Theatre
1984
October 1-5 at 7.30pm (Fri 8pm), plus 2.30pm matinées Thurs and Sat
Box office: 01865 305305 or visit oxfordplayhouse.com
George Orwell’s 20th-century classic 1984 is re-examined in a radical staging exploring surveillance, identity and how thinking you can fly might actually be the first step to flying. This new production explores the world inside Winston Smith’s head, as well as the world outside, and catches the euphoria and bliss buried deep underneath the cold face of Big Brother. In an age of mass surveillance, ‘total’ policing and GPS tracking, 1984 is as relevant now as it ever was. Returning to Oxford Playhouse after their production of The Seagull which thrilled audience in May, acclaimed theatre company Headlong continues its tradition of interrogating our most important cultural texts. The play is scripted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Robert Icke.
Art
THE ISLES OF COLOUR
O3 Gallery, Oxford
September 28-October 27, Tues-Fri noon-5pm, Sat and Sun 11am-4pm, Closed Mondays
Admission free
The Isles of Colour is an exhibition of work that celebrates the beauty and variety of the landscape of the British Isles and Ireland by Oxfordshire artist Anna Dillon. From the windswept, breathtaking shores of the Hebrides to the green and rolling hills of West Ireland, The Isles of Colours is a visual feast of colour and contours with many familiar Oxfordshire landscapes contributing to the collection. Anna’s practice and paintings are grounded in notions of landscape and place; her passion for walking and hiking shown in the undulating contours of her meticulous topographies. Traversing counties across the UK and Ireland, Anna’s paintings document the colours and contours of ancient and natural landscapes such as Uffington White Horse Hill and Wittenham Clumps. In this her work echoes and is influenced by 20th- century British landscape painting by Paul and John Nash, John Piper and Ben Nicholson.
Music
KELLY JOE PHELPS
Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury
Friday September 13 at 8pm
Box office: 01635 244246 or visit arlingtonarts.co.uk
Widely regarded as a leading light of traditional American music for almost 30 years, Kelly Joe Phelps arrives after more than six months off from playing his guitar owing to nerve damage in his right forearm. Kelly Joe made his name in the UK with an appearance on Later… with Jools Holland in 2000. Since then his following here has been fanatical and continually growing with every tour he has made. His intense, mesmeric playing and soulful voice make him a perfect interpreter of traditional pre-war blues and gospel, as well as his own compositions which move the genre forward. This mix of modern songwriting and respect for the roots of American music gives a completely compelling live experience.
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