With more than 60 shows covering a huge range over two weeks, Oxford’s Offbeat Festival is one of the most dynamic theatre events of the year. Anywhere.
The city’s quirky version of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which starts today, will see dozens of productions staged at the Oxford Playhouse, Old Fire Station, the Ashmolean and elsewhere. All shows are new and most have never been seen in the city before.
Shows include drama, comedy, dance and spoken word.
They range from a dance and puppetry performance in Gloucester Green to a live poetry jukebox show at the Playhouse.
Possibly among the strangest are a PhoDOGraphy workshop, where you can watch your dog take selfies in the OFS gallery, and We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat, a comic reenactment of movie classic Jaws, which takes place in a small tent holding just 10 people.
There is also RawTransport, a show that takes audience members on a journey through virtual reality headsets.
Offbeat producer Hannah Tookey said: “I’m thrilled to have joined the Offbeat team as producer this year, after having first encountered the festival when I brought a spoken word show here in 2016.
“Working with the brilliant teams at Arts at the Old Fire Station and Oxford Playhouse is a real privilege and this is going to be a very unique two weeks in the city.
“There’s such a huge range of work in Offbeat, all of which has never been seen in Oxford before, with all shows either free or affordable.”
She added: “One of the most exciting elements of the festival are the outdoor and ‘elsewhere’ shows – performances that aren’t taking place in a traditional theatre setting.”
She said a highlight would be the Supported Artists programme, which provides a platform for new artists and performers: “We’ve selected six artists and companies with exceptional ideas and potential to develop their work to the highest standard possible in the lead up to, and during, the festival.
“This programme is about nurturing some of the most exciting emerging artists and offering them a launch pad for a new show that we hope will have a long life beyond its start in Oxford. We’ve also brought in experienced directors to help them with the making of their shows, lighting designers to add extra ‘oomph’ to the performances.”
Read more: Fun, thrills and tingles as this unique opera festivalRead more: Whispering Bob on the road to recovery after scareShe added: “I could rave about every show in this festival. There’s a huge range and I guarantee there’ll be something you’ll enjoy.”
For more details, go to the website offbeatoxford.co.uk
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