North Wall Brochure Spring 2013

Jan- Jun 2013

“How I could pass life in a long midsummer day, My eyes from The Wall not once away!” Robert Browning

Kids’Theatre

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Classical chamber music and

a cappella folk meet

alternative electronica and

incandescent jazz.

Com

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Laugh-a-minute line-ups

from So Comedy Live, plus

Mark Thomas, Shazia Mirza

and Simon Munnery.

Art

Sculpture and ceramics, life and lino, satirical illustration and stunning landscapes.

Programme design: white space | www.white-space.net The North Wall photography: Colin Willoughby, Philip Vile

Hello.

Welcome to a bumper brochure that combines the Spring and Summer seasons. With so much great entertainment on offer, it is hard to pick the highlights but... don’t miss the stylish and witty 1927

who return to The North Wall with The Animals and Children Took to the Streets following their run at The National Theatre before they embark on a mammoth tour.

Some of the best new writing comes to us with the fabulous Kate Tempest’s Wasted, Bottleneck by the young writer Luke Barnes, Les Enfants Terribles’ World War One drama The Trench and Blonde Poison by Gail Louw. And we continue to celebrate new European drama with ATC’s production of Ivan Viripaev’s Illusions, and Torsten Buchsteiner’s powerful play Nordost that tells of the siege at Moscow’s Dubrovka Theatre that shocked the world.

As well as commissioning and presenting our own work, The North Wall works closely with companies both as co-producers and supporters. The European ensemble N.I.E will be resident and rehearsing their new show North North North at Easter and we have also supported the fabulous Pickled Image, who are developing and opening their new show Shop of Little Horrors here with us in May. Both macabre and wickedly funny, this is puppetry with an edge – definitely not for the little ones!

But not forgetting the children – I would have to pick out The Nightingale by one of my favourite companies Horse and Bamboo, and the extraordinarily moving Something Very Far Away – unique live animation from the Unicorn Theatre.

There is also plenty for music lovers, as we welcome back OCM with their usual quality mix of artists, play host to chamber music with Oxford Philomusica and continue our folk offer with the wonderful Coope, Boyes and Simpson. Opera features as the inspiration for Mark Thomas’s funny and touching Bravo Figaro!, telling the story of one man’s crusade to put opera on in a Bournemouth bungalow.

And with our new opening times there is even more opportunity to come in and enjoy the range of artwork in the Gallery – a high quality mix of media and styles: truly something for everyone.

I look forward to seeing you in the coming months.

Lucy Maycock Artistic Director

Sherrell Perkin General Manager

Clive Stevenson Technical Manager

Amy Walters Theatre Manager

Stephen Dix Technician/ Stage Manager

Niamh Watson FOH/Box Office Assistant

Nicky Smith Marketing Manager

Peter Lloyd Jones Gallery Programmer

The Team at The North Wall

Dan Danson Associate Artist

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THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY

Theatre of Widdershins presents

RumpelstiltskinPoor Polly Buckwheat, the Miller’s daughter, is in a bit of a pickle! If she doesn’t turn a roomful of straw into gold by morning, the greedy King will turn a bit nasty. But should she accept the kind help of an eccentric dwarf who mysteriously appears in her prison cell?

Using its trademark puppets, music, and storytelling Widdershins aims to create pure gold on stage with this new version of the Grimm’s classic tale.

www.widdershins.co.uk

Recommended for age 4+

Performances: 11am & 1.30pmTickets: £7

SATURDAY 16 MARCH

Horse and Bamboo presents

The NightingaleA selfish King replaces his melodic songbird with an all mod-cons mechanical gizmo – then wonders if something is missing from his life.

Based on a classic fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen, this sweet, funny and beautiful show for families is told through a mesmerising blend of masks, puppetry, animation, vivid performance and original music.

www.horseandbamboo.org



// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Our friends at Barefoot Books run themed activities, storytelling sessions and cafe discounts alongside our kids’ shows. Keep checking our website for updates: www.barefootbooks.com.

New Opening Times!The North Wall is delighted to announce that, due to popular demand, we are extending our regular opening times.

“Come in, We’re Open!”

From January 2013, The North Wall will be open EVERY Saturday afternoon during the season, from 12 until 4pm, for those wishing to buy tickets, make enquiries, pick up a brochure, or browse the Gallery at their leisure.

Whenever we have a show or public event on, we will of course remain open into the evenings as well.

So, whether you’re shopping in Summertown or walking the dog, take some time out to visit North Oxford’s best kept secret – and help us spread the word.

We look forward to seeing you here in 2013. Especially on Saturdays!

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SATURDAY 11 MAY

Unicorn Theatre presents

Something Very Far AwayWritten and directed by Mark ArendsDesign and animation by Matthew Robins.

Kepler is an ordinary man who loves two things beyond all others: the cosmos and his wife Tomasina. After a sudden and tragic loss, he looks to the stars for answers and journeys deep into space to keep the thing most precious to him alive.

Children and adults alike will marvel as Kepler travels through the universe with his telescope and discovers the power of memory along the way. This poignant and beautiful tale of love, loss, space and time is told through unique live animation.

“A theatrical experience unlike any you will have had before.” ★★★★★ Whatsonstage.com

“Infinitely touching... done with a lightness of touch and a delightful quirkiness.” ★★★★ The Guardian

www.unicorntheatre.com


Performances: 1.30pm & 4.30pmTickets: £7

SATURDAY 13 APRIL

Half Moon presents

Misunderstood Monsters When earth is threatened by tiny Scoodlefug aliens, Georgie is forced to question who the real bad guys are and may just need the audience to come to the rescue!

Overcome your fear of fiends, spiders, crocodiles and aliens through the power of spoken word and live music in this fast moving, out of this world adventure, including site-specific digital game playing.

www.halfmoon.org.uk

Recommended for ages 4 - 9


SATURDAY 8 JUNE

A Thousand Cranes in association with artsdepot present

Little Sunshine Little Rainfall Meet Little Sunshine and Little Rainfall in their magical Japanese garden. But trouble is afoot! When naughty Storm Fox pays a visit, all the creatures in the garden must think quickly to save their homes and families. Perhaps wise old Turtle has the answer?

Blending Japanese folklore with traditional music and dance, and inspired by haiku and origami, this show is a celebration of the beauty and simplicity of Japanese culture.

www.athousandcranes.org.uk

Recommended for ages 3 - 7


// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com // Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Welcome to the Bayou, a part of the city feared and loathed wherein lies the infamous Bayou Mansions; a sprawling stinking tenement block, where curtain-twitchers and peeping-toms live side by side, and the wolf is always at the door.

When Agnes Eaves and her daughter arrive late one night, does it signal hope in this hopeless place, or has the real horror only just begun?

Like a giant novel burst into life, 1927 invite you on a theatrical journey of startling originality. Seamlessly synchronizing live music, performance and storytelling with stunning films and animation, this is the wickedly twisted new tale from the multiple award-winning company behind the international hit Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

“ A jawdroppingly clever and gloriously subversive parable… 1927 conjure a world so complete it feels as if you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole.” ★★★★ The Guardian

“ This is a perfect alternative show. In fact, it is a perfect show.” ★★★★★ The Financial Times

“ A mind-blowingly beautiful piece of theatre” ★★★★ Time Out London

www.19-27.co.uk

THURSDAY 7 – SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY

1927 presents

The Animals and Children Took to the Streets


Performances: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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£5 Student ticketSLIMITED

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Performance: 8pm Tickets: £15 (concessions £10)


SATURDAY 16 FEBRUARY10 11

Actors Touring Company presents

IllusionsWritten by Ivan Viripaev. Translated by Cazimir Liske. Directed by Ramin Gray.

“I guess that’s how it was meant to be. Love can only be mutual, I agree with you Albert, and forgive me for this cruel sincerity”

Love & death, loyalty & betrayal, truth & fiction: do we ever really know whether we are truly loved? Illusions is the perfect Valentine’s exploration of the nature of true love from Russia’s foremost contemporary playwright, in his English language debut.

Actors Touring Company returns to the North Wall, following previous productions Crave, The Golden Dragon, Ivan and the Dogs and Eurydice.

“It’s like a bedtime story gone awry. The threat is our inability to make sense of a shifting universe, to really know another human being and keep love constant.” ★★★★ The Guardian

“Ramin Gray’s direction gives elegant shape and attention-fixing pace to the flow of words.” The Observer

“There’s no faulting Ramin Gray’s beautiful, eloquent staging” ★★★★ The Scotsman

FRIDAY 15 FEBRUARY

Performance: 8pmTickets: £13 (concessions £11)

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Phil McIntyre Entertainments presents

Mark ThomasBravo Figaro!After walking the wall in the West Bank, becoming Guinness World Record holder for political protests and chasing arms dealers around the country, Mark Thomas turns his attention to matters closer to home with a show about his father.

First commissioned by the Royal Opera House, Bravo Figaro is the true tale of a self-employed builder’s love of opera, degenerative illness and how to put opera on in a bungalow in Bournemouth.

It is about love, death and the search for peace in an imperfect world ... with some gags thrown in for luck and told by one of the finest storytellers in the country.

“ Applies his irrepressible personality, story-telling and stand-up skills to the poignant subject of his 72-year-old dad... bravo indeed” Telegraph ★★★★

“ Touching but brilliantly funny” The Times ★★★★

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High Tide Festival Theatre presents

Bottleneckby Luke Barnes

Liverpool, 1989. Greg is fourteen. He has just started secondary school. He earns pocket money sweeping up hair in a barber’s. Girls are aliens. Liverpool FC are everything.

A vibrant coming-of-age story set against a Liverpudlian backdrop, this punchy one man show fuses comedy and tragedy, exploring how the outside world views this notorious city, and how it views the outside world.

HighTide Festival Theatre is a new-writing powerhouse, championing a new generation of outstanding playwrights and producing their work with partners including the National Theatre, the Old Vic and Soho Theatre.

“Luke Barnes, 24, captures the voice of Britain’s youth with wit and compassion. He emerges from this year’s Fringe as a red-hot writing talent to watch.” The Independent ★★★★

“ Outstanding.” The Telegraph ★★★★

“ Performed with poise and seemingly endless energy.” The Scotsman ★★★★

Recommended for age 12+ – contains strong language

www.hightide.org.uk

Performances: 8pmTickets: £13 (concessions £11)


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Paines Plough, Birmingham Rep and The Roundhouse present

Wastedby Kate Tempest

I’m making a decision. I’m changing things. This is it.

Three old friends. One remarkable day. For Ted, Danny and Charlotte, life will never be the same again. A day glo trip through the parks and raves and cafes of South London, where life is what you make it. The words of Kate Tempest paint a picture of lives less ordinary in an unforgiving world, sound-tracked by an exhilarating score. A play about life, love and losing your mind.

Kate Tempest is the UK’s most exciting performance poet, currently serving up a storm in the UK hip-hop scene with her band Sound Of Rum. Wasted is her debut play and features her trademark lyrical ferocity in a dynamic theatrical staging.

“ Ingenious... funny... spot-on.” The Guardian ★★★★

“ An unmissable experience.” Whatsonstage ★★★★

“ Seductive as smoke.” Time Out ★★★★


www.painesplough.com

THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY TUESDAY 12 – WEDNESDAY 13 MARCH


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House Presents Les Enfants Terribles in association with Wales Millennium Centre and Luton Hat Factory

The Trench Inspired by a true story, this new play tells the tale of a miner who became entombed in a tunnel during World War One.As the horror threatens to engulf him the boundaries between reality and fantasy begin to blur as he discovers a strange world beneath the mud and death leaving him to question what’s real, what’s not and whether it even matters?

Blending live music, verse, puppetry and physical performance, The Trench is the critically acclaimed new show from the team behind The Terrible Infants, Ernest and the Pale Moon and The Infant.

“ Les Enfants Terribles’ latest creation is exciting, slick and evocative.” What’s On Stage ★★★★

“ A pitch perfect demonstration of atmospheric theatre.” The List ★★★★

www.lesenfantsterribles.co.uk

THURSDAY 18 APRILT

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Performance: 8pmTickets: £13 (concessions £11 )


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Vamos Theatre in association with The Courtyard Hereford present

Finding JoyA comic, anarchic, touching and heroic full mask adventure.

Joy is creative, funny, loves to dance, and is losing her memory: her grandson Danny is rebellious, fearless, bright, and always getting into trouble. When out of the blue, Danny decides to become Joy’s carer, where will their unexpected and playful bond lead them?

Vamos Theatre creates innovative full mask theatre that brims with visual inventiveness, music, puppetry, dexterity and hilarity. Finding Joy is based on life events and true stories, and is created in association with movement play specialists JABADAO. It is funny and fearless theatre from one of the UK’s foremost full mask theatre companies.

“ Uplifting, funny, moving and wonderfully inventive…a truly magical piece of full mask theatre” Hereford Times

“ An affecting, heartfelt production that is funny and touching in turn. The magic of Rachael Savage’s production is that it creates such a vivid world without voice and words.” The Guardian

www.vamostheatre.co.uk


Performances: 8pm Tickets: £13 (concessions £11)



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Clerkinworks in co-production with Improbable in association with Oval House present

The BearDirected by Lee Simpson

Performed by Angela Clerkin and Guy Dartnell

A film noir thriller with added beartastic facts and revenge songs.

Angela is a solicitor’s clerk. She works with the defence team during criminal trials. The job brings her face to face with people accused of GBH, rape and murder.

In the cells under the Old Bailey, Angela meets her client who is on trial for murder. “I didn’t do it,” he says. “The Bear did it.” He’s obviously lying. Or mad. This is London after all. But when she examines all the evidence, reads all the files, there it is again. The bear. Someone else saw it. Without quite knowing why, Angela finds herself hunting the bear. Until she discovers the bear is hunting her.

A taut, tense and funny show about an everyday murder and a mythic bear.

“ Improbable... is one of the most energising and provocative forces in British theatre” The Guardian

www.improbable.co.uk

TUESDAY 7 MAY



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Company of Angels and Salisbury Playhouse present

Nordost by Torsten Buchsteiner

A story about protecting the people you love – and avenging their loss.It’s October 23, 2002 and Olga and her daughter are settling into their seats at the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow. They’re about to watch ‘Nordost’ – a family musical, a song-and-dance spectacular about the glories of Russian soldiers.

Across town, Zura, a young Chechen widow sits in a van. Around her, other young widows, who have loved and lost before their 20th birthday.

Outside a hospital, Tamara, a doctor, receives a radio call: Chechen militants have laid siege to the Dubrovka Theatre.

This extraordinary, multi award-winning play presents three women willing to sacrifice their lives for the people they love. In this UK premiere, three outstanding British actresses take the stage with a ‘silent chorus’ of young people from St Edward’s School.

“ Engaging and electrifying ...an arresting and absorbing piece of theatre that no-one should miss.” On Stage Scotland on Apples (Herald Angel Award winner 2010)

www.companyofangels.co.uk www.salisburyplayhouse.com


TUESDAY 14 – WEDNESDAY 15 MAY




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Idle Motion presents

That Is All You Need To Know Set in 1940s England and the secretive worlds of the cold huts of ‘Station X’ at Bletchley Park, this stunning piece of visual theatre uses inventive staging and multimedia projection to explore the stories and lives of the remarkable men and women whose quiet work changed the course of our history.

Idle Motion are a small company with big ideas and a huge passion for creating exciting and beautiful new work. Established five years ago in Oxford, Idle Motion have since become major players on the national and international theatre scene.

“ This physical theatre ensemble have a bright future.” Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

“ An astonishingly accomplished young company” The List

www.idlemotion.co.uk

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Performance: 8pmTickets: £13 (concessions £11 )

FRIDAY 17 MAY


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Pickled Image & The North Wall present

The Shop of Little HorrorsHow do you scream without moving your lips?Grimlake’s Emporium of Novelties: a dilapidated shop on the outskirts of Nowhere, where corny magic tricks and strange puppets collect dust and cobwebs. No one has entered the shop for years, but that’s just fine by proprietor Albert Grimlake – a man obsessed with puppets. Particularly ventriloquist dummies. Each face lovingly crafted by his own hand… and each bearing an uncanny resemblance to customers, friends and family long gone.

But Grimlake is growing old and won’t last forever. He has no son and no successor. Time is running out to find someone to keep the Emporium open, someone to breathe life into his creations, someone who shares his peculiar passion for puppets…

Enter Eric. He’s young, He’s eager. He’s seen all the Muppet Movies, twice. He’s the perfect applicant: keener than mustard and easily moulded. But Eric discovers there’s so much to learn...

The Shop of Little Horrors is a dark and twisted horror show with a wicked sense of humour, featuring a macabre collection of characters. Using extraordinary puppets, masks and props, Pickled Image has created a show to rival their sell out international successes, Houdini’s Suitcase, Hunger and Late Night Wolf Tales.

The North Wall is proud to be part of the making of this grippingly gruesome new show. Be the first to see it at these premiere performances.

www.pickledimage.co.uk


(P.S. This show contains no carnivorous plants.)

WEDNESDAY 29 MAY – SATURDAY 1 JUNE



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New Vic Productions and Eastbourne Theatres present

Blonde Poison by Gail Louw. Starring Elizabeth Counsell.

Based on a true story, Blonde Poison tells the tale of a woman who was both victim and persecutor during World War II. Stella Goldschlag was a Jew living illegally in war-torn Berlin when she was betrayed and tortured. When offered the chance of saving herself and her parents from deportation to Auchswitz, she agreed to be a ‘Greifer’ for the Gestapo and betray Jews in hiding. She was extraordinarily successful in this and her activities increased after her parents had finally been deported. She was accused of finding and capturing more than three thousand Jews.

With a character ranging from tortured victim to cruel killer, from loving daughter to betrayer of friends, from gentle lover to depraved promiscuity, she was given the name ‘Blonde Poison’ by the Gestapo, who revelled in her treachery. Decades later, she agrees to be interviewed by a well-respected journalist, but can Stella ever be released from her past?

“Gail Louw has written, without doubt, one of the finest pieces of solo theatre ever to have been performed with her latest play, Blonde Poison.” What’s On Stage ★★★★★

“‘Powerful and thought provoking ........incredible and intense.........deeply shocking........an unforgettable evening’” The Argus ★★★★★

www.blondepoison.com

WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE THURSDAY 6 JUNE



// Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com // Booking: 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

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Clout Theatre presents

How a Man Crumbled“Art is a cupboard! We are not cakes!”

Award winning Clout Theatre invites you to dive head first into the absurd world of the Russian poet and false moustache wearer Daniil Kharms. Three scabrous storytellers lose the plot as comic vignettes, random ponderings and bouts of senseless violence provide constant distraction. Expressionist silent film meets grotesque slapstick in a world where clocks have no hands and a cucumber can kill a man.

Winner of Physical Fest Audience Award 2012 and nominated in the Total Theatre Awards 2012.

“An hour of sheer pleasure.” The Scotsman ★★★★

“Gleeful jump-cutting drollery” The Herald ★★★★


Two delightful chamber concerts, presented by the Soloists of the orchestra.

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FRIDAY 15 MARCH

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OCM presents

Seaming To + Kira Kira Singer and multi-instrumentalist Seaming To has been a mainstay of many of the UK’s most interesting musical ventures for a good while (Homelife, Graham Massey, Herbaliser, Robert Wyatt). Presenting a deeply personal piece, Seaming joins her prize-winning concert pianist mother Enloc Wu to perform “Songs for My Grandmother”, combining the worlds of alternative electronic and classical music. Picking from voice, clarinet, dulcimer, music box and electronics this is a show full of unexpected musical corners and charming directness.

“ The voice of the 21st century.” Radio One

Kira Kira last performed for OCM with the Icelandic Kitchen Motors collective in 2006. This mischievous group crosses the divides between film, music, art and theatre, and Kira Kira’s solo work is similarly eclectic. Beautiful noises combine with subtle instrumentation to immersive and beguiling effect.

Recommended to those who came to: Lotus Pedals, Kitchen Motors, Paddy Steer, Simon Bookish, Pamelia Kurstin.

www.ocmevents.org



SUNDAY 24 MARCH TUESDAY 18 JUNE

Mozart Divertimento in D major, K. 136

Beethoven String Quartet in C minor, Op.18 No. 4

Ravel String Quartet in F major

Three invigorating string quartets feature in this performance, showcasing the outstanding interpretive skills of these wonderful musicians. Though grounded in classical tradition, Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 4 looks forward to a new musical era, demonstrating his desire to experiment and innovate through the Quartet’s lack of slow movement and consequent relentless energy. Ravel’s ever popular String Quartet, awash with sensual melodies, exotic flair, and rhythms of a compelling vibrancy, is often considered his first masterpiece. Tripping along in a bright and carefree manner, Mozart’s Divertimento in D major shows just how influential his travels to Italy were in shaping his compositional style.

Ticket includes interval tea and biscuits.

Barber Summer Music for Wind Quintet

Britten Excerpts from Six Metamorphoses after Ovid

Debussy Syrinx

Ibert Cinq pièces en trio

The talented Soloists of Oxford Philomusica return to the North Wall, this time with a dazzling performance from members of the orchestra’s wind section. Their chamber music skills will shine through Barber’s Summer Music, a work as much an instrumental showcase as it is evocative of a perfect lazy summer day. Excerpts from Six Metamorphoses after Ovid provide a fitting tribute to their composer, Benjamin Britten, in his centenary year. Originally written as incidental music to a play, Debussy’s beguiling and fantastical Syrinx is now recognised as a seminal part of the flute repertoire. Ibert’s charming set of miniatures for oboe, clarinet and bassoon are a delightful antithesis to Syrinx’s bold statement.

Ticket includes pre-concert glass of wine at 6.30pm

Performance: 3pmTickets: £20 (concessions £15 & £10, restricted view £10)

Performance: 7pmTickets: £20 (concessions £15 & £10, restricted view £10)

Please Note: Over 60’s concessions are not available at these events

OCM presents

Sons of KemetIf there’s a band which sums up how exciting the UK jazz scene is at the moment, it’s Sons of Kemet. Headed up by BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist Shabaka Hutchings (saxes), with two mighty and intricate drummers Tom Skinner and Seb Rochford, the

quartet’s unlikely line-up is topped by tuba star Oren Marshall.

The previous collaborations of the band members reads like a modern lexicon of creative music and includes Radiohead, Courtney Pine, Matthew Herbert, Zero 7, Polar Bear and the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Expect idiosyncratic but danceable grooves, improvised twists and a passion and conviction which set this new band apart. Drawing on jazz tradition, Jamaican heritage and New Orleans street music, Jazzwise magazine describe Sons of Kemet as “easily the most exciting band …on the new BritJazz scene over the last year.”

“ Incandescent” The GuardianRecommended to those who came to: Polar Bear, TrioVD, Oren Marshall supporting Murcof or The Necks.

www.ocmevents.org

FRIDAY 3 MAY

WEDNESDAY 10 APRIL

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Coope, Boyes & SimpsonA cappella trio

“ A tour de force of unaccompanied singing.” ★★★★ Mojo

“ One of the great strengths of the English folk scene has been the tradition of close-harmony vocal work, and the trio of Barry Coope, Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson have been amongst the finest exponents.” ★★★★ The Guardian

Described as “quite simply the best purveyors of a cappella song on these Islands”, Coope, Boyes and Simpson are an English vocal folk trio, formed in 1990. They combine unique reworkings of traditional material and well‐crafted, original songs with beautifully memorable tunes, soaring harmonies and words that strike a chord.

Over the last twenty years, as well as recording a series of critically-acclaimed albums, they have worked on a number of exclusive projects, one of which was at the National Theatre. They collaborated and performed with former Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo in Private Peaceful, their powerful lyrics forming the perfect story-telling accompaniment.

Their latest album, titled As if…, garnered praise from The Guardian, Songlines and Mojo and nominations for Best Album and Best Band at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.




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Vivienne Smith Management presents

Shazia MirzaCuckoolandHilarious brand new show from internationally acclaimed award winning stand-up comedian Shazia Mirza.

‘Cuckooland’ – Anyone can be anything, do anything and say anything. Who cares what anyone thinks, you’re going to say it anyway! You have to be a bit deluded but some people are just living in Cuckooland!

Shazia is in huge demand with coverage from press, TV and radio across the world. Her many TV appearances include ‘The Wright Stuff’ (C5) ‘Have I Got News For You’ (BBC) ‘Joan Bakewell’s Taboo’ (BBC) ‘60 Minutes’ (BBC) and ‘Richard & Judy’ (C4).

Her BBC3 documentary ‘F*** Off I’m A Hairy Woman’ received a record breaking 613,000 viewers on its first transmission.

“ Great material and definitely worth seeing.” The Scotsman

“ Clever, groundbreaking and very funny.” Evening Standard

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THURSDAY 21 FEBRUARY

Show + Tell present

Simon MunneryFylm-MakkerExperimenting with a tiny camera and big screen, Simon Munnery is Fylm-Makker. Presenting a beautiful mix of visual sketches, handcrafted animation, music and stand-up, all created and performed live on screen, this is “one of the most consistently original and imaginative minds in comedy” (The Guardian) at his most rewarding, enthralling and avant-garde best.

As recently seen/heard on BBC2’s Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, The Culture Show, Comedy Central’s The Alternative Comedy Experience and Radio 4’s News Quiz. Simon is a British Comedy Award nominee, Chortle Award winner, Perrier Award nominee and Sony Radio Award winner.

“ Simon Munnery is an avant-garde comedy god. Ambitious, artistic and hugely funny – comedy connoisseurs will love it” ★★★★ Time Out

“ There are more brilliant ideas in one of his shows than most comics manage in a lifetime” The Times

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Introducing… Matt Richardson!So Comedy at the North Wall’s resident MC

“The next bright young sensation of comedy” The GuardianAfter starting comedy in November 2009 multi award-winning comedian Matt Richardson quickly became one of the most exciting new acts on the comedy circuit.

Within a year he had appeared in the finals of some of the biggest stand-up competitions in the country, including the prestigious ‘So You Think You’re Funny’, The Chortle Student Comedy Award and performed to several thousand people in the Comedy Tent at Latitude Festival in the final of The Latitude New Act of the Year.

Matt can’t wait to get started as the host of our regular comedy nights. Each month he’ll be putting a brand new roster of comedians through their paces, so he’s going to

become a familiar face around here – just like you (we hope!)

THURSDAY 14TH MARCH

Rob Rouse As seen on 8 out of 10 Cats (Channel 4) and Celebrity Juice (ITV2) “Immensely talented” The Sunday Times

Shirley & Shirley Sketch, character & physical comedy double act as seen at Edinburgh Fringe and Latitutde Festival.“I was quite simply left wanting more” ★★★★ Three Weeks

“A sassy and inventive tour de force of a performance.” ★★★★ The List

THURSDAY 11TH APRIL

Rob Deering “Bruisingly hilarious” Time Out“Truly wonderful stand-up” The Sunday Times

Eric Lampaert T4 Rising Star Of 2012

“Sublimely amusing” Time Out

THURSDAY 16TH MAY

Joel Dommett As seen on MTV and Russell Howard’s Good News (BBC3)“Confident & charming” Chortle

PLUS Special Guest – to be announced!

THURSDAY 13TH JUNE

EDINBURGH PREVIEW SPECIALRob Beckett Host of ITV2’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here... Now! and as seen on 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4)“Little short of a revelation” ★★★★ The Scotsman

…and more acts to be announced! Keep your eye on the North Wall website for more details.

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So Comedy Television presents

So Comedy Live! A chance to see some of the nation’s best up and coming comedians at our regular comedy nights from the producers of BBC1’s The Graham Norton Show.

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Agim SulajAgim Sulaj is a well-known Albanian painter. His love of painting and art in general developed from an early age, inspired by the paths and narrow streets of the historic coastal city of Vlora, where he spent his childhood.

In 1985, after completing his studies at the Academy of Arts in Tirana, Agim began collaborating with Hosteni, a satirical political magazine, which exposed the young artist to the world of humour and satire, which became an important element in the formation of his work. Around the same time, he developed a hyper-realistic style that is more dominant in his later work.

In his landscapes, the painter expresses his nostalgia for the beauty of nature as captured during his childhood, whilst his cartoons depict major social and political problems of the 21st century, such as world poverty, environmental pollution and immigration.

Agim Sulaj’s work has won prestigious awards around the globe and has been exhibited alongside well known artists, such as De Chirico, Balthus, Nerdrum, Sandorfi, and David Hockney. He currently lives in Rimini, Italy, with his wife and two children, and works as an artist, illustrator and cartoonist.

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// Gallery: Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm 01865 319450 or www.thenorthwall.com

Oxford Sculptors GroupFollowing the success of their previous exhibition in 2010, we are delighted to announce the return of the Oxford Sculptors Group to the North Wall in the New Year.

The eclectic mix of sculptures and wall hangings will give a fascinating insight into the creative pursuit of the artists – both established and emerging. With media including wood, stone, steel and bronze, and themes inspired by the human form, the animal kingdom and the abstract, there should certainly be something to suit everyone.

All works on display are for sale, so this will be a good investment opportunity for new collectors and a great chance to own a living piece of contemporary art.

www.oxfordsculptors.org

TUESDAY 5 FEBRUARY – FRIDAY 1 MARCHTUESDAY 8 JANUARY –

FRIDAY 1 FEBRUARY

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Annie Newnham: Life and Lino

“Annie feels she has failed if she cannot get a figure down on paper within half a minute.” John Randle, Matrix

Annie Newnham sees the human body as every artist’s starting point – her own with oils, where she is well known. Catch it unawares, off guard. The awkward angle as much as the careful pose. These became mantras among her students after 20 years of adult teaching in Oxfordshire.

She spent an entire year at the Royal Academy Schools drawing from life. After being awarded the Alma Tadema prize and a Leverhulme, she went abroad, her sketchbook always handy, to meet other forms and contexts. Later her work moved into lino, which she has made a vibrant medium for illustration work.

A number of her life drawings, along with other sketches plus some lino prints, will be available to buy. The fixed display includes posters, artist’s proofs and worksheets, and illustrated books from publishers such as the Folio Society and Inky Parrot Press.

Philip Jolley & Rose Wallace: Fragility & FamiliarityCraft Potters’ Association Members, Philip Jolley and Rose Wallace unite to explore ‘The Past’ as a notion. This theme is deeply embedded in the core of their ceramic practice; however, both express distinctly different methods in inspiration, creation and outcome. This selling exhibition highlights the similarities and contrasts in their approach.

Philip Jolley

Recent pieces have evolved from the use of layers and colour and he is still very much interested in hidden detail and surface quality. For Philip, the suggestion of what might have once been and archaeological finds and remains, with their contrast in materials and surfaces, is most interesting.

“The pieces are meant to be touched, their tactile quality and surface contrasts are an integral part of the final intention.”

Rose Wallace

Rose is based at Magdalen Road Studios, her work references traditional Staffordshire mantelpiece ornaments; these unique ceramic figures are crafted from casts of contemporary packaging and discarded domestic ephemera.

“Quietly narrative, they capture the minutiae of modern life.”

Artweeks Themed EventsCome and join in!

Sundays 5th, 12th, and 19th MayPhilip Jolley and Rose Wallace visit the North Wall on Sundays during May to offer workshops and demonstrations in the art and craft of ceramics:

Children’s Creative Drop-In Sessions: 10am – 12 noon

Ceramics Demonstrations: 2pm - 4pm

TUESDAY 26 MARCH – SATURDAY 20 APRIL WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL – FRIDAY 24 MAY

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St Edward’s School: Mad March ExhibitionThe Mad March show will bring together work by over fifty pupils of St Edward’s School. This exhibition will show examples of multi-media, ceramics, printmaking and drawing and painting by pupils from all year groups. Traditionally this is always one of our most varied and exciting shows and is often the first time these young artists have exhibited in public.

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Miranda RichmondBorn in Buckinghamshire and trained at Bristol College of Art (1977-80) , Miranda has lived and worked in the North-East of England for many years.

In 1979 she met (and later married) the painter Miles Richmond who was a great teacher and strong influence on her work. He himself was a student of David Bomberg.

They worked together mainly from the landscapes of the North Yorkshire Moors and Dales, later moving to Middlesbrough and working from the industrial landscape and coast around Teesside. She has also made painting trips to Egypt, Spain, Sweden, many times to Scotland, and more recently to Australia.

Three years ago she returned to Buckinghamshire, and this period resulted in some portraits of family and friends included in this exhibition.

Her normal practice is to work outdoors in the landscape, frequently on a series from one location over a period of months, through different seasons, weathers and times of day, and in a variety of media. However she does not see her painting as about the transitory effects of different conditions, but as an attempt to find an underlying structure with some depth and permanency.

SES Leavers’ Exhibition: Twenty Twenty VisionThe St Edward’s School leavers’ exhibition will showcase the work of 20 exceptionally talented young artists. This show will demonstrate through Contemporary Art practice how traditional values and techniques in conjunction with the latest technology and concepts, combine in an exhibition which will challenge the senses. Definitely a show not to miss: Degree Level work by Sixth Form students!

MONDAY 4 –

SATURDAY 23 MARCH

MONDAY 17 JUNE –

SATURDAY 6 JULY

TUESDAY 28 MAY– FRIDAY 14 JUNE

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Performed by the children of SS Philip and James Primary School

The Magic ChuteWritten by N.E.A. Carter

Directed by Jon Bliss

Minnie Middlemiss is the middle child of the Middlemiss family. She lives in a mid-terrace house in the middle of an ordinary town in the Midlands. It is safe to say that life for Minnie couldn’t be any more middling. Or, as she puts it, ‘no big shakes.’ But following a family outing to Fortuno’s Circus on her eighth birthday, Minnie’s life turns somersaults.

Despite Keats the Clown’s caution, Minnie passes through the magic chute, a curtained-off area where the backstage becomes the circus ring and where travelling mortals are transformed into star attractions.

Soon Minnie is propelled into centre stage, proclaimed a child genius and selected to swim for Britain at the Olympic Games. But as her celebrity spirals out of control, so do her relationships with her family and her eccentric best friend Aiden.

Will Minnie lose everything that ever really mattered to her? Or can she find her way back to being plain old Minnie Middlemiss, by going back through the magic chute?

The Magic Chute is a play for contortionists, clowns and human cannonballs of all ages!

Performances: 3.30pm & 6.30pmTickets: £7.50 (Concessions £5.50, children £3.50)

THURSDAY 20 JUNE

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MONDAY 29 JULY – SATURDAY 17 AUGUST

Summer Residential Outreach 2013

For three weeks every summer, The North Wall becomes a theatre laboratory, where aspiring young artists can play with new ideas under the guidance of experienced theatre practitioners. Our mission is to break down barriers that would otherwise prevent talented young people from developing meaningful careers in the arts.

Over the last four years, actors, designers, technicians and writers have come together to form a brand new ensemble, creating vibrant new pieces of theatre alongside companies such as Awake Project & ATC. Now in its fifth year, with the ongoing support of St Edward’s School, we are again able to offer this amazing opportunity free of charge to emerging young artists. The details of this year’s outreach project are yet to be confirmed, so watch this space!

Who: Young artists aged 18 – 25: actors, writers, & designers identified through national auditions.

Where: The North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford

How to get involved: If you would like more information about the outreach project including how to audition, please contact Amy Walters by emailing [email protected] or phone 01865 319450.


ENGAGED WITH LEARNING, ENGAGED WITH L IFE

“Music, drama and art are high profile... richer here than in many more prominent schools.”The Good Schools Guide

Offering A Level with the Extended Project plus the IB Diploma. Free places are available through means-tested scholarships and bursaries.

Please contact the Registrar: 01865 [email protected] www.stedwards.oxon.sch.uk

Keep up to date with news and offers Don’t miss out – join our mailing list by registering on the homepage of our website or email [email protected].

www.thenorthwall.com The North Wall is part of St Edward’s, Oxford: charity number 309681

Booking Information

Groups One ticket is free with every ten purchased.

Concessions Where indicated, these apply to schoolchildren, full-time students, UB40s, over 60s and registered disabled. The carer for a wheelchair user receives a free ticket.

Students and school groups Special £5 ticket offer for some shows. Contact box office for availability.

Make a meal of it with Cibo! (at 4 South Parade, just a step from The North Wall) On performance evenings North Wall customers can enjoy a pre or post show two course meal for £9.95 or 25% off the price of alla carta dishes. Dated ticket or other proof of attendance on the night must be shown.

How to find us

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Oakthorpe

Thorncliffe

Beech Croft

Moreton

Marston Ferry

Diamond

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Elizabeth Jennings

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LonsdaleRogers

Stratfield Rd

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Osberton

St Edward’s

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The North Wall Arts Centre

SUMMERTOWN

OXFORD CITY CENTRE1 mile

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The North Wall Arts CentreSouth Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JNBox office: 01865 319450Open: Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and until curtain-up on performance days. Saturdays 12pm – 4pm.Online booking: www.thenorthwall.com Email: [email protected] fees: Cash Payment: no booking fee. Card & Online Payments: £1 per transaction.Gallery: Entrance to the Gallery is free. Opening hours are 10am – 4pm Monday to Friday and during performances in the Theatre. Saturdays 12pm – 4pm.Parking: Two public car parks are five minutes’ walk from the North Wall (see map). There is limited on-street parking in South Parade.Park and Ride: from Pear Tree or Water Eaton until 11pm, Mon-Sat.By train: Oxford rail station is 2 miles from The North Wall.By bus: Buses run frequently to Summertown from Oxford City Centre. The bus stop is South Parade.For more info on travel and parking visit www.summertown.infoAccess: The North Wall has full disabled access and facilities. We also have infra-red and audio-loop systems for people with hearing difficulties.

DATE EVENT CATEGORY PAGEFeb 1 Shazia Mirza: Cuckooland Comedy 31Feb 7-9 The Animals and Children Took to the Street Theatre 8Feb 14 Rumpelstiltskin Kids’ Theatre 5Feb 15 Illusions Theatre 10Feb 16 Mark Thomas: Bravo Figaro Theatre/Comedy 11Feb 21 Simon Munnery Comedy 33Feb 28 Wasted Theatre 12Mar 12-13 Bottleneck Theatre 13Mar 14 So Comedy Live Comedy 34Mar 15 OCM: Seaming To… Music 26Mar 16 The Nightingale Kids’ Theatre 5Mar 24 Oxford Philomusica Music 27April 10 Coope, Boyes & Simpson Music 28April 11 So Comedy Live Comedy 34April 13 Misunderstood Monsters Kids’ Theatre 6April 18 The Trench Theatre 15May 1-2 Finding Joy Theatre 16May 3 OCM: Sons of Kemet Music 29May 7 The Bear Theatre 18May 11 Something Very Far Away Kids’ Theatre 7May 14-15 Nordost Theatre 19May 16 So Comedy Live Comedy 34May 17 That Is All you Need To Know Theatre 21May 29-June 1 The Shop Of Little Horrors Theatre 22June 6 Blonde Poison Theatre 24June 8 Little Sunshine Little Rainfall Kids’ Theatre 6June 12 How a Man Crumbled Theatre 25June 13 So Comedy Live Comedy 34June 18 Oxford Philomusica Music 27June 20 The Magic Chute Community 42Jul 29-Aug 17 Summer Outreach Participation 43 ExhibitionsJan 8-Feb 1 Oxford Sculptors Group 36Feb 5-Mar 1 Agim Sulaj 37Mar 4-23 St Edward’s School: Mad March Exhibition 41Mar 26-April 20 Annie Newnham 38April 24-May 24 Phil Jolley & Rose Wallace 39May 28-June 14 Miranda Richmond 40June 17-Jul 6 St Edward’s School Leavers’ Exhibition 41

See page 46 for special offers and full details of concessions.

At a glance event guide

North Wall Brochure Spring 2013

Documents

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