Drama at Oxford works a little differently to most other universities - rather than being centrally organised by the university, at Oxford students can start their own production companies, pick their own shows, make their own budgets, and bid for performance slots at student venues across the city. While this gives students a lot of freedom, it can be confusing to navigate at first. This is a quick beginner guide to help you get your head around some of the specific quirks of theatre in Oxford!

How do shows happen in Oxford?

It’s a long process to put on a student show here in Oxford and, depending on what kind of thing you’re interested in, you’ll be able to join a production at many different points along the way. 

• Picking a show: A student (or a group of students) will pick a script, either an existing play or something student written, that they want to stage.

• Building a crew: They’ll then publish a crew call for their show, usually on Facebook and/or through a society mailing list, where you can apply if you’re interested in a backstage role! Most shows advertise everything from lighting designers to welfare officers, and any number of trainees and assistants, so there’s something for everyone. 

• Time to bid!: The crew will then write and submit a bid, which is a document designed to try and earn your show a slot at a particular venue. There are four main student venues in Oxford - (from smallest to largest) the Burton Taylor Studio, the Michael Pilch Studio, The Keble O’Reilly, and the Oxford Playhouse. There is also the soon to be opened St John’s Auditorium, as well as any number of college halls, gardens and auditoriums that act as unconventional theatre spaces for student shows.

• Building your cast: Once your slot is confirmed, it’s time to do a cast call! These will also usually be advertised via Facebook and/or society mailing lists, and might be done through in person auditions or self tapes depending on the production. 

• Money: While a show is in production, the producer will generally be calculating the budget and applying for funding to make sure the show can happen! Funding will usually be in the form of loans (which need to be paid back, often with a percentage of a show’s profit) or grants (which don’t need to be paid back). There are a variety of funding sources in Oxford, including OUDS, CMDF, various student run funding bodies, and college JCRs or MCRs.

• Rehearse, market, design!

• Show time!: A show week will typically involve some time in the venue for ‘get in’, as well as a tech run and dress run of your show. Depending on your venue, this can be anywhere from 12 hours across a couple of days to the best part of a week. Once you open to the public, a show will usually run for 4-6 performances. 

• Post show: Once your last show is over, you’ll do ‘get out’, where you remove all set and props and reset the venue to how you found it, and go about your life!

Do I need to join something?

There are a lot of theatre related societies at Oxford, with their own (free) memberships, mailing lists and specialities. 

Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS): Oxford’s general theatre society, but particularly aimed at actors, directors and producers, the OUDS website is your first port of call if you want to learn something about Oxford drama! They have pages to explain funding, bidding, venues and roles, plus host social events and workshops throughout the year. 

Oxford University Technical Theatre Society (OUTTS): OUTTS handles the technical side of Oxford drama, including lighting, sound, set and stage management. If you’re interested in something a bit more behind the scenes, OUTTS is the place for you! OUTTS also runs a store which rents out props, set pieces and lighting and sound equipment at affordable prices for use in student productions. 

Oxford University Light Entertainment Society (OULES): OULES put on a comedy musical, written by a student, in 8th week of every term to raise money for charity. Anyone who audition is guaranteed a part, so if you’re looking for something chill and fun to do for a good cause, OULES is for you!

If you’re looking for something a little more specific, there is also the Oxford Revue (focused on sketch comedy) and the Oxford Imps (focused on improv), both of which generally hold auditions early in the year.

So… how do I get started?

• Join the Oxford University Drama Portal on Facebook! This is where most cast and crew calls are posted - if you want to get involved, this is where to find out about opportunities in just about every area. 

• Sign up for the mailing list of whichever society you’re interested in (or all of them!) to get more specific information delivered right to your inbox. 

• Ask your Arts Rep (that’s me!) about anything that interests you! I can point you in the right direction if you’re interested in something in particular, let you know who to contact if you have any specific concerns or questions, and give you advice on your shows if you need it! I might be able to give you a little of funding…