Summer fun can be had this week - in the theatre, a festival field, the farm, and more. And the Editor's Picks has all the info to help you plan your week ahead!
A Big Theatrical Adventure
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Enjoying the summer holidays? Well, so are Rosie and Hugh the Hedgehog - so much so that they want their last day of summer to last forever, and they know just the witch to make it happen. Join Rosie, Hugh and a colourful cast of woodland critters for Rosie and Hugh’s Great Big Adventure, a treat for 5-8-year-olds and their grown-ups featuring a score from CBeebies’ very own Nick Cope - have a look at our blog for an interview with director Ria Parry on making the show and its upcoming run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
For the older set, the Old Fire Station presents a modern twist on Sophocles’ iconic anti-heroine, Elektra. All of Us, by Oxford playwright Rebecca Abrams, explores revenge, punishment and cycles of violence through the eyes of a family as one of their number is released from prison. There will be a filmed screening of the play, followed by a live Q and A with Abrams, producer/actor Miranda Warner, and guests. We sat down with Abrams to preview this screening recently on our blog.
And our summer of Shakespeare continues as the playwright’s immortal tragedy Hamlet comes to Oxford Castle and Prison. Transported to 1920s Denmark, Siege Theatre sees the trials and tribulations of the young Prince of Denmark set against the grim aftermath of World War One.
Rosie and Hugh’s Great Big Adventure: The North Wall, Wed 24th - Sat 27th Jul, 11pm, 2pm (4pm Wed). Tickets £14 adults, £12 children 2yrs+ (babes in arms free).
All of Us: The Old Fire Station, Sat 27th Jul, 7pm, £5-15.
Hamlet: Oxford Castle and Prison, Mon 29th Jul - Sat 3rd Aug & Mon 5th - Sat 10th Aug, 7:30pm. Tickets £19 (£17 concessions).
Let Summer Begin
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The summer holidays are here. And for parents that means six whole weeks to entertain their bambinos. Which is why these day activities may be just what they’re looking for. At Millets Farm Centre their Maize Maze is back, where you can find games, activities, ride-ons, go-karts and a trio of Olympic-themed mazes. And look out at the end of August for the opportunity to explore the mazes by torch.
Over at Fairytale Farm is the latest instalment of their Fairytale Festival, full of trails, wild walks and play areas as well s newly added dino fun, including a fossil hunt.
And the whole family will dig the Museum of Oxford’s Awesome Archaeology Family Day, where you can learn what an archaeologist gets up to. The museums team will lead you through activities, where you can handle real artefacts, have a go at their dig pits, and learn the skills needed to uncover our history.
Maize Maze: Millets Farm Centre (Abingdon), daily until Tue 3rd Sep, £5 to 10
Fairytale Festival: Fairytale Farm (Chipping Norton), daily until Mon 2nd Sep, £7.64 to 10.34
Awesome Archaeology Family Day: Museum of Oxford, Mon 29th Jul, 11am to 1pm, Free
Superpowered Cinema
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One of the big releases of the summer lands in cinemas this week. Deadpool & Wolverine sees the return of the two Marvel superheroes, as they set out to save the world. Expect big action set pieces, self-deprecating humour and an all-star cast led by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
And for genre fans, another gem is hitting cinemas. Jane Schoenbrun’s I Saw the TV Glow follows friends who bond over a cult TV show that leads them to question their own identity and reality. A Sundance Film Festival hit that marks Schoenbrun as a real cinematic talent.
Alternatively, you can get in on the Picturehouse’s big 80s season, running until the end of August. This week we get stone-cold classics in the form of Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Princess Bride and Robocop. Take a peek at what other delights you can watch over the next few weeks.
Deadpool & Wolverine: Curzon Oxford, Vue, Odeon George Street, The Abbey Cinema (Abingdon)
I Saw the TV Glow: Phoenix Picturehouse
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Phoenix Picturehouse
The Princess Bride: Phoenix Picturehouse
Robocop: Phoenix Picturehouse
Fun and Frolics at the Festival
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As we enter the height of festival season, there’s plenty of fun in the fields out there for campers and glampers alike. Wilderness Festival returns to Cornbury Park with music from the likes of Jessie Ware, Alison Goldfrapp and Michael Kiwanuka. Workshops, DJ sets, pampering, craft stalls - there’s so much on offer it would be impossible to list them all here, so head to Wilderness’s website for the full rundown.
Folksters will be dancing a merry jig as Fairport Cropredy Convention brings the best of folk and rock right to Banbury’s doorstep. Headlined by Fairport Convention’s own Richard Thompson and sporting cult acts like The Spooky Men’s Chorale (check out our review of them) and haunting folk duo Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, the weekend’s shaping up to be folking lovely.
And it’s a raver’s delight a little later into August as Stowaway Festival gets the ground at Stowe vibrating. From jungle to breakcore to hard house and more, the decks are stacked and the dance floor will be packed. But if you want to take it easy, don’t fret - it’s not all hardcore and partying until dawn (unless you want it to be). There are plenty of laidback well-being spaces and workshops, and even a Kid’s Kingdom, so ravers of all ages and tastes can go at their own pace.
You can find even more of our top festival picks on our blog. One last thing - not to sound like your mum, but if you’re going to any outdoor events in the sun, make sure you stay safe! Bring a hat, plenty of water and high-factor sun cream so you don’t feel the burn - with that out of the way, go forth and party on!
Wilderness Festival: Cornbury Park, Thurs 1st - Sun 4th Aug. Ticket prices vary.
Fairport Cropredy Convention: Cropredy, Thurs 8th - Sat 10th Aug. Ticket prices vary.
Stowaway Festival: Blackpit Farm (Stowe), Fri 16th - Sun 17th Aug. Ticket prices vary.
Dino-mite Time
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With the kids home from school this weekend, the Summer holidays stretch before us long - and likely carefully budgeted for. With that in mind, we’ve found three fun free events to make the next few days memorable without breaking the bank.
First up, go see a free performance of heartwarming family musical A Home for Harmony from Friday afternoon in Banbury. Running until Monday the piece revolves around the conflicts and friendship between Bouncer, a service dog, his human Sam, and Harmony, a stray cat that comes to live with them. The show is suitable for all ages and will be heading to Bicester, as well as libraries across Oxfordshire, in early August, in case you miss it this time round! Daily Info sat down to chat with the team about this new family musical, which you can read on our blog.
Meanwhile, Didcot Garden Party officially launches on Saturday, with family fun for a range of ages happening in their courtyard. Kids can catch swashbuckling adventure show The Crew, make a range of crafts to take home, plus more, and adults can kick back and enjoy live music with DJ Strange.
Finally, be sure to drop into the Natural History Museum on Monday afternoon, for Jurassic Packs, wherein kids (ages 7-11) can borrow a free backpack full of fossils and tools and explore the museum’s exhibits on prehistoric underwater reptiles.
A Home for Harmony: Castle Quay Shopping Centre, Banbury, Fri 26th - Mon 29th July, timings vary. Drop-in, free!
Didcot Garden Party Launch Day: Cornerstone Arts Centre Courtyard, Sat 27th July, 10am-3pm. Book to guarantee a space in some activities, free!
Jurassic Packs: Museum of Natural History, Mon 29th July, 1.30-3.30pm. Drop-in, free!
And Finally
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You’ve definitely seen the neglected telecommunications cabinets dotted around town - dull green boxes with sloped roofs, usually a hotchpotch of flyers and graffiti. OxBox has launched a fundraiser to turn these bland and vaguely unsightly totems into a work of art - or rather, several. They’re fundraising to display the works of talented local artists on the boxes, transforming them into an Art Trail.
To read more about the initiative, share or donate, check out their JustGiving Page.
Image credits: the North Wall, Millets Farm Centre, Wilderness Festival, Oxford Museum of Natural History, Boundary Brook Community Projects