The Burton-Taylor Theatre (BT) in Oxford is well-known among students but less so among the general public. This is a huge pity, because although small, it offers a unique chance, in some cases, to see the first productions of new writing, and certainly a range of experimental as well as traditional drama that would put some major theatres to shame.
The set-up is small but, from a production team's point of view, well-appointed. The capacity is just 50 seats, so it is as well to buy tickets in advance for Friday and Saturday night performances. These are available from the box office of the Oxford Playhouse (which basically owns the BT) just around the corner. Prices are low, and good value.
The theatre is not the most comfortable of places, but then again practically no theatre even these days can be described as comfortable. However as the plays put on are usually short, this is not a problem, although disabled access is.
The system that operates during term time when student productions are being produced is that there are two shows on every night except Sunday and Monday nights. A show runs for one week only, and inevitably the Friday and Saturday night performances are usually sold out. The two shows are at 7.30 and 9.30 respectively. The first runs for between 75 and 90 minutes, the other for 60 minutes, although occasionally a show will take both slots and then run for up to 3 hrs with an interval. On Sunday nights various things happen, but stand up comedy has been one use in the past.
As a result of this constant upheaval there's little point in commenting on productions except to say that the facilities are excellent for productions and very flexible, so one should be prepared to see imaginative uses of this space. Moreover, the selection process for the plays which are put on leads to, in general, a very high standard in performances.
The BT has a lot to recommend it, since it offers a small-scale introduction to professional theatre work for amateur student groups, and it is well worth supporting, because many of these groups produce extremely good, professional interpretations of both old and new writing - a very exciting opportunity for them and for the community as a whole.
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