Daily Info's recommended events for the week ahead, Thursday 21st November - Wednesday 27th November
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This week's EP has laugh-filled gigs, cinematic blockbusters, and the unrelenting march towards Christmas!
A cultural behemoth arrives in the form of the cinematic adaptation of Wicked. The musical has spent over 20 years lighting up Broadway and the West End, and this take adapts the first half of the story with a cast led by pop superstar Ariana Grande and musical theatre royalty Cynthia Erivo. Expect this one to defy box office gravity and stay around for months.
In action epic Gladiator II, Ridley Scott returns to Ancient Rome 24 years after the last instalment. The new film has a rich starry cast for the sword and sandals action with Paul Mescal in the lead, and support from Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn.
The Ultimate Picture Palace continue their run of must attend one off screenings. Their Wheel of Fortune returns for a Nic Cage special, where a lucky spin will pick which film the audience will see, out of a shortlist of five from Cage's eclectic canon. Also this week, continuing their Fight Nights season, they will be showing the 2000 take on Charlie’s Angels, presented by the City of Oxford College Young Programmers. Long may this fabulous venue keep programming these cult gems!
Wicked: Curzon Oxford, Vue, Odeon George Street
Gladiator II: Curzon Oxford, Odeon George Street, Phoenix Picturehouse, Vue
Nic Cage Wheel of Fortune: Ultimate Picture Palace, Thu 21st Nov, 8.30pm
Charlie’s Angels: Ultimate Picture Palace, Tue 26th Nov, 6pm
Those on the hunt for a good chuckle will not be disappointed this week, with stand-up, cabaret and a very curious karaoke to whet your appetite. First up we have the ever-popular Jericho Comedy, with a fresh lineup of funny folk every week - get down to the North Wall this Friday (OR Common Ground for their regular Saturday gigs) to discover your new favourite comic!
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you combine Eastenders’ Barry Evans with a karaoke machine? Oddly specific, but we have the answer - Barrioke at the O2! Join TV’s Shaun Williamson for a raucous night of laughter and song, including audience participation and the odd special guest - perfect for soap fans and singers alike.
And everyone’s favourite rodents are back at the Library Pub for Hot Rats , the cabaret variety night taking East Ox by storm. This month’s edition invites you to join the R(at)evolution, imagining a cyperpunk future in which rats run the world. But even in the ratpocalypse there’s room for song, dance, comedy, poetry and a whole lot of filth.
And finally, head to the Glee Club to catch triple Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Amy Gledhill’s latest set, Make Me Look Fit On The Poster. Gledhill uses her exuberant and confessional comedy voice to explore the highs and lows of self-esteem.
Jericho Comedy: The North Wall, Fri 22nd Nov, 8pm. Tickets £12
Barrioke: O2 Academy, Sat 23rd Nov, 6.30pm. Tickets £22.60.
Hot Rats: The Library Pub, Tues 26th Nov, 7.30pm sign-up, show from 8pm. Free.
Amy Gledhill: Make Me Look Fit On The Poster: Glee Club, Wed 27th Nov, doors 6.45pm, last entry 7pm. Tickets £15.
The holiday fairs continue apace as November enters its third act, and there are some great options on offer to get your shopping sorted early. Indie Oxford Christmas Market takes place next Saturday at the Tap Social, with custom made jewellery, artisanal fragrances, luxury baby clothes and more from local sellers, plus a visit from a certain Mr. Claus! Extra festive threads are highly encouraged - the best Christmas outfit wins a hamper packed with luxury treats!
At West Oxford Community Centre, West Oxford Arts and Crafts Christmas Market also offers beautiful locally-made wares to bring a special something to any living space, including colourful ceramics, unique Christmas decorations, and a wide selection of paintings and prints. Be sure to warm up with a steamy mug in the Tumbling Bay Café, which will be open throughout.
Flo’s brings the seasonal cheer to Florence Park with their evening Christmas market , featuring stalls from independent favourites like Caper Bookshop, Rainbow and Spoon Boutique and Abby Mason Ceramics - find all the talented vendors plying their wares on Flo’s website!
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention panto season! Oh no we wouldn’t! Oh yes we would! The Oxford Playhouse Pantomime is back with Sleeping Beauty, but this time with a time-travelling twist. When Princess Aurora wakes to find herself 1000 years in the future, she must use her wits (and a book of 80s hits) to get the kingdom back to normal. The Playhouse Pantomime is always a crowd pleaser, so get your tickets while they last - or even better, enter our Instagram giveaway to win yourself a pair! Plus you can also win tickets this week for Creation Theatre and the North Wall's festive offering, Hansel & Grettel.
Indie Oxford Christmas Market: Tap Social Movement, Sat 23rd Nov, 11am - 5pm. Free.
West Oxford Arts and Crafts Christmas Market: West Oxford Community Centre, Sat 23rd & Sun 24th Nov, 11am - 6pm (Sat), 11am - 4pm (Sun). Free.
Flo’s Christmas Market: Flo’s - The Place in the Park, Fri 29th Nov, 6-9pm. Free.
Sleeping Beauty: Oxford Playhouse, Fri 22nd Nov - Sun 5th Jan, timings vary. Tickets from £15
Whether you’ve enjoyed an unexpected snow day this week or not, there’s lots more striking sights, by way of this week’s exhibitions!
At the Museum of Oxford, Park Life looks at the green spaces and waterways of Florence Park and Cutteslowe, across time and through the medium of photography. Celebrating two vibrant and complex neighbourhoods, the exhibition promises to fascinate and uplift.
A similar theme of reflection and commemoration can be found at Banbury Museum, via The Changing Faces of Banbury. The exhibition tracks the town’s development since the 1940s through artefacts, photographs and interactive displays, creating a rich multimedia portrait.
Meanwhile, at the Museum of Natural History, Breaking Ground gathers the work of the Buckland couple: William, a geologist and palaeontologist, and Mary (née Morland), a scientific illustrator, to explore changes in Palaeontology over the 19th century, a transformative time that held many scientific breakthroughs. Through this collection of drawings, prints and paintings as well as specimens and fossils, their partnership is unearthed and held up to the light.
Finally, for something family-focused and hands-on, Science Oxford’s Woodlouse Experiment this Saturday is sure to delight. Part of their Nature Club aimed at 5-9 year-olds, the event showcases the impressive history and evolution of woodlice, the cute roly poly isopod that lives in forests. Kids can build mazes from Lego, make their own paper curl-up creature and test the creatures’ decision making processes. Please note: no woodlouse will be harmed in the activities.
Park Life: Museum of Oxford, until Sat 4th Jan 2025, Mon - Sat 10am - 5pm. Included in museum admission (pay-what-you-can donation).
The Changing Face of Banbury: Banbury Museum and Gallery, until Sun Mar 16th, 2025, Mon - Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 11am-3pm. Tickets £2.50-5
Breaking Ground: Museum of Natural History, until Mon 29th Sep 2025, 10am - 5pm. Drop-in, free!
Nature Club: The Woodlouse Experiment: Science Oxford Centre, Sat 23rd Nov, 10am, 12.30 & 3pm. Tickets £14 (additional adults £5).
If you’re looking for a cause to support in the run up to the festive period consider Project Shoebox Oxford. The charity distribute unwanted/unused toiletries, beauty products and dry food to new homes to help support women and children with their new start after domestic violence and homelessness.
They are currently running collection boxes in Oxford and the surrounding areas (with the nearest drop off point being the Temple Cowley Library). These can all be found on their Facebook page.
Image credits: O2 Academy Oxford, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Project Shoebox Oxford
