Dance

OUT OF THE SHADOW

Oxford Playhouse

October 8 and 9 at 7.30pm

Box office: 01865 305305, oxfordplayhouse.com

Out of the Shadow is an extraordinary mix of breaking, popping and locking, acrobatics and ballet. It tells a cautionary tale, from the creation of the Universe and the evolution of man through to an apocalyptic future.

The ten-strong dance crew create otherworldly scenes to an epic soundtrack by morphing their bodies into structures, creatures and machines in this thrilling show. Nobulus is an Austrian dance theatre company and urban styles crew which specialises in groundbreaking dance with a strong narrative. Out of the Shadow receives its UK premiere at Oxford Playhouse.

Art

ANN ORAM

Brian Sinfield Gallery, Burford

October 6-19.

Admission free

Renowned Scottish artist Ann Oram is showing about 35 new paintings of London and Italy, as well as a large number of still life and garden paintings for which she is better known. Big, bold and colourful, the impact of Ann Oram’s large flower pieces is unforgettable. Following in the tradition of the Scottish Colourists (she trained at Edinburgh College of Art, though she was born in London) Oram uses strong but perfectly balanced colour to create still lives of extraordinary power. She spent many years living and working abroad and the inspiration she derives from her travels helps to keep her paintings fresh and vibrant. She works in mixed media which gives her paintings a variety of textures and effects and allows her to work more freely than other media. Ann exhibits regularly in London and her work can be seen in a number of galleries throughout the UK. Her work is included in many private and corporate collections around the world, and celebrity collectors of her work include actor Richard Wilson and Irish acting dynasty, the Cusack family.

Comedy

JARRED CHRISTMAS: SNAFU

Glee Club, Oxford

Thursday, November 21, at 7pm

Box office: 0871 472 0400 or glee.co.uk/oxford

New Zealand’s finest export Jarred Christmas brings his new tour show, SNAFU — a free-wheeling comedic thrill ride. Jarred will take questions from the audience to determine the course of the show. his unique, larger-than-life persona has won him fans across the country. His masterful storytelling has earned him a host of accolades including a coveted Chortle Award and Fred Award. It has also catapulted him to the forefront of TV screens in shows such as Mock The Week, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, 8 out of 10 Cats, Argumental and Let’s Dance for Comic Relief. Time Out has called him, in a four-star review, “one of the funniest men to pick up a microphone.”