This Week's Classical Music (Nov 24-30)

This week's Coffee Concert at the Holywell Music Room features the Adderbury Ensemble. The Holywell Music Room is also hosting D'Agostino & Oxley (ed. - recommended event!) and the Big Village Winter Series featuring Chris Wood - composer and musician (violin, guitar and voice).

The Sheldonian Theatre is hosting the Oxford Millennium Orchestra's Brahms 1, Strauss 2nd Horn Concerto.

The Jacqueline du Pre Music Building at St. Hilda's College will host Oxford Comtemporary Music's Matthew Barley on Cello, and Oxford Philomusica's Mozart Violin Sonata Series.

The University Church of St Mary will host Lady Margaret Hall Music Society's performance of Beethoven Symphony no. 2, Mozart Symphony no. 31, and Schubert Sonata in A Minor, as well as Oxford Chamber Orchestra's performance which will include works by Mozart, Haydn, Respighi, Korngold.

The Oxford Town Hall will host the Faculty of Music's Phantasm Viol Quartet, as well as the Oxford Harmonic Society's Handel: Messiah.

Lastly, St Michael at the North Gate on Cornmarket is hosting a Concentio ConcertOxford Contemporary Music's Kitchen Motors. Queen's College will have a free Organ Recital, featuring Martin Ford. performance featuring Barber, Swayne and Lauridson. The Zodiac on Cowley Road has

Get information for all classical music events in Oxford

This Week's Jazz and Blues (Nov 24-30)

At Freud this week, you can catch The Karl Demata Blues Trio, The Alex Hawkins Jazz Trio, Bob Cockburn on guitar and vocals, and Eddie Thompson on acoustic guitar; Backroom at the Bullingdon Arms features The Derrin Nauendorf Band (pictured) on their famous Monday Blues night, as well as the Tom Grey Quintet on their Oxford Jazz Club Tuesdays; The Spin Jazz Club at the Wheatsheaf has Dave O'Higgins + The Spin Trio; The Old Parsonage has the Tim Dawes Trio; Gee's has Polly Gibbons with Tim Lapthorn and Tim Dawes; The Big Bang Restaurant has AST with Paul Fawcus; Bar Milano has Delicious Music Jazz Night with Cicily Lattice; and lastly, The Venue at Oxford Brookes Student Union has rodrigo y gabriella (ed. - recommended event!).

Get information for all jazz and blues music events in Oxford

For music other than classical, jazz, and blues, check out our extensive gig guide

What's in the Theatres this Week? (Nov 24-30)

The Oxford Playhouse:

Wolves in the Walls - Lucy hears wolves in the walls of her house... This fantastical, comic story will make you laugh, shriek and watch between the cracks of your fingers as an unruly pack of actors, musicians and puppets unleash this cult story onto the stage.

Creation Theatre Company:

Arabian Nights - Celebrate the festive season with us as we whisk you away on a magic carpet ride to an unforgettable world of colourful characters, fantastical creatures and devious villains.

Suitable for children 5+

Old Fire Station:

The Curious Case of Sophia Wyatt - Five characters come together in a desperate bid to end Sophia's suffering; but if the affliction is caused by a memory, how do you cure it? And who has the right to decide what you should and shouldn't remember?

The Eight Reindeer Monologues - "That man has been a walking, talking, holly-jolly sex-crime-waiting-to-happen for years!" A one-week only opportunity to hear the celebrated Eight given free rein to speak out on the recent North Pole scandal. See Christmas as you'd never imagined it before...

Burton Taylor Theatre:

The Cut by Mark Ravenhill - "I want The Cut." A horrific operation. A society in uproar. The agent of it all, tormented by his own conscience.

Hard-Boiled Wonderland - devised by Ben Hunt & Company. Lit by flourescent-light with an electro-clash soundtrack. Tiptoeing its way through a landscape of sneaking fears and the something you meant to do this morning, but didn't.

Switch Triptych by Adriano Shapin - New York City, 1919. At a switchboard exchange on the eve of automation, three soon-to-be-out-of-work 'hello girls' stare down the future, desperate to preserve their matriarchy. Winner of the 2004 Scotsman Fringe First Award. "It's hard to imagine more brilliant or arresting new writing." Daily Telegraph

New Theatre:

Alice in Wonderland - English National Ballet
The magic of Lewis Carroll's engaging story is sensationally brought to life in this acclaimed production of Alice in Wonderland by English National Ballet. With imaginative choreography, fabulous designs, breathtaking illusions and a superb Tchaikovsky score, the magic and mystery of this classic children's book are superbly translated from the page to the stage.

West Side Story

Pegasus Theatre:

jim fixed it for me - Disabled comedian Laurence Clark re-examines his past, recounting stories about telling Jimmy Saville to 'get lost' on TV, being taken to Lourdes, using urinals and becoming a father. Multimedia stand-up routines (using slides and audio) about real life are interspersed with short video sketches that send up tragic portrayals of disabled people. Although the aim of the show is to make audiences laugh, it also gives an insight into growing up as a disabled person. Min age 14

yarmarka - folk music, dance and song from Oxford's twin-towns

Theatre at Headington:

Upper 6 Drama Students Examinations: Devised Performances
Upper Sixth A2 examination students present their devised performances inspired by Bram Stoker's Dracula. Written,rehearsed, and designed during an eight-week period, these two plays guarantee to show an imaginative and unique take on the greatest gothic novel of all time.

College Theatre:

Ruddygore by Gilbert and Sullivan - Moser Theatre, Wadham College
Comic operetta, set around the tangled love lifes of a small English village under the shadow of a terrible curse...

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) - Magdalen Auditorium
All 37 of Shakespeare's play performed in 97 frantic minutes! Come see Othello rapped, Hamlet performed in three seconds and the Comedies dispensed with in one fell swoop. Go forsooth!

The People Next Door - O'Reilly Theatre, Keble College
Council flat staircase. Contemporary urban Britain. The People Next Door charts what happens to the more-or-less friendly relations among the residents - confused half Asian Nigel with his history of mental heatlh problems, unhappy 15 year old Marco and feisty Scottish granny Mrs. Mac - when their peace is invaded by a psychopathic plain clothes cop called Phil, determined to get results. The result is a priceless comedy; full of lines that will make you laugh and then pull you up and make you think.

The Mysteries - University Church of St. Mary's
This production will present a new realisation of the medieval mystery cycles using the impressive space of the beautiful University Church. The blend of comedy and awe, light heartedness and high seriousness that survives in The Mysteries makes for compelling theatre.

Abingdon Touring Theatre:

Aesop's Fables
Our third tour is to be a specially commissioned adaptation of Aesop's Fables. This tour is being written to be suitable for the entire family and will combine Aesop's stories with tales from his own life.

Showing this week at - Sutton Courtenay Village Hall, Tackley Village Hall, Ewelme Village Hall

For all theatre information, times and dates, click here

What's in the Cinema this Week? (Nov 24-30)

Opening in Oxford this week is Pan's Labyrinth, starring Ivana Baguero and Sergi Lopez. In 1940s Spain, recently remarried Carmen and daughter Ofelia move in with the cold and authoritarian new husband, Vidal, a captain in General Franco's army. Finding her new life difficult, Ofelia seeks refuge in a labyrinth she discovers next to the house. A magical creature named Pan, the guardian of the labyrinth, reveals that Ofelia is the long-lost princess of a magical kingdom. To discover the truth, she will have to accomplish three dangerous tasks. The film contains strong language and bloody violence. (15)

Also opening this weekend is the animated childrens film Flushed Away. Featuring the voices of Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman, this animated film follows a rat from a penthouse apartment struggling with his new life in the dangerous sewers of London. The film contains mild language and innuendo. (U)

This week has the sequel Jackass Number Two in cinemas, starring Bam Margera, Johnny Knoxville and Steve-O. More shock and awe from Johnny Knoxville and his friends as they put themselves through another load of painful stunts and undignified dares. The film contains crude and dangerous stunts.(18)

At the Phoenix this week is Romanzo Criminale starring Kim Rossi Stuart, Anna Mouglalis and Pierfrancesco Favino. Three criminals, Lebanese, Ice and Dandy, create a smart and ruthless drugs organization which soon crushes all its rivals in Rome. In order to destroy them, Captain Scialoja enters a dangerous relationship with Patrizia, a seductive prostitute, who is Dandy's girl. Way over his head, Scialoja's informant soon becomes his lover, leading him closer than ever to his quarry. The film contains strong violence, sex, drug use and language. (15)

Get showtimes for all the cinemas in Oxford

Christmas in Oxford

Oxford City Guide has gotten a jump on the holidays and put together a guide to help you plan your holidays in advance. Buy those concert and play tickets, and book those special holiday meals now to avoid disappointment.

Our holiday guide includes:

A calendar of seasonal events

Listings of restaurants that are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Christmas closures, late opening hours, and other essential information

A HUGE holiday gift guide - get a jump on that shopping! Do it online and avoid the crowds.

We will be adding new events and information as we hear of new things. Be sure to check back often!

To see the holiday guide, click here