We've got big screen energy, small screen heroes, earworms and existentialism, in short we think we've got the week covered!

Popcorn & Pingpong

Escape the cold and wet for a plush seat at the cinema - with awards season on the horizon, this is a particularly good time to be grabbing the popcorn. Marty Supreme, the Timothée Chalamet-led story of a young table-tennis player’s tumultuous battle for greatness at all costs, has already snagged a Golden Globe and has some serious Oscar buzz ahead of next week’s nominations. If you love brilliant movies about dirtbag men, get this on your watchlist.

Hamnet, a heartrending account of Agnes and William Shakespeare’s life together and their shared grief at the loss of their infant son, has also garnered rave reviews for Jessie Buckley’s nuanced performance and the film’s lush cinematography. A must for fans of historical drama told through a deeply intimate lens.

And another complex family dynamic presents itself in Sentimental Value, as two daughters struggle to mend the torn bond with their temperamental director father. Starring Stellan Skarsgård, the film thoughtfully conveys the impact of generational trauma and art’s capacities and limits to fix what is broken.

Marty Supreme: Phoenix Picturehouse, Ultimate Picture Palace, Vue Cinema

Hamnet: Oxford Cinema and Cafe, Phoenix Picturehouse, Ultimate Picture Palace, Vue Cinema

Sentimental Value : Phoenix Picturehouse, Ultimate Picture Palace

Morse Coded

Fictional Oxford’s streets are teeming with detectives, but none more embedded than Inspector Morse. Curmudgeon he may be but he’s also very much loved, and now his shoes are filled by Tom Chambers, in a new addition to the canon. House of Ghosts takes over the New Theatre next week, so dust off your magnifying glass and your crossword pen, and watch the great man and his long-suffering sergeant in action.

For a much colder heart, head to the Unicorn Theatre, where The Snow Queen takes up residence this week and next. It’s a musical, it’s an epic new dramatisation, it’s a beloved fairytale, it's Abingdon Drama Club’s version of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic. But beware - they describe it as a frostbitten fairytale reimagined with (frost)bite.

We love shows that link the personal with the global, and actor and activist Khalid Abdalla ties the two in knots in Nowhere, his new solo show inspired by the Egyptian revolution of 2011 and the counter-revolution that followed. A well-known face from films such as The Kite Runner, Abdalla delves into his own history, through friendships, protests and loss, and explores how we find agency in the midst of world events.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts: New Theatre, Tue 20th - Sat 24th Jan, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees Wed, Thu & Sat. Tickets from £15 .

The Snow Queen: Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, Thu 15th - Sat 17th & Wed 21st - Sat 24th Jan, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees both Saturdays. Tickets: £15 (£12 concessions).

Nowhere: Oxford Playhouse, Thu 22nd - Sat 24th Jan, 7.30pm plus Sat matinee with BSL 2.30pm. Tickets from £15 (age 14-25 tickets £5). Post-show talk on Friday 23rd.

Funny Awkward; Funny Haha

What do you do when you’ve completed your life’s work? That’s the question on Joz Norris’ mind as the comedian brings his critically acclaimed You Wait. Time Passes. to the Burton Taylor. Norris’ witty surreal and existential solo show takes a look at the ecstasy and ennui of reaching your goal only to find things just…keep going.

Meanwhile, Awkward Actors can be found at the Library Pub with another never-the-same improv show; it’s silly, spontaneous and all based on YOUR suggestions, so don’t be afraid to throw out an idea and watch the team work their comedy magic. And if you fancy having a go yourself, the team run regular workshops for new performers - no experience necessary!

And looking a little further ahead, Ria Lina’s ready for a revolution - a Riabellion , if you will. The Mock the Week alum (and holder of multiple degrees for experimental pathology, forensic science and virology) turns her keen wit and fierce intelligence to gender divides, letting go of insecurity and living in a world on fire.

Joz Norris - You Wait, Time Passes: Burton Taylor Studio, Fri 16th Jan, 7:30pm. Tickets £12-14.

Now That’s Awkward: The Library Pub, Sun 18th Jan, 7:30pm. £5

Ria Lina - Riabellion: North Wall Arts Centre, Fri 23rd Jan, 8pm. Tickets £20.

From Piano Keys to Fun-Keys

OSJ take you on a whirlwind tour of the last couple of hundred years in an exciting concert this weekend featuring pianist Rupert Egerton-Smith. An Oxford University History degree nearly diverted him away from piano altogether but he made it back to the keys and is ready to bound through Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No 2 and Mendelssohn’s mellower Scottish Symphony. The programme also includes Pelléas et Mélisande.

Bossaphonik’s events are always worth catching, and the next one (tomorrow night) features a double bill of The Brass Funkeys and Papa Nui catering for all your dancing needs. They’re followed by resident DJ Boomshank playing Latin, African, Balkan, global beats or nu jazz. Live music starts at 9pm or come early to chill for a bit before you get your groove on.

This year’s most relaxed time of day for a gig award goes to Elles Bailey , who will be in Truck Store at 1pm on Saturday. Bristol-based country rocker Bailey is launching her new album Can’t Take My Story Away which releases tomorrow, and you can pre-order the album in a variety of formats to guarantee entry to this mini gig.

OSJ - Faure and Shostakovich: Dorchester Abbey, Sat 17th Jan, 7pm. Tickets: £17.50 - £30.

The Brass Funkeys: Cowley Workers Social Club, Fri 16th Jan, 8pm. Entry: £14 (adv), £19 (otd), £16 (student).

Elles Bailey: Truck Store (Cowley Road), Sat 17th Jan, 1pm. Free entry. Pre-order album to guarantee entry.

And Finally

This weekend will see women and allies across Oxford march as part of a 26-city intersectional demonstration for women’s rights. The protest will draw attention to reproductive rights, domestic violence, protections for transgender women and solidarity with women living through genocide in Palestine, Congo and Sudan.

The march will assemble at 11am at Oxford Train Station before moving to Bonn Square at 12pm. Speeches from a variety of guest speakers will take place from 1pm. Participants are encouraged to bring placards, chants and water/masks for the safety of other attendees. Follow @oxfordiu for more info on the March as well as regular updates about intersectional organising in the city, or email iu_oxford@outlook.co.uk.

Image credits: Johan Perrson, Ashton Thornhill, Truck Music, Oxford Intersectional Uprising