This September, Oxford’s Offbeat Festival returns in a multi-venue collaboration between the Old Fire Station, the Oxford Playhouse and the New Theatre. Since 2016, the festival has celebrated local voices and new talent and this year brings a wealth of fresh acts to check out.
KEEN: Old Fire Station, Monday 9th at 7.30pm
Offbeat 2024 kicks off with an exciting showcase from KEEN, a charity running social, sporting and creative activities for disabled young people in Oxford. The group will be sharing their original songs and music videos in an uplifting, family-friendly evening.
Live & Peculiar: New Theatre Piano Bar, Tuesday 10th, 6.30pm
Live & Peculiar lives up to its name: previously combining comedy show, cabaret and art gallery at a pair of hugely successful performances at the Jericho Tavern. Now on Tuesday the 10th, join them as they take over the New Theatre’s Piano Bar. Offbeat celebrates the alternative and independent in art and this evening looks set to embody that spirit.
I'll Be Back: Old Fire Station, Wednesday 11th, 8pm
I’ll Be Back: A Cybernetic Cyberquest asks the question on everyone’s minds: What if the Terminator had been rebuilt with Windows 95 and sent back to save the day?. Powered by dial-up internet, featuring 90s pop hits and amateaur contemporary dance, this looks like a wonderful, bonkers tribute to James Cameron’s iconic cyborg-featuring blockbusters.
I’ll Be Back is written and performed by Justine Malone (Watson & Molane, Nova Theatre) and is present as a work-in-progress.
Deluge: Old Fire Station, Thursay 12th, 8pm
Among the many fabulous pieces of theatre at Offbeat, Deluge might be the most unique. A magic realist comedy that explores what we lose and how we grieve, the show blends true stories and fiction, with movement, comedy and live music to create an exciting new work.
Get Creative: Gloucester Green, Friday 13th, 10am to 3pm and Saturday 14th, 10am to 3pm
-
Offbeat marks the arrival of the weekend with a takeover of Gloucester Green: six stalls offering terrific free activities for all the family, from creating giant flowers to decorate the square, to making clay lamps and writing a poetic cure. This is the perfect way to dip your toes into Offbeat and spend some time in the company of talented, friendly local creatives.
Late Night Offbeat: Poetry Slam: Old Fire Station Café, Friday 13th, 9.15pm
Offbeat are hosting a series of Late Night events, so why not spend your Friday evening watching eight poets battle it out to be crowned the Offbeat Slam Champion? Each poet will have three minutes to wow the audience with sharp and killer lines, before the audience decides the winner, all as part of poetic jousting between performers. It sounds like terrific fun to us!
The Witch Without a Wand: Old Fire Station, Saturday 14th, 11am
WhatNot Theatre continue to make a name for themselves with their wonderful family friendly productions. Adventure and mayhem unfolds as we follow a calamity-prone apprentice Witch looking to master their craft. What really makes this stand out is the British Sign Language & Sensory Practice integrated into the heart of the performance, making this a beautifully inclusive show.
The Untold Story of Alice Breakspear: Old Fire Station, Saturday 14th, 1pm
With St Giles’ Fair such a rich fixture of Oxford’s history, there are countless stories to be told around it. The collective of writers behind this show - who all met on Mike Batlett’s How to Write a Play course - have focused on the true story of Alice Breakspear, who fatally fell from the carousel in 1892. This looks to be a gripping slice of history to explore theatrically.
The Trap: Gloucester Green, Sun 15th, 2.30pm
Slapstick, pratfalls, physical comedy, odd props and mad music all combine for The Trap, a homage to silent film comedies, from acclaimed performer Joe Dieffenbacher. It’s been described as ‘Buster Keaton on the Loose at the Chelsea Flower Show’, which is just a wonderful way to sell a show.
Cancer B*tch: Burton Taylor Studio, Sunday 15th, 3.30pm
Finally, sure to linger in the mind long after the festival ends is Cancer B*tch!, a new play exploring the writer’s own experience with battling cancer as a young adult, for what is sure to be an open, honest and, crucially, funny perspective on the C word.
But don’t just take our suggestions. Dive into their line-up and pick some amazing acts to check out. Offbeat is coming and we can’t wait!