Review search
54 results found.
Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2013
Having been a Shakespeare obsessive for some years now, I will admit to being fascinated by the man, his works and the industry that has grown up surrounding them. So hearing two ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 20 March, 2013
Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2013
As someone who loves both music and food, I thought this had the potential to be a really fascinating and engaging hour. I am sorry to say that it only partly lived ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 20 March, 2013
Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival 2012
Food writing in Britain in the Twentieth Century was dominated by the great Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson and Claudia Roden. It is wonderful that Claudia is still with us and still delighting ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 26 March, 2012
Mark Padmore & Paul Lewis
I felt slightly guilty at not having enjoyed this concert as much as the majority of my fellow audience members in the Sheldonian. There is no doubting that we had witnessed a ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 30 May, 2011
Frisky and Mannish
Frisky and Mannish met whilst students at Oxford and surprisingly this was the first time their full act has been seen in the city. Last year, they stole the show at the ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 16 May, 2011
The Chequers (central Oxford)
The Chequers has relaunched. Amazingly, last night was the first time in all my years in Oxford that I have been into this particular hostelry. Part of the Nicholson chain, the pub has the same ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 14 April, 2011
Early Music by Candlelight Summer Festival 2008
I don’t think that I have ever reviewed a concert of instrumental music before – so please excuse any ignorance of etiquette or precise language on my behalf. This concert (for harpsichord ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 21 July, 2008
Kit And The Widow
Until last night, I am sad to say that I was a Kit and the Widow virgin. In the theatrical sense, of course. I have followed them on radio and television for ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 14 July, 2008
Saints And Sinners
Creation are to be applauded for trying to break out of their traditional model of outdoor performances with this newly devised one man show in the evocative setting of St Michael’s. Trying ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 9 July, 2008
Hello, Dolly!
This lavish touring production has high aspirations: the sets are well constructed and the changes are well managed, the costumes are well designed and add much to the interest on the stage. ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 29 May, 2008
Italian Girl In Algiers
Rossini has long been one of my favourite composers and it is always good to see local amateur companies taking on the challenge of his technically demanding music. OTO should be congratulated ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 26 May, 2008
Heartbreak House
I am at a loss to know what to say about this production. It is a play that very rarely makes it to the stage – and on the evidence of what ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 21 May, 2008
Assassins
Assassins is curious work. Drawing heavily from the American Vaudeville traditions, it focuses on the topic the role of the assassin in US political history – from John Wilkes Booth to Lee ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 14 May, 2008
The Audacity of Ideas
The Audacity of Ideas is a new play set in Versailles as the reign of Louis XVI is drawing to an inevitable close – it features a veritable cornucopia of aristocratic archetypes, ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 7 May, 2008
Honk! The Musical
I am slightly amazed that I have not seen Honk! before. It is an award-winning comedy musical that has been performed locally on a number of previous occasions. It is a charming, ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 2 April, 2008
Les Misérables
I have to admit to having been in love with Les Misérables for over 20 years. I had the cassette when it first came out, I bought the CD of the London ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 28 March, 2008
Live Opera / Ballet at the Phoenix
Since the autumn of 2006, the Met (as it is affectionately known) has been beaming High Definition broadcasts of live performances to cinemas round the world. This, in many ways, is the ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 12 February, 2008
Edward II
As I left the theatre this evening, I caught a comment from one of my fellow audience members who said, ‘That was the worst thing I have ever seen.’ Whilst I wouldn’t ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 23 January, 2008
Sweeney Todd [18]
This film is one that has been eagerly awaited by the legions of fans of Mr Depp and Mr Burton and also by fans of musicals and Stephen Sondheim in particular. I ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 21 January, 2008
A Big Merry Happy Christmas
I have been meaning to catch a BMH Production since they first launched themselves, but circumstances conspired against it - until last night. They are a young company, clearly with some very ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 17 December, 2007
The Dresser by Ronald Harwood
The Dresser has certainly been a popular play for amateur groups in Oxfordshire this year - this production is the third to hit the stage in 2007. It is easy to see ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 5 December, 2007
Purcell on Stage: Oxford Girls’ Choir
I knew very little about the plan for the evening – other than it contained a fully staged performance of one of my favourite pieces of early opera – Purcell’s sublime Dido ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 26 November, 2007
Mojo
First and foremost, this is a cracking piece of writing: the script by Jez Butterworth fizzes with life, energy, rhythm, menace and many other things. It is amazing that no-one has staged ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 14 November, 2007
The Shops
In all honesty, I cannot say that I found this worthy of recommendation. In fact, I cannot say that it was anything other than an exercise in pretension on the part of ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 18 October, 2007
Forgotten Voices
Forgotten Voices of The Great War by Max Arthur is an important book. Drawn from the recollections of people who lived through the momentous events at the start of the 20th century, ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 5 September, 2007
Romeo and Juliet
I have only attended The Globe Theatre on one occasion and I was thrilled when I heard that they were bringing a touring production to Oxford. Amazingly I have never seen Romeo ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 13 August, 2007
A Midsummer Night's Dream
This is the third production of the Dream to open in Oxford this summer. We have one more to go with a future visit in October. It is just one of those ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 26 July, 2007
The Rivals
This is the first time in over 50 years that Oxford Theatre Guild has not presented a Shakespeare play for their summer season. There is no denying that The Rivals is a ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 18 July, 2007
A Midsummer Night's Dream
This is the second production of ‘The Dream’ in Oxford so far this year. There are 2 more to open this summer and another to follow in the autumn. A veritable feast ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 12 July, 2007
American Dreams
This was very much an evening of two halves – one noticeably more successful than the other.
Oxford Opera Studio is a group new to me – I can find no record of ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 5 July, 2007
Elgar And Alice
The 150th anniversary of the birth of Edward Elgar is certainly a milestone worth celebrating. His works have established themselves as part of the national consciousness. His life, as far as I ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 21 June, 2007
The Cocktail Party
BT student productions - by their very nature - are never going to get every little period detail spot on. The budgetary considerations don't allow for it.However that is not the point. ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 30 May, 2007
Being Ordinary by Francie Jones
Original musicals are rarely performed in Oxford. When someone has the courage to mount a new work, they must surely be encouraged. However new doesn’t always mean good – promise is probably ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 23 May, 2007
Abigail's Party
Beverly is one of the most extraordinary creations ever to have graced stage and screen. Alison Steadman and Mike Leigh’s collaborative skills gave birth to a veritable gorgon in a kaftan. The ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 17 May, 2007
Guys And Dolls
I am not ashamed to say it: Guys and Dolls is one of my favourite musicals. I love the score, the characters, the whole thing. I must admit to feeling a certain amount of trepidation as ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 17 May, 2007
The Curious Case of Sophia Wyatt
I suspect that Tom Campion is going to develop into a very impressive playwright - one almost certain to feature on stages round the UK and possibly the world. This, the ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 23 November, 2006
The Memory of Water
This play, winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2000, is an ideal choice for a group such as the Oxford Theatre Guild. It features four good roles ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 8 November, 2006
The Threepenny Opera
Brecht and Weill created a masterpiece in 1928 with Die Dreigroschenoper - a piece full of wit, anger and innovation. Taking The Beggar's Opera as a starting point, it marked the ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 26 October, 2006
Educating Rita
Probably more famous for the film version with Michael Caine and Julie Walters, Educating Rita is now a classic piece of comic writing. Faced with such illustrious and talented predecessors, it ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 18 October, 2006
Charley's Aunt
I can't easily find the words to express my disappointment at this production. One of my favourite plays has been ruined by a director who just doesn't understand the genre. ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 18 August, 2006
The Taming of The Shrew
To be honest, I don’t think I can describe this as anything other than a perfect piece of summer Shakespeare. Filled with wit, energy and panache, it is a delight from ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 5 July, 2006
Tartuffe
This was my first encounter with Tartuffe and hopefully not my last. It was one of the most joyous evenings I have spent in the theatre in recent months. You ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 24 May, 2006
Othello
When I first heard about this production, I was taken aback to discover that it was to be played by an all-white cast. I was pretty certain that no attempt at ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 17 May, 2006
Aeschylus' Agememnon
As a reviewer, it is important to approach each assignment with an open mind and a desire to be fair to all involved. It is equally important that you take time ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 10 May, 2006
Three Tall Women
Albee is probably best known for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? but if there is any justice, this play will be regarded as a minor masterpiece by literary posterity. It is ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 3 May, 2006
The Birds
Metta Theatre are to be congratulated for their innovation and courage in mounting this witty and challenging piece of music theatre. They have staged an entertaining performance that deserves a large ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 21 April, 2006
Titus Andronicus
I was excited when I spotted that the BT was playing host to a touring production of Shakespeare’s first big hit. Titus is a gory play – full of death, dismemberment ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 12 April, 2006
Making History
The figure of David Maxwell Fyfe has faded from public consciousness – his role in the Nuremberg Trials once kept him on the front pages. This play evokes the relationship between ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 5 April, 2006
English Lessons and A Game of Chess
This is the first time I have encountered this particular performance group and hopefully not the last. I think it is highly commendable that the OFS Studio is mounting performances by ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 24 March, 2006
Rocky Horror Show
It is hard to find a more perfect piece of theatrical entertainment than the Rocky Horror Show. For 33 years (yes, it really is that long) this clever pastiche of '50s ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 21 March, 2006
The Crucible
Firstly, if you do decide to go and see this production (and you should) – wrap up warm! Corpus Chapel appears not to be heated. However, this should not ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 3 March, 2006
Oxford Lieder Festival 2005
This was a truly exceptional evening – a combination of exquisite piano playing and some of the best singing that modern audiences can encounter. The reaction that both performers received at the ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 27 October, 2005
Oxford Lieder Festival 2005
21st October - Jonathan Lemalu (bass/baritone) and Sholto Kynoch (piano)
Songs by Schumann, Fauré, Brahms and Bolcom, Holywell Music Room
It is often hard to make Lieder come alive for an audience. The ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 24 October, 2005
Love, Actually [15]
For an unromantic cynic like me to have enjoyed a film such as this is a bit of a shock. But I was laughing (and even shedding the occasional tear) at the ...
Simon Tavener (DI Reviewer) - 17 November, 2003
