fire Station, Sat 14th Feb, 7:30pm/Sun 15th Feb, 5:30pm. Tickets £10-20.
Salsa Fuego: City of Oxford Rowing Club, Sat 14th Feb, 9.15pm (beginners’ class 8.45pm). Tickets £12 advance.
Anti-Valentine’s Day Classic - Misery: Ultimate Picture Palace, Sat 14th Feb, 8.00pm.
Our big screen picks start with something a bit controversial, as Emerald Fennell’s "Wuthering Heights" debuts in cinemas this week. Carrying Fennell’s trademark sumptuous visuals and confrontational eroticism between Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi as Cathy and Heathcliff, its interpretation of the original novel is, well, loose to say the least. It’s already polarised critics the world over, and while you may have to wait to hear our verdict, you’ll definitely come away with something to say.
Meanwhile legendary horror director Sam Raimi returns in gory glory with Send Help , a blood drenched black comedy in which an undervalued employee and her chauvinist boss become stranded on a desert island. Linda’s (Rachel McAdams) audition for Survivor may not have been useful in the boardroom, but out here, the tables begin to turn.
Queer romance and folk music combine in The History of Sound, a period drama starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. Brought together at the New England Conservatory of Music by their love of the genre, the film charts their journey across WWI America collecting folk songs on wax cylinders, and their attempts to stay connected as the world slowly draws them apart.
And Nouvelle Vague takes us behind the scenes of Jean-Luc Godard’s seminal classic, Breathless. Guillaume Marbeck captures Godard’s torrid personality and tumultous directorial style in a picture that presents a stylish and sincere love letter to the French New-Wave.
"Wuthering Heights": Oxford Cinema and Cafe, Phoenix Picturehouse, Curzon Oxford, Vue Cinema
Send Help: Curzon Oxford, Vue Cinema
The History of Sound: The Ultimate Picture Palace
Nouvelle Vague: Phoenix Picturehouse, The Ultimate Picture Palace
Next week is half term! Not just any half term, but the coldest wettest one of the year, though it does contain the spectacular multiple let’s-all-celebrate Tuesday 17th which is Pancake Day and Chinese / Lunar New Year, and the start of Ramadan, and National Random Acts of Kindness Day! We look forward to hearing how you celebrate them apples.
For ideas for some of the other days see our comprehensive blog, listing loads of things to do in Oxford city, and many more outside its walls, including free / low cost activities, and events happening around the county. And there are still some camps if you suddenly find you need childcare over the break.
If you want to explore the city, Solve the City have laid a trail around Oxford, hunting for Alice, who’s got lost (again!) and the character who knows where she has gone… It’s around 3.5km and best for teams of two to six people.
Farmers understand seasons, and the four sisters who run High Lodge Farm know what’s required for fun in Feb - a barn full of haybales. Get your outdoor rushing around fix while staying dry, in this all-natural version of softplay. There are special SEND sessions, and an area for under 5s.
For older bookworms, The Story Museum are celebrating seminal novel Noughts and Crosses which is 25 years old! Malorie Blackman herself will be there to talk about the novel, with Paterson Joseph, who starred in the BBC series, and Dr Darren Chetty whose PhD was on children and antiracism. This fascinating talk also marks the launch of a brand-new story space created in collaboration with young people and artists from the Black Excellence Project and Kuumba Nia Arts, so get a gallery ticket too and explore the Enchanted Libraries while you’re visiting.
Take heart; make art, in a workshop for families making drawings inspired by Piero di Cosimo’s 16th century painting 'The Forest Fire'. Eight family groups (one adult, up to two children age 8-11) will be provided with everything they need to make art based on this painting. This workshop links to The Drawing Project exhibition at the North Wall, where 16 artists collaboratively recreated sections of two paintings over a year. Their work is displayed reassembled into representations of the original works. (The exhibition is open until 7th March and entry is free.)
Solve the City: Oxford city centre, slots available between 10.15am and 3.15pm daily. Prices in the range £44 for 2 players - £75 for 6 players.
Bale Play in the Barn: High Lodge Farm (Culham, OX14 3DU), Sat 14th - Sun 22nd Feb, 9am - 4pm. Entry: £7 children over 1, £3 adults, carers free with ID. Currently sold out on weekdays but weekend tickets remain!
Exploring Noughts & Crosses: The Story Museum, Mon 16th Feb, 2.30pm. £10 per person. Suits ages 10+. Gallery tickets separate if you want to explore the rest of the museum.
The Drawing Project Family Workshop: Ashmolean Museum, Thu 19th Feb, 2pm. Price: £17 per family group (1 adult, up to 2 children age 8-11).
Consultations are now open for Oxford residents to have their say on the future of local governance in Oxfordshire. Plans are underway to restructure the current six council system operating in Oxfordshire in favour of unitary councils responsible for all services within their area.
Oxford County Council has put forward their plans for One Oxfordshire, a single unitary council comprising the Oxfordshire area, while Oxford City Council has proposed 3 unitary councils comprising Greater Oxfordshire, Northern Oxfordshire and Ridgeway. A proposition of two new councils (serving Oxford and Shires and Ridgeway) has also been favoured by Cherwell District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.
If you are a resident or business owner in Oxford, now’s your chance to fill out the statutory consultation and let your representatives know what you think the best vision for Oxfordshire local government would be. How would these changes affect you? Take a look at the arguments in support of each proposal and fill out the form here.
Image credits: ATG Entertainment, Botley and North Hinksey Parish Council
