Lifestyle and Culture Magazine Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and West Berkshire
No: 159 September 2019
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The annual Ocelot Autumn Theatre Guide p14 What's on Ocelot 159 September edition.indd 1
/ STYLE / EATS / BREWS / SCREEN / COMMENT 21/08/2019 10:46
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Peter Andre in Oxford? Check out the theatre guide p14 Magazine highlights 04 The rant 06 Encyclopaedia Ocelotica 12 It’s a wing thing for Josh West 14 The Theatre Guide 28 REVIEW - Wilderness Festival
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The Editorial Team EDITOR - Jamie Hill - jamie@theocelot.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR - Ben Fitzgerald - ben@theocelot.co.uk FEATURES - Claire Dukes - claire@theocelot.co.uk The Sales Team Dave Stewart dave@theocelot.co.uk - 07872 176999 Rosy Presley rosy@positive-media.co.uk - 07717 501790 Main Number - 01793 320043 Positive Media Group, Old Bank House, 5 Devizes Road, Swindon SN1 4BJ PRINTED BY - Deltor, Saltash, Cornwall
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In Gove we trust...
By Jamie Hill
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People in this country have had enough of experts.
On the third of June 2016, all of our worlds changed in one instant. Like the moon landings or the Twin Towers, we all remember where we were when it happened. I was sitting at home. It had been a long day at work, the cat was on my lap and Michael Gove was being interviewed by Faisal Islam on Sky News when he said something that has changed everything ever since. It might have been 1,181 days ago now but I remember it like it was yesterday. Somebody finally had the bravery to say something that was ‘THE TRUTH’. It was only one sentence but its impact was felt all around the world. In a loud booming voice Mr Gove said: “People in this country have had enough of experts.” I remember sitting there and thinking to myself ‘wait a minute, I’m a person in this country, which means I’ve had enough of experts - it must be true as Michael Gove has said it!’. It’s been nearly three and a half years but Mr Gove has definitely followed his own advice. He has become a legend for not using any experts. Just look it up on Google and you’ll be able to see about all of the times that he flew his own
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Boeing 747 aeroplanes to go on holiday, carried out his own gastric bypass after suffering from a liver complaint and, as you can tell, he’s been cutting his own hair for years. He even changed the transmission on his own car after it started leaking transmission fluid caused by improperly adjusted shift cables and clutch linkage. Normally the overheating fluid, gear slippage and the dreaded dragging clutch would all require professional attention but not for Mr Gove, who had had enough of experts. No, not for him - as using true blitz spirit he just got on with it proving once and for all that experts are for losers. (The car has since blown up on an ill-fated trip to Morrisons but that was just one of those things that happens and nothing to do with Mr Gove’s ability to do everything himself, although it did lead to his wife Sarah Vine not being able to file her latest column on time - which was a diatribe against people seeking asylum from warzones where she called them time-wasting grenade dodgers.) But is there a Briton as toweringly fantastic as Mr Gove? Why would we need experts when we have Mr Gove? He has even got his political
party The Conservatives to follow suit as they fly headlong to a no deal Brexit rightly ignoring anything that anyone who knows what they’re talking about has to say about it being a complete disaster for Britain that will lead to food and medicine shortages in the short term and the breakup of the United Kingdom in the long term. As the newly installed Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster as part of his ‘knife in the back’ best mate Boris’s cabinet, he is now in charge of making sure that the United Kingdom manages to traverse its way through a No Deal Brexit and true to his word he’s making sure that he, and also the entire country, carries on not listening to any expert advice at all. In fact anyone who is interviewing for a role as an aide to Michael Gove is instantly dismissed if they reveal any qualifications on their CV. Any A Levels are a complete ‘no-no’ and if you reveal that you have a degree, Mr Gove will get his ‘paddle’ from his Aberdeen University days and will personally march you up and down The Mall shouting his mantra ‘No more experts, no more experts.’ In Gove we trust.
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By Ben Fitzgerald
Encyclopedia Ocelotica: Animals in space Before humans ventured beyond the atmosphere, we bravely sent a menagerie of creatures ahead of us to check it was safe. The first living things to slip the surly bonds of Earth were humble fruit flies launched aboard a V2 rocket in 1947 by US scientists. Bafflingly there are no statues commemorating these early space pioneers - what’s the problem? It wouldn’t even need to be that big. The insectronauts did a great job and survived their trip but struggled to report back what they had witnessed in any meaningful way. These were followed by an unwitting rhesus macaque called Albert on June 11 1948 also onboard a V2 rocket unfortunately he died of suffocation during the flight. His journey was not a wasted one, heavily underlining the need for oxygen during flight to the edge of the atmosphere. The imaginatively named Albert II was up next. Thankfully he survived the flight into space and must have been feeling mightily relieved right up until he impacted with the ground at 120mph after his parachute failed to open. His journey was not a wasted one, heavily underlining the need for much slower landing speeds. Monkeys are not stupid. So it must have been concerning for the next one to learn that its name was Albert III. However, Albert III must have taken some solace in the sacrifices made by Albert I and II that meant that space travel was
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One of the ill-fated Alberts now safer than it had ever been. And he was probably humming cheerfully to himself when his V2 rocket exploded at 35,000 feet. His journey was not a wasted one, heavily underlining the need for scientists to remember that although the V2 was designed as a Nazi weapon of war, explosions should be avoided in the context of space travel. Poor old Albert IV probably resigned himself to a sticky end when he spotted his name written on his Nasa name badge. He also died when his parachute failed to deploy and he impacted with the ground at 120mph. His journey had been a wasted one, heavily underlining the need for scientists not to waste journeys. And when Albert V also smacked into the ground at 120mph scientists decided to stop sending monkeys called
Albert into space. And so it was that Yorick (Hang on, wasn’t he the dead guy in Hamlet?) found himself sharing a rocket with 11 mouse crewmates. Everyone survived the journey into space! And the whole crew survived the landing! Although two of the mice baked to death in the New Mexico sun while waiting for the recovery team to finish their coffee. That was in September 1951. Meanwhile, the Russians had stolen a march on the US four months previously by sending two dogs into space - Tsygan and Dezik - and they returned alive. Furthermore they were recovered from their spacecraft because the Russians were aware that dogs die in hot space capsules. And as a sassy follow up - on November 3 1957, the Russians put a dog called Laika into space as the second orbiting object after the Sputnik. Laika was amusingly nicknamed Muttnick by the western media. There was a great celebration of this achievement although the fact that poor old Laika was left to die in space was brushed aside - the technology to bring her back alive had yet to be developed. On the upside, at least Laika had a statue built, unlike the fruit flies. Numerous other dogs were launched into orbit and numerous others on sub-orbital flights before 12 April 1961, when Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. He was probably quite surprised when he made it back alive.
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SEPTEMBER 2019 FRI 6th 80’S NIGHT - THE DUKE ROADSHOW - VIDEO DJ WITH RICH ‘T’ - 9pm-3am - £5
FRI 6th ONE CHORD WONDERS - CLASSIC PUNK & NEW WAVE - 9pm-11.30pm
SAT 7th OPERATION 77 - SKA-PUNK CLASSICS - 9pm-11.30pm
SAT 7th THE ELECTRIC TROUBADOURS - A HIGH ENERGY ROCK BAND WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CLASSIC ROCK - 9pm-11.30pm
SAT 14th PUNK THE CLUB! - 5 ORIGINAL PUNK BANDS STORM THE CLUB! - 7pm-11.30pm - £5 FRI 20th 80:THREE + DJ DUST - 80’S SYNTH POP TRIBUTE - 8.30pm-3am SAT 21st FIGHT KLUB - DN’B WORKOUT SESSION - 1pm-3pm SAT 21st CIRCU5/I AM THE MANIC WHALE/LET’S SWIM, GET SWIMMING - ORIGINAL PROGRESSIVE ROCK - 8pm-11.30pm - £6 adv/£8 otd TUE 24th SPEAR OF DESTINY + SPECIAL GUESTS - KIRK BRANDON - 8pm-11pm - £18 adv FRI 27th RORY INDIANA + PALMIST - MODERN ALT-ROCK ORIGINALS - 8.30pm-11.30pm - £3
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FRI 13th EVOLUTION - MODERN ROCK & INDIE COVERS - 9pm-11.30pm SAT 14th THE LIAM WARD BAND - RHYTHM AND BLUES ORIGINALS - 9pm-11.30pm FRI 20th PUNK & DISORDERLY - CLASSIC PUNK & POST-PUNK PLAYED WITH A KICK - 9pm-11.30pm FRI 27th METAL GODS - A TRIBUTE TO 80’S ROCK & METAL - 9pm-11.30pm SAT 28th BONES - CLASSIC ROCK, AMERICANA AND BEYOND - 9pm-11.30pm
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REVIEW: The Boys – “Should I laugh or should I recoil in disgust” Words by Xavier Pickford
There is no easing in with new Amazon Prime series The Boys. You get thrown straight into this strange and brutal parallel universe where people are even more obsessed with superheroes. Just like our world they attend red carpet events, give interviews, visit sick children and star in films however unlike our superheroes they’re real! Which sounds great until a newly rising goodie-two-shoes pageant raised “supe” joins some fellow heroes in The Seven and we begin to delve a little Deep-er. Things are not always as they seem. The Seven are “managed” like film stars, heavily controlled and watched, told what to wear, where to go and who to save by Vought corporation supposedly for their own good. As corporations in these sorts of shows tend to, Vought raise a lot of questions with their avoidance techniques and non-disclosure settlements. I wonder who the supervillain of this series is? Some scenes leave you at a loss “should I laugh, should I recoil in disgust?” others leave you angry or finding yourself feeling sorry for a “bad guy”, and some are simply bizarre for example SPOILER ALERT Laser gun babies pew pew! I wonder if some of this strange humour could be credited to producer Seth Rogan. Eric Kripke’s writing shows his talent with clever character development through almost all of the players in this
story. This is the same style we see in his other shows like Supernatural. However true to the comics The Boys is considerably more brutal and gore filled than Kripke’s other shows. One of my fellow nerd favourite actors also makes an appearance, although he was the original inspiration for the comic version of the main protagonist Hughie, Simon Pegg unfortunately is about 24 years too... aged for this role. Instead he plays a smaller role as Hughie’s father! Overall the casting is excellent. A grieving Hughie is dragged into a group of questionable but lovable misfits called The Boys, led by rough Londoner Butcher, a man scorned and on a war path to get his revenge on the supes! The final episode is a real cliff-hanger ending and I can’t wait for series Two!
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The Wine Column
By Darren Willmott of vinesight.me
Make your wedding pop!
There are roughly 260,000 weddings in the UK every year. And so, despite how planning the perfect personalised wedding can sometimes feel unachievable, there’s a wealth of advice to help things go as smoothly as possible, whatever your requirements. Compared to ‘focus’ items such as the venue, bridesmaid dresses or the music choices, wine can feel somewhat further down the planning scale. It’s just Champagne for the toast and then a choice between red and white, right? With an average of 96 guests invited to your big day, each with their own expectations, the food and drink deserves more than a passing thought. According to research, you’ll be spending roughly 20% of your budget on it, so it’s a key thing to get right. In terms of drinks, as well as catering for those not drinking alcohol for whatever reason, a good rule of thumb per person is a welcome drink, half a bottle for the main meal, and finally something fizzy for the toast. To ensure a happy crowd it’s probably better to over-cater than under-cater, and you can usually get a refund on any
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unused bottles. Don’t feel that the toast and welcome drink needs to be budget-blowing expensive Champagne. Cheaper doesn’t equal cheap, but if Prosecco or Cava don’t have the grandeur for your special occasion, my top tip is to go for Cremant. Although you may not be familiar with it, it’s another French sparkling wine made in exactly the same way as Champagne, just not in the Champagne region. You’ll save yourself a lot of money and most guests would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. For the main course, a good rule of thumb is to plan for the white vs red on a 40/60 split. To ensure you please as many palates as possible keep your choices simple and classic, and
check that they compliment your food choices (e.g. avoid powerful reds with lighter meats such as chicken). It also adds a nice touch if there is a story behind the wine too, such as serving one that you both tried whilst on holiday. As with all aspects of your preparations, mention the word ‘wedding’ and prices immediately shoot upwards. Sourcing the wine yourself rather than going with the limited options from your venue can mean a little extra detective work but could also save you money. Don’t forget to check whether your venue applies a corkage fee. Another good thing to check is that the venue is providing adequate serving staff for your expected number of guests. You want people to focus on enjoying themselves rather than wondering when the next drink will turn up! Putting a set number of bottles on each table may seem like you’re giving people the opportunity for a free-for-all, but research shows that people actually drink slower if they can go at their own pace, rather than downing a drink each time they see the lesser-spotted server. Cheers!
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The recipe
Fragrant pilaf with hazelnuts braised turnips
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Don’t flinch at the idea of a turnip. Spring or summer turnips are small and sweet with a radish-like taste. Cooking a good pilaf is all about light but fragrant spicing and gentle cooking of the rice. Method: Put a pan of well salted water on to boil. Wash the rice thoroughly in the sieve under running water until the water starts to run clear. Peel the zest away from the lemon in thin strips with a potato peeler. Tip the rice into the pan of boiling water, making sure the water covers it well. Return it to the boil and simmer for 6 minutes. Before starting the pilaf, peel your turnips. Cut them into 2cm chunks. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the other saucepan and get it very hot. Throw in the turnips, season
with salt and fry them vigorously for 1 minute. Add the cider vinegar, 80ml of water and half the butter. Bring to a boil and clamp the lid on tight. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring at regular intervals. Meanwhile, trim and finely slice the green beans into 1cm pieces, at an angle. Trim and finely slice 3 spring onions. Melt the remaining butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the cleaned rice pan. Add the pilaf spice pot, half the cinnamon stick, and 3 strips of lemon zest. Fry lightly for 1 minute. Press the cardamom pods with a wooden spoon to split them. Tip 80ml of water into the pan and add the rice. Season well with salt and pepper. Gently stir it through the butter, then level it out and press 8 holes into the surface with the handle
of a spoon. Pop the lid on, fold the edges up and over the lid so they don’t catch. Cook on a very low heat for 5 minutes. Trim away the tough ends from 100g of asparagus Slice the asparagus stalks into 1cm pieces. Keep the spear heads whole. Add the green beans, spring onions and asparagus to the rice. Return to a low heat for a further 15 minutes, until the rice and veg are tender. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the hazelnuts. Wash the parsley and half the dill. Shake them dry, pick the leaves and fronds from the stalks and finely chop them. Stir the dill into the turnips. Stir the parsley and hazelnuts into the rice. Serve the pilaf with the turnips on top. For more delicious recipes like this see www.riverford.co.uk
200g basmati rice 1 lemon Olive oil 400g spring turnips 2 tbsp cider vinegar 25g butter
½ cinnamon stick 1 pilaf spice pot, containing: Pinch saffron 1 tsp cardamom pods 2 cloves 1 bay leaf
125g flat green beans 3 spring onions 100g asparagus 40g toasted hazelnuts 30g parsley 15g dill
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The Pickup Point Taking pub food to new heights
By Ben Fitzgerald
T
here are burgers... and there are burgers that have been assembled by a classically trained chef with a passion for perfection. It’s the difference between chalk and cheeseburger. Swindon’s newly opened Pick Up Point at the Hop Inn in Old Town takes the concept of pub grub, grabs it by the scruff of the neck and dropkicks it into the middle of next week. “I wouldn’t call The Pick Up Point gourmet food,” admits chef Josh West. “It’s just that most other burger places are a bit s***. “I don’t care if that ruffles a few feathers, I set my standards high. Come and give The Pick Up Point a try and you will find out how it should be done.” Chef Josh West, is firing on all cylinders as he works the kitchen,
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whipping up a Honey Buffalo Ranch burger in a blizzard of flying flour and sizzling fat. As we both stand back to admire the finished product, a fried chicken thigh, dripping with glossy smoked honey buffalo sauce, crunchy slaw, herb ranch and house dill pickles, it’s clear that we are looking at something far removed from many other ‘fast food’ standards. And the taste is like a big savoury slap around the chops crunchy fried chicken packed with intense flavour - stretching the definition of burger to the limit. Josh concedes: “There is something about McDonald’s - not so much Burger King (he pulls a face) - that they do right, and that’s the sauce. If you can recreate that then it’s going to taste OK. “But I believe that if you can
create something that has been obsessed about, that uses the best ingredients from trusted suppliers, and put it together with skill, you are going to end up with something pretty special.” Josh cut his teeth in the classical French tradition - spending a year in France to hone his art, before spending many years working in the kitchens of hotels and restaurants in London and the Cotswolds. “It’s a pretty good training ground - having to cut herbs to the millimetre and do everything to perfection - with the threat of something being chucked at you if you get it wrong! It’s a great discipline. “But my real passion is Asian cuisine which has developed over the years. I’ve always thought it would work brilliantly in a pub and now I’ve got the chance to
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Little
Hop: big prospects
The revolution of Old Town into a paradise for drink and food connoisseurs continues unabated with the opening of The Little Hop. Earlier this year the original Hop on Devizes Road closed its door whilst its owners Jason, his wife Karen and his son Ben Putt took over the neighbouring Pig on the Hill which had been closed for about a year - opening it once again as The Hop in May. The larger venue proved very popular for the Old Town scene and joined
establishments like The Tuppenny and The Eternal Optimist on Devizes Road making the street a haven for those who appreciate finer drinking. Now the team behind The Hop have proved that lightning can indeed strike twice by reopening the original Hop (are you getting confused yet?) as The Little Hop on the site of the old venue. The new venture is in association with Arbor Ales, an award-winning Bristol-based brewery and offers something a little different in a lovely, cosy intimate
make that happen. You have that wonderful apothecary of ingredients that have such big flavours - there’s not a great deal of subtlety but it works really well with a pint of beer. “It’s been an amazing start and Jason and Ben, who run The Hop, have been brilliant. “They’ve given me complete freedom to create The Pick Up Point and that has made all the difference.” The menu, as it stands, comprises a tight and carefully considered menu of four burgers, two wings and cauliflower bites. And there are plans in place to expand the menu as the business develops. To try Pick Up Point food, visit The Hop at 8 Devizes Road, Old Town. Follow on Instagram @ Thepickuppoint
setting. Jason said: “When we moved the Hop to just down the road we decided to keep the original premises but we wanted to offer something slightly different so that is why we’ve gone for a brewery tap colloboration with
Arbor Ales, who have been one of our best suppliers since 2012. “We wanted it to have a different feel to The Hop and we’ve gone for brighter colours like lilac and have got some of the friendliest staff around in the form of Mel Hughes and Josh Lea.”
What’s cooking? Burgers: Seoul Survivor (Korean sauce, soy sauce kimchi, sesame mayo and pickles) aPecker (Fried chicken, American cheese, herb mayonnaise, red onion pickles and shredded lettuce and a veggie Mean Bean (spicy bean burger, shredded cheddar, roast garlic aioli, red onion pickles and sweet chilli yogurt.) Wings: Korean wings (hot sauce, chillies, sesame, coriander) Vietnamese Wings (soy and ginger glaze, chillies, sesame and spring onion.
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Wha on
The Girl on The Train: Samatha Womack and Oliver Farnworth. Photo by Manuel Harlan
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The Ocelot’s Theatre Guide 2019/20 Guide by Claire Dukes
Usually this is my favourite time of year as September circles us back around to Autumn. Given the freakish heat waves - which have absolutely no reasonable explanation, like climate change, of course - I am a little apprehensive about getting excited to be back in jumpers for the time being. However, if there’s one thing that
has remained consistent it’s the impeccable range of shows that theatres across our regions have lined up for Autumn and Winter. If there’s one thing festival season demonstrated it’s that the attention to politics is rising amongst the creative scenes and that includes theatre, music, dance and art. At the tail end of 2019 shows are seemingly becoming more political, with
a rise in efforts to open up discussions about race, class, sexuality and mental health. For anyone who hasn’t been to the theatre in a while, or tried it once and didn’t enjoy it, this guide should provide you with some absolute game-changers that you must go and check out. Putting on a show and want a review? Email claire@positive-media.co.uk
t’s Wha on?
THEATRE
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DANCE
MUSIC
FAMILY FUN
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The Neeld, Chippenham
Dr John Cooper Clarke – The Luckiest Guy Alive with Special Guests
High St, Chippenham www.neeld.co.uk Once upon a time The Neeld was a wartime hospital, even a Cheese Hall, but now it stands as Chippenham’s thriving cultural hub! My must-see: Dr John Cooper Clarke, 18 Nov.
The Pound Arts, Corsham Pound Pill, Corsham www.poundarts.org.uk Pound’s art collective, theatre and exhibition space, bring both contemporary and classic projects through its doors. My must-see: Suzi Ruffell, 14 Dec.
What: Gary Delaney: Gagster’s Paradise When: 18 Oct What: Hazel O’Connor When: 3 Nov What: Terry Franks’ Big Band Christmas When: 20 Dec
Suzi Ruffell: Dance Like Everyone’s Watching
What: Margaret Atwood: Live in Cinemas When: 10 Sept What: Paul Foot When: 11 Oct What: The Anarchist’s Mobile Library When: 19 Oct What: Pound Arts Open exhibition When: 29 Nov - 21 Dec
Cornerstone Arts, Didcot 25 Station Rd, Didcot www.cornerstone-arts.org This venue has achieved a lot since opening in 2008 - with shows, exhibitions and outreach programmes at the heart of it. My must-see: Griff Rhys Jones, 3 Sept.
What: Chippenham Steampunk Festival When: 10 - 20 Oct
What’s on:
Griff Rhys Jones: All Over the Place
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What’s on:
What’s on:
What: Didcot Film Club 2019 When: 4 Sept - 20 Nov What: Everything I See I Swallow When: 10 Oct What: George Egg: Moveable Feast When: 14 Nov What: Stephen K Amos When: 5 - 6 Feb 2020
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The Watermill Theatre
Bagnor, Newbury www.watermill.org.uk Fair play to this picturesque converted mill - The Watermill Theatre has been bringing Newbury some of the best award-winning shows around and that’s no exception this season. I myself, like many others, flock to Newbury for its criticaly-acclaimed shows. The current run of Kiss Me, Kate has seen high praise from The Guardian, Broadway World and The Times - and there’s still time to see it! My must-see: Assassins, Sept - Oct.
What’s on: What: Kiss Me, Kate When: July - 21 Sept What: Assassins When: 26 Sept - 26 Oct What: An audience with Eva Schloss When: 15 Oct What: Cyrano de Bergerac When: 30 Oct -2 Nov
Kiss Me, Kate Photography: Pamela Raith
What: Family Fun Day When: 30 Oct What: A Mini Summer Night’s Dream When: 4 Nov - 8 Nov What: Come To Where I’m From When: 9 Nov What: The Prince and the Pauper When: 14 Nov - 4 Jan Kiss Me, Kate Photography: Pamela Raith
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What: Back Stage Tours When: 25 Apr -14 Dec
Kiss Me, Kate Photography: Pamela Raith
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Arlington Arts Centre Mary Hare, Newbury www.arlington-arts.com
It’s a little gem out in the wilderness of West Berkshire, and all profits made go to the Mary Hare School For The Deaf Charity. From some of the UK’s best tribute acts to talks from renowned names - including Touching the Void’s Simon Yates (one of my favourite events to date) this is a great venue. My must-see: The Power of Compassion.
Anima - photography by Red Manhatten Photography
The Power of Compassion – Sacred Dance and Music From Tibet
What’s on:
What: Alan McGee When: 7 Sept What: Peeling When: 18 Sept What: The Power of Compassion When: 1 Oct What: Mike Peters The Alarm - Hurricane of Change When: 26 Oct What: Jack and the Beanstalk When: 28 Oct What: Seth Lakeman When: 5 Dec What: Ballet Theatre UK: Wizard of Oz When: 20 Dec
Corn Exchange Newbury Market Pl, Newbury www.cornexchangenew.com
The Corn Exchange is Newbury’s thriving theatre, cinema, learning centre and Kitchen & Bar all in one! Next month will see the venue celebrate 10 years of outdoor events where the streets of Newbury will be transformed by the ‘Fire Garden’. My must-see: Made in Dagenham, 9 - 12 Oct.
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What’s on:
What: Great Expectations When: 6 - 7 Sept What: NT Live: Fleabag When: 12 Sept What: Tangomotion When: 20 Sept What: French fire artists Carabosse’s Fire Garden When: 11 - 13 Oct What: Anima When: 15 Oct What: The Tiger Who came to Tea When: 31 Oct - 1 Nov What: Thunder Road When: 7 Nov What: Extraordinary Wall of Silence When: 5 - 6 Feb 21/08/2019 10:46
Oxford Playhouse & BT Studio Black Ballet, led by Artistic Director Cassa Pancho
11-12 Beaumont St, Oxford www.oxfordplayhouse.com
‘A theatre for everyone’ Since 1938 Oxford Playhouse has been bringing award-winning, original and innovative works of art to its stages. But, honestly, the Playhouse’s line-up for this coming Autumn and Winter is my favourite yet from critically-acclaimed dance troupes and comedians, to award-winning theatre companies and Fringe favourites! My must-see: Barber Shop Chronicles.
Inua Ellams’ acclaimed Barber Shop Chronicles
What’s on: Oxford Playhouse What: Provocative darkcomedy ‘Posh’ When: 3 - 7 Sept What: Inua Ellams’ acclaimed ‘Barber Shop Chronicles’ When: 9 - 12 Oct What: The multi-award winning ‘An Inspector Calls’ When: 15 - 19 Oct What: The “wickedly intelligent” ‘Black Ballet’ When: 1 Nov
Stuart Lee
What: Acclaimed adaptation of The Lovely Bones When: 11 -16 Nov What: West End smash hit ‘Six’ When: 19 -23 Nov
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What: Stewart Lee Snowflake and Tornado When: 24 - 29 Feb What: Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) When: 10 - 14 March What: The Woman in Black When: 16 -21 March Burton Taylor Studio What: The hilarious, razor-sharp ‘Unicorn Party’ When: 11 Sept What: Edinburgh Fringe Award-winning ‘Build a Rocket’ When: 16 - 17 Sept What: The playful, surreal and dark ‘Oh Yes Oh No’ When: 9 Oct
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New Theatre Oxford
Peter Andre as Teen Angel in Grease - credit Manuel Harlan
MTM: Karis Anderson as ‘Diana Ross’. Photo: Tristram Kenton
What’s on: What: Stephen Fry Mythos Trilogy When: 19 - 21 Sept
What: The Rocket Man Tribute to Sir Elton John When: 14 Nov
What: The Simon & Garfunkel Story When: 23 Sept
What: Motown The Musical When: 17 Dec - 4 Jan
What: The brand-new, critically acclaimed Grease When: 1 - 5 Oct
What: Sandi Toksvig Live! When: 20 Jan
What: Bill Bryson Observations on Life and the Human Body When: 12 Oct What: The Tiger Who Came To Tea When: 21 -23 Oct What: Shakespears Sister: Ride Again When: 1 Nov What: Sir Lenny Henry When: 11 Nov
George St, Oxford www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford New Theatre Oxford always has an extremely versatile array of shows for theatre-goers, bringing in some of the biggest names within entertainment. From now until mid next year, New Theatre’s got you covered! My must-see: Bill Bryson! Shakespear’s Sister
What: A Country Night in Nashville When: 23 Jan What: Jimmy Carr Terribly Funny When: 28 Feb What: We Will Rock You When: 2 - 7 Mar What: Jamie Cullum When: 16 Mar
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The North Wall S Parade, Oxford www.thenorthwall.com
Since opening its doors in 2007 The North Wall Arts Centre has built up indisputable momentum, providing Oxford’s artists and theatre-goers with cutting-edge performances and exhibitions. Constantly in motion, there’s such a wide range of events taking place in this space! My must-see: Still No Idea, 4 - 5 Oct.
The Fringe First award-winning play Square Go.
Arts at the Old Fire Station 40 George St, Oxford www.oldfirestation.org.uk
Arts at the Old Fire Station is a very progressive and public space in the centre of Oxford, - a place where you can either make or experience art - which also houses its own homeless programme called Crisis. It’s proven itself to be a very inclusive and creative art hub. My must-see: When The Rain Stops Falling.
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What’s on:
What: Hackney Colliery Band When: 21 Sept What: Trying It On When: 24 Sept What: Square Go When: 8 Oct What: Inspiring People: Caleb Femi When: 14 Oct What: It’s True, It’s True, It’s True When: 29 Oct What: Felicity Gill: Being Human When: 29 Oct - 9 Nov What: Max & Ivan: Commitment When: 24 Jan
One-woman drag show - Becoming Electra: A Queer Mitzvah
What’s on:
What: Exhibition opening: Fly Tipping When: 12 Sept What: When The Rain Stops Falling When: 26 - 28 Sept What: Inspiring People: Caleb Femi When: 14 Oct What: 111 – one hundred and eleven When: 22 Oct What: Becoming Electra: A Queer Mitzvah When: 28 Nov What: The Last Noël When: 4 -23 Dec What: Sofie Hagen: The Bumswing When: 6 - 7 Feb 21/08/2019 10:47
Pegasus Theatre Magdalen Rd, Oxford www.pegasustheatre.org.uk
Pegasus Theatre may have only launched in Oxford in 2010, but it is certainly wise beyond its years. The theatre introduces small scale productions that accommodate all ages with contemporary and forward-thinking performances from theatre, sculptor and film. My must-see: The Immigrant, 11-12 Oct.
What’s on:
What: Once Upon A Time… When: 20 - 21 Sept What: The Immigrant When: 11 - 12 Oct What: Funky Monkey and the Juicy Fruits When: 26 Oct What: The Immigrant When: 11 - 12 Oct What: Family Folk Show When: 9 Nov What: Crowded When: 15 Nov What: Mark Thomas: 50 Things About Us When: 30 Nov What: Breaking The Ice When: 11 - 24 Dec
Once Upon A Time... - “Outstanding visual comedy”
The Wyvern Theatre Theatre Square, Swindon www. swindontheatres.co.uk
Michelle Collins as the the evil Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty
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Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Phillip opened the doors to the Wyvern Theatre in 1971, and yes, the outside could do with a lick of paint but as always it’s what’s on the inside that counts high quality shows and performances, like last year’s The Play That Goes Wrong. My must-see: The Girl on the Train.
What’s on:
What: James Acaster When: 18 Sept What: In The Night Garden When: 26 Sept What: The Girl on the Train When: 7 - 12 Oct What: Ellie Taylor When: 26 Oct What: Russian State Ballet: Swan Lake When: 10 Nov What: Christmas Panto Sleeping Beauty When: 7 Dec - 5 Jan What: A Country Night In Nashville When: 9 Jan 21/08/2019 10:47
Swindon Arts Centre
Ahir Shah - Best Show nominee at Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2017 and 2018
Devizes Rd, Swindon www.swindontheatres.co.uk
I believe this is Swindon’s oldest performing arts institute, bursting open its door in 1956. This place is small and deceiving Swindon Arts Centre consistently features up and coming acts as they warm up for the bigger stages making it a prime place for a more initmate show. My must-see: Ahir Shah, 2 Nov.
Swindon Dance Regent Circus, Swindon www.swindondance.org.uk
I maintain that Swindon Dance is one of the most underestimated gems in Swindon. I’ve seen amazing performances from both in-house and touring companies and have always been mind-blown by the quality of the performances! My must-see: Victor Fung Dance’s ‘From The Top (Final Edit)’.
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What’s on:
What: Teechers When: 10 Sept What: The Hound Of The Baskervilles When: 17 - 18 Sept What: Tom Rosenthal When: 3 Oct What: Christina Bianco: First Impressions When: 25 Oct What: Pizza Shop Heroes When: 23 Nov What: A Christmas Carol When: 2 - 3 Dec What: Father Christmas Comes Up Trumps When: 13 to 24 Dec
Tribe’s debut work Still I Rise by Choreographer Victoria Fox
What’s on:
What: Talk and Tour architect Michael Gray When: 15 Sept What: Victor Fung Dance When: 20 Sept What: Shane Shambhu When: 19 Oct What: Still I Rise by Tribe When: 15 Nov
www.theocelot.co.uk
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The Mu
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R 2
The Murder Capital
Ritual Union 2019, Oxford
Words by Claire Dukes
Save the date: Saturday 19 October! Yes, Ritual Union - a musical takeover of Cowley Road’s venues - is back next month! From noon until 3am local and national bands will be invading the O2 Academy, O2 Academy 2, The Bullingdon, The Library and Truck Store. In the safe hands of Future Perfect, Ritual Union is the one of the country’s best rising day festivals offering up new kids on the block and some of the biggest rising acts from across the UK! Times and venues to be confirmed. For further information visit www.ritualunion.seetickets.com
Candy Says
Flamingods
The Comet is Coming
She Drew the Gun
Max Blansjaar
Working Men’s Club
Young Knives
Premium Leisure
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Jaws The Fleece, Bristol: 15/11 The Bullingdon, Oxford: 18/11 www.jawsjawsjaws.co.uk
Music for the months ahead Words by Claire Dukes
While most people get gloomy about summer’s departure, I get overly excited for my favourite seasons for music. I had the best time at Truck Festival in July, and love a good festival in general, but it’s the autumn/winter seasons
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where new music is being released and toured left, right and centre! Summer festivals are also a great opportunity for new bands to pick up some shoppers, which means over the next few months they’ll
be taking aim at our regional venues and there are some really unmissable shows coming up! The Ocelot always wants to hear from you! For music previews, interviews and reviews email claire@positive-media.co.uk.
www.theocelot.co.uk
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Heriot
Stay Lunar
The Leisure Society
The Bullingdon, Oxford Friday 6 September Doors: 7pm www.thebullingdon.co.uk
Hy-Brasil Music Club, Bristol Saturday 14 September Doors open: 7pm www.staylunar.com
The Bullingdon, Oxford Friday 20 September Doors open: 7pm www.thebullingdon.co.uk
The Night CafĂŠ
RXPTRS
Gaz Brookfield
O2 Academy Oxford Monday 30 September Doors open: 7pm www.thenight.cafe
SUB89: Reading Thursday 10 October Doors open: 7.30pm www.sub89.com
The Victoria, Swindon Thursday 10 October Doors open: 8pm www.thevicswindon.com
Cate Le Bon
Lucy Spraggan
Tamsin Quin
The Bullingdon, Oxford Monday 4 November Doors open: 7.30pm www.thebullingdon.co.uk
Level III, Swindon Saturday 16 November Doors open: 7pm www.level3swindon.com
The Tuppenny, Swindon Thursday 5 December Set + support: 8.30-10.30pm www.level3swindon.com
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9 1 0 2 l a v i t s e F s s e W ilder n
The Wilderness Festival returned to Cornbury Park for what’s become its annual celebration of…well, everything. It was once seen as a gathering for music, food and, unofficially, ‘poshness’ but it has now become known for literature, dance, debate, health and nudity. Yep, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing cricket, dancing the Macarena or taking part in a best bonnet competition, if you want to strip down and show your goolies whilst bowling a googly, go ahead. Just don’t forget the sun-cream. The festival has been able to subtly refine and revise itself over the years. Some of the early and genuinely eccentric elements, whether acts or attendees, have either become disinterested or weeded out but, perhaps paradoxically, the festival seems more diverse than ever. Sure, there’s a very 21st Century Paltrow-esque hippydom to be bought into if you want to but there are a broad range of people here out to enjoy themselves and who seem to want to see others have
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a great time. The people are not all posh, not all straight, not all white, not stereotypically Oxfordshire. There’s a really tolerant vibe. Maybe it was just because the sun was out but the whole weekend felt like a celebration of coming together to be human. The official t-shirts, sold to support refugees, had a bold logo ‘Choose Love’ and I saw an unofficial t-shirt that had ‘Make Empathy Great Again’. Letters Live, in which well-known people read out a variety of letters by both famous and ordinary folk, continued this celebration and exploration of being human. Only in its third year at Wilderness, Letters Live has established itself as one of the major draws. It attracts a huge crowd and major names such as Rose McGowan, Minnie Driver and Olivia Colman. The latter getting a huge roar before she’d even uttered a word. Another feature that has fast become a huge crowd-puller is Hip-Hop Karaoke. It’s lively, goodnatured and an opportunity to poke fun at ‘poshness’ as some upper
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2019
Words by Angus Burnett
middle class people sling gangsta rhymes in front of a South London DJ and MC. As for professional musicians, again there was greater choice with new stages such as The Level bringing global music like Shingai who went down a storm on Saturday night. The main stage had Oh My God, It’s The Church whose Rev Michael Alabama Jackson persuaded people to save their souls in sleazy style. The camp, burlesque showmanship a great front for tight musical and vocal talent. Tom Odell rocked out and enjoyed himself. Tom Grennan brought his gravelly soul and easy charm as well as a promise for long overdue new material. Robyn was slick, stylized, powerful and dynamic, lifting the crowd as the headliner on the Saturday night with a well choreographed stage show and beautiful white set. Groove Armada capped things off on the Sunday night. Some bands seem blessed with an ability
to turn out tune after tune that have an inescapable catchiness and GA are one of those gangs. This helped when the sound went down after four songs. Groove Armada came straight back out and got the crowd shakin’ their asses again immediately. The Saturday Spectacle, which is an annual giant arty installation come performance was one of the best with a giant mechanical spider, bright lights bouncing off someone dangling acrobatically in a mirror costume and somebody else shooting electricity out of their hands into the sky. However, the most astonishing, mesmerizing and moving thing I saw all weekend was born out of simplicity and hard, hard work. Rambert2’s performance of Killer Pig was simply astounding. Apparently they’re coming back to Oxford next spring. Even if you think you’re not into contemporary dance (like I did), go see this. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Right, after all that good living, I need a holiday.
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Agony Girl
Six-year-old Amy has just been on holiday and is not looking forward to going back to school this month, but she’s still got time to answer your questions. We read her the questions and these are her answers... honest. Dear Amy, I need to figure out what to name my cat. What do you think? Jasmine, Oxford Jojo Dear Amy, I love singing. I sing all the time. In the bath, in the car, in the lift but only when I’m on my own as I don’t like singing in public. How can I get the confidence to sing in public? If you could sing me a song what would you sing me? Dave, Reading You can put headphones on and you could just sing quietly so no-one can hear you. I would sing Sunflower, hm, hm, hm, I believe I am a superhero, Sunflower!!!! Dear Amy, Help, I’m stuck down a well. Can you help me? Basil, Swindon How? I’ll get some rope and then I would call the police and say I rescued this person as I lifted them out. Dear Amy, I run a company and like causing my employees pain. I’m not allowed to use a whip any more
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(political correctness gone mad if you ask me!) so instead I hire the most unsuitable people that causes the existing employees absolute misery. The added bonus is that it helps the employees all bond through their misery as they gang up against me and makes the new employee miserable as well. Have you got any other ways that I can cause people pain? All the best Jethro Phumps, Newbury I would punch this person but probably not as I’m not as mean as him and punching is wrong. Causing people pain on purpose is wrong. If he came to my house I would say ‘Please get out my house... now!’ Dear Amy, Salad cream or ketchup? Giselle, Rio Di Janeiro Both Dear Amy, I can’t sleep. Can you tell me a story? Thor, The Dark World Once upon a time there was a goblin and one day a fairy put a spell on it and it turned into an even worse goblin and no-one cared about the goblin anymore. In fact I don’t care either so I’m going to go and play Barbies... To write into Agony Girl send in your questions to editorial@theocelot.co.uk
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