The Oxford Playhouse Student Slot HT27
The Oxford Playhouse welcomes student theatre every term to perform on its main stage. From large scale plays to the glitziest of musicals, there’s no bigger student stage. Offering unparalleled technical capacity, alongside support from staff at The Oxford Playhouse itself.
Choosing a Production to Pitch
You are advised to contact the University Drama Officer prior to the deadline to discuss your application so that we can support you in making your bid as strong as it possibly can be. They will also check that your proposed title doesn’t clash with anything in the venue’s upcoming programme.
A whole range of texts make fantastic pitches for Oxford Playhouse - from Renaissance drama to Broadway musicals, classics of 20th Century drama to recent modern classics and hidden gems. We don’t have a preference for any particular form, style or genre (even if other students tell you we do…!), though are unlikely to programme new writing. Range of offer is key: recent and upcoming student productions include the musicals Company and Our House, Chekhov’s The Seagull and the Classic faculty’s triennial Greek Play - pitch us work which is different to these titles, not the same!
Previous student productions from the last two decades include: Shakespeare (The Tempest), classics of international 20th Century drama (Blood Wedding, The Threepenny Opera, A View from the Bridge), classic musicals (An American in Paris, Sweeney Todd), modern musicals (Made in Dagenham, Spring Awakening), contemporary drama (Angels in America, Lucy Prebble’s ENRON) and two cases of a student’s own writing (Persephone, Shadows of Troy). There’s a breadth and range to that programme - don’t just repeat what has come before!
How We Make Programming Decisions
After reading your application, you will invite you for a bid interview. Though try to interview every applicant, if more applications are submitted than we have the capacity for we may shortlist prior to interview.
Our programming decisions usually come down to the following:
A clear and cohesive artistic vision, from artistic intention through to marketing.
A clear drive to stage this text in the present moment: Why this play? Why now?
A pitch which understands the comparative scale of the Playhouse stage and the audience you need to reach.
A competent understanding of the production process, alongside a willingness to collaborate.
Though leading an OP production is mostly recommended for students with theatrical experience behind them, don’t let this prevent you from applying – ideas and passion get you just as far. The most successful student production teams at the Playhouse have a complete mix of experienced and less experienced members in their company.
What is the Performance Slot for HT27
We don’t yet know the exact week the production will fall in, as the received programme hasn’t yet been set. It will likely be week 3, but may be weeks 2 or 4.
How to Apply
To submit a bid please fill in the above application form which includes more guidance and information about the slot. Note that no more information is required other than answering the included questions and attaching a provisional budget. Please use the budget template attached above, filling in the ‘Projected’ tab of the template.
Please email your completed application form to Noah Wild, the University Drama Officer, at drama.officer@admin.ox.ac.uk and Katy Snelling, Director of Programming at Oxford Playhouse, at katy.snelling@oxfordplayhouse.com
Deadline: 9am Monday 25th May (5th Week). Interviews will follow in the w/c 1st June
For any questions please contact the University Drama Officer on drama.officer@admin.ox.ac.uk