Daily Info's recommended events for the week ahead, Thursday 26th June - Wednesday 2nd July
In your inbox every Thursday. Subscribe here.
July's on the horizon, bringing outdoor theatre, box office battles and more comedians than you can shake a stick at...
Since its gestation in 2018, the Oxford Comedy Festival has become the place to be in July for those seeking a hearty laugh or two. In this month-long comedy festival that spreads out across the city, each evening sees a pair of comics preview their latest show before it heads to the Edinburgh Fringe. And as always, the line-up is chock full of cracking comics (plus the podcast We Hate Movies, which brings six different shows for audiences to enjoy).
The festival opens with a fabulous double of Amy Annette and Matt Richardson, with other acts in the first week including the Jamie Mykaela & Friends Variety Hour, Heidi Regan, Ahir Shah and Pierre Novellie.
If you're stumped over what to book for, check out our guide to the best acts to get in the calendar, ranging from local up-and-comers to the kind of funny people you would have seen on TV. If you really want to get in on the comedy fun you can buy a pass for the whole festival.
Oxford Comedy Festival: venues across Oxford, Tue 1st to Thu 31st Jul, 7.30 to 10pm, £9 (per show), £16 (the comedic double), £200 (the whole festival)
The first of our theatre picks to grace the stage this week is a new retelling of Euripides’ immortal tragedy, Medea, at the Old Fire Station. Playwright Nick Thomas pairs the tragic tale of the exiled sorceress’ quest for revenge against her husband Jason’s infidelity, with what comes after, as Medea begins her second exile in Athens. Euripides’ sequel, Medos, has never previously been dramatised alongside Medea, making this adaptation the first of its kind.
Jumping forward a couple of millennia, Moving Parts Theatre Company brings the high society luxe, lies and loves of Vanity Fair to Worcester College Gardens. Follow lovesick Amelia and cunning Becky as their life among 19th century London’s upper crust is buffeted by gossip, scandal and all out war.
For something more contemporary, head to the Mill Arts for After All, a contemplative dance-theatre meditation on grief and the rituals we use to manage it. Performance artist Soléne Weimachter uses physical theatre, storytelling and a little gallows humour as she recreates the funerals of loved ones lost - including herself - to explore how we say goodbye.
And of course, the summer of Shakespeare continues at Magdalen College School with Oxford Festival of the Arts’ open air performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Transported to the Cool Britannia of the 1990s, audience favourite Sir John Falstaff returns for a battle of wits with well-to-do wives Mistresses Ford and Page - and it won’t be long before everyone else is caught up in their schemes.
The Myth of Medea: Medea and Medos: The Old Fire Station, Wed 25th - Sat 28th Jun, 7:30pm (2:30 matinee Sat). Tickets £10 - 20.
Vanity Fair: Worcester College Gardens, Sun 29th Jun, 2pm/6:30pm. Tickets from £21.84.
After All: The Mill Arts Centre, Mon 30th Jun, 7:30pm. Tickets £18.
The Merry Wives of Windsor: Magdalen College School Junior Grounds, Tues 1st - Thurs 3rd Jul, 7pm. Tickets £10.
Four great gigs caught our eye this week, bringing sweet sounds for metal, indie, electronica and classical music fans alike.
First up, cheeky homegrown duo No Worries If Not delight over at The Mad Hatter on Friday night, accompanied by two fellow electronica acts - the synthy RadioChuj and postpunk, immersive Means of Production.
On Saturday metalheads won’t want to miss the final showdown of Bloodstock: Metal 2 the Masses, which roars in Jericho Tavern that afternoon and runs into the evening as rock and metal bands battle it out for the crown.
Sunday brings another of Divine Schism’s popular Oh, Community! All dayers , with a huge selection of great local bands lighting up Tap Social Movement including Lucy Leave, Tugboat Captain, Soot Sprite, The Hobknobs, Caleb Nichols, The Caterpillar Spies - and many more. A great event to discover new artists or invigorate a hazy afternoon with some boogieing.
Finally, don’t miss the classical beauty of Bach’s Magnificat, performed on Tuesday evening at Oxford Town Hall. Part of the Oxford Festival of the Arts, the performance brings together multiple local groups, including Instruments of Time and Truth and Magdalen College Choir - for a transporting and timeless musical event.
No Worries if Not: The Mad Hatter, Fri 27th, 7pm. Tickets £4-£7 (adv)
Bloodstock - Metal 2 the Masses: Jericho Tavern, Sat 28th, 3.15pm. Tickets £15 (adv)
Oh, Community! All Dayer: Tap Social Movement, Sun 29th, 12.30-9pm. Tickets from £8.
Magnificat: Oxford Town Hall, Tue 1st Jul, 7pm. Tickets from £10.
Summer blockbuster season is in full swing, and this week two more films join the fight. In the red corner is Brad Pitt, who heads up the speedy F1. From the director of Top Gun: Maverick, Pitt plays a seasoned racer who returns to the sport in a film that promises spectacular action.
And in the blue corner is the return of M3GAN, with the rogue robot resurrected to face-off against an even more imposing AI. It looks gloriously silly and is sure to be hunting that same memeable quality the original had.
Of course, not every new release has to be a blockbuster. Some can come from an all-together different mould, like Lollipop, which shows at the UPP. This British drama follows a newly released mother who is fighting to regain custody of her children, and looks to be an affectingly told piece.
Also at the UPP is The Sea Inside, which plays as part of the cinema's Ethics in Film strand, with the Oscar-winning film followed by a discussion on the ethics of end-of-life care, which should feel particularly relevant given recent developments in Parliament.
And finally, you can mark the ending of Pride month with a showing of the iconic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. A brilliant first time watch for newcomers and a glorious cinematic return for those of us who have seen it before, as three drag performers journey across the Australian outback.
F1: Curzon Oxford, Phoenix Picturehouse, Vue
M3GAN 2.0: Vue
Lollipop: the Ultimate Picture Palace
The Sea Inside: the Ultimate Picture Palace
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Phoenix Picturehouse
Whether it’s poetry, pottery, painting or performance art - creatives of all stripes will benefit from the monthly Creative Thursdays run by Lynrace and ronapainting gallery. The popular monthly social is free and drop-in, and takes place in a different venue each time. July's session is next Thursday at Ovada Gallery, and artists of all levels are encouraged to drop in and make some new connections.
Creative Thursdays: OVADA Gallery, Thu 3rd Jul, 6-8pm.
Image credits: QED Comedy, Moving Parts Theatre Company, No Worries If Not, OVADA Gallery
