Oxford students put on over thirty productions every term, ranging from Shakespeare to Brecht, Euripides to Sarah Kane, not to mention musicals, garden shows, light entertainment, physical theatre, comedy, and all the new writing by students which premiers each year. Such a diverse and busy scene can appear daunting, but there are many ways to get involved and various avenues open to develop existing interests or discover new ones, both on and off the stage.
Oxford’s student drama scene is unlike that of most other Universities, and more like the "real world" of theatre. Rather than joining a central drama society through which plays are put on, independent groups of students get together their own production teams, bid for theatre slots, apply for funding, audition actors, and put on a multitude of plays and shows. There is more student drama at Oxford University than probably any other University in the country. Students can get involved in all areas and at a number of levels. In each eight week term there are typically about 30 productions, and hundreds of students taking part in drama in some capacity.
There are three central theatres (Playhouse, OFS Studio, BT Studio), college theatres in Keble (O’Reilly), Wadham (Moser), Balliol (Pilch), and numerous other spaces which are used for performances. In Trinity term colleges open their outdoor spaces up for garden shows, and students have found places as diverse as the University church, the Said Business School, and the University Physics department to mount their productions.
The Cameron Mackintosh Drama Fund was set up through an endowment to the University by the Mackintosh Foundation. The purpose of the Fund is to aid drama in Oxford and the students involved, by providing a source of funding and by employing the UDO who is the main contact between students involved in Oxford theatre and the University itself.
The University Drama Officer (UDO) is Mike Levy and he is based at the Burton Taylor Studio but employed by the University (through the Cameron Mackintosh Drama Fund) as a central source of help and advice to all students interested in any aspect of student theatre. He is also on the panels which decide on the programming of the three central Oxford theatres (Oxford Playhouse, Old Fire Station and Burton Taylor Studio) and administers applications for underwriting from the Cameron Mackintosh Drama Fund. If you ever have any questions about any aspect of student drama, do not hesitate to contact the Drama Officer. He is always on hand to advise or assist you, or can put you in touch with any of the many drama societies, groups or theatres if necessary.
The key source of information on all things dramatic is the Drama Officer’s Newsletter,emailed each Monday during term time to over 2500 students. It advertises upcoming plays, auditions, workshops, important deadlines, offers and much more. To subscribe, sign up on the list at Freshers’ Fair or send an email to drama.officer@admin.ox.ac.uk with your name, college and year of graduation.
In addition to the numerous plays that are always going on, there are workshops, talks and trips organised by the Drama Officer, the theatres and student drama societies.
