What's in the Theatre this week? (May 02-08)

Oxford Playhouse:

DV8-To Be Straight With You
- A poetic but unflinching exploration of tolerance, intolerance, religion and sexuality.

The Impotent Fury of the Privileged
- An angry, frustrated and beautiful new show from award-winning comedian Daniel Kitson about wanting the world to change but not doing enough to change it.

A Doll's House
- A version by Frank McGuinness of Henrik Ibsen's original. Set as a picture of 1950s domestic bliss, overturned family traditions and values come to the fore as one happy family realises life will never be the same again.

Old Fire Station:

The Merchant of Venice - Racial and political tensions are high in the Venice council estate, where native British merchants mix uneasily with a financially strong ethnic community. Suspicion lingers in the hearts of the merchants, whilst an insecurity and resentment that cannot be soothed by political concessions still exists in their neighbours.

The Audacity of Ideas
- From the decadence of court life to the savage violence tearing France apart, this play by Gareth Russell details the heartbreak, deception, intrigue and trauma of a dying empire. Based on eyewitness accounts.

Burton Taylor Studio:

Spring Quartet - Four vignettes of asynchronism between lovers, demi-gods and actors. Ensembles form hotels, wombs, labyrinths as they scrutinise human relations; a springtime experiment in storytelling with new writing, dance, shadow play, cashew nuts and an infinity of muslin…

Dirty Linen by Tom Stoppard - A select committee investigation into parliament's moral standards is hampered by one very sexy secretary. A farce with Stoppard's characteristic wit featuring hilarious sexual hypocrisy in the House of Commons.

The Nose - By Nikolai Gogol, adapted by Sam Caird & David Wolf. An absurd satire about a man's nose running riot in St. Petersburg. Nonsense from the father of Russian realism and one of the finest comic writers of all time.

New Theatre:

Fiddler on the Roof - Fiddler on the Roof is the 'must see' production of one of the best loved musicals of all time. This spectacular stage show went on to become a smash-hit Oscar-winning film and features some of the most memorable songs in musical history, including Tradition, Matchmaker, Sunrise, Sunset and the unforgettable If I Were A Rich Man. Now is your chance to see this fantastic production in Oxford.

Dara O'Briain

French & Saunders - Yes, it is true, the amazing comedy duet are back on stage. Live in Oxford at the New Theatre for one night only, this is a must see.

CollegeTheatre:

A Midsummer Night's Dream - Pembroke College presents an open-air production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare's comedy of blurred identities will take place on Chapel Quad in 3rd week, as part of this year's Arts Week festival. The production will explore those places where reality is at its thinnest, where people become the playthings of dreams.

The Zoo Story - Brasenose College - Two strangers meet in a city park, and their lives are changed forever. One of the most gripping one-act plays ever written, Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story" is theatre at its purest: two men, a park bench, one hour of powerful and profound human interaction. By turns hilarious, surprising, and deeply moving, the play explores at its core what it means for two people to relate to each other.

The Importance of Being Earnest - Brasenose College

An Ideal Husband - Magdalen College President's Garden - This May Oscar Wilde returns to his spiritual home, as Magdalen Players put on a unique performance of An Ideal Husband. The scandalous comedy, centring around the glittering political intrigues of late Victorian London, is brought to life in full costume, by a superb range of the finest acting talent Oxford has to offer. Beautiful people and beautiful writing are complemented by the stunningly beautiful surrounds of the Magdalen College President's Gardens, open to the public only for this extremely special play. An Ideal Husband offers the perfect opportunity to enjoy Magdalen's timeless beauty alongside one of its favourite sons.

For all theatre information, times and dates, click here