This weekend
Fri 15 - Sun 17 Feb 2019
MUDDY’S PICK OF THE WEEKEND
ART: Jeff Koons at The Ashmolean, Oxford, Thurs 7 Feb – Sun 9 Jun & Gin Tasting with Private View, Wed 13 Feb
Behemoth of the contemporary art world, Jeff Koons is curating his own exhibition in collaboration with Norman Rosenthal. Spanning Koons’ entire career and showcasing seventeen works, most of which have never been shown in the UK before, the show will include his popular series Equilibrium, Statuary, Banality, Antiquity and his recent Gazing Ball sculptures and paintings. This is going to be a popular exhibition but you can see it without the crowds at the Love Your Gin event on Wed 13 Feb. Enjoy guided tastings of Ashmolean gin, tapas and live music after a wander around the exhibition. Tickets are on sale now.
EXHIBITION: Antinous: Boy Made God, The Ashmolean, Oxford, until Sun 24 Feb
Boy favourite of Emperor Hadrian, Antinous drowned in the Nile in AD 130 and so began his elevation to god-like status. Hadrian created a city in his name, Antinoopolis, in Egypt and busts and statues were made and spread throughout the empire. More than 80 survive to this day and you can view some of them at this fascinating exhibition ending at the end of the month.
THEATRE: Crimes on the Nile, Chipping Norton Theatre, Fri 15 – Sat 16 Feb
Following a successful national tour last year, New Old Friends theatre company (they have some pretty great creds, awards-wise) stop of in Chippy with this new original production- a classic whodunnit, comedy thriller about a holiday cruise along the river Nile.
COMEDY: A Comedy Night in a Bookshop, Blackwell’s Bookshop Westgate, Fri 15 Feb
Literature meets laugh out loud at the iconic Oxford bookshop’s first stand-up evening in their Westgate venue. Headlining the Stand-Up Literature event, the sister of Ox’s comedy club stalwart Jericho Comedy, is Aaron Simmonds (BBC New Comedy Award Finalist, Jewish Comedian of the Year) who’ll be offering up his thoughts on all things love and Harry Potter.
Get tickets here.
FILM: Romeo and Juliet, The Assembly Rooms, Marlow, Sat 16 Feb
Firefly events’ indoor cinema pops up in Marlow with Leonardo DiCaprio *cue screams*. Sorry guys, it’s only on film but a great one at that: Baz Luhrmann’s brilliant adaptation of Romeo + Juliet. A ticket also includes an Indian meal, access to the bar and table service.
Get tickets here
MUSIC: Chiltern Arts Festival, various locations, until Sat 16 Feb
World class musicians are descending on various venues in Bucks and Herts with a series of concerts to delight music lovers. The programme includes renowned pianist Steven Osborne playing Prokofiev, Debussy and Schubert, celebrated baritone Roderick Williams in a performance of Hugo Wolf’s Italian Songbook, and an opening programme by the City of London Sinfonia inspired by the orchestra’s London series, entitled Bach and the Cosmos.
EXHIBITION: An Earthly Paradise: William Morris & the Thames, River & Rowing Museum, Fri 1 Feb – Sun 14 July
Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Wandle furnishing fabric, by William Morris. England, late 19th Century
THEATRE: The Boy and the Mermaid, Pegasus Theatre, Sat 16 Feb
Paper Balloon theatre company perform the first date of their UK tour, The Boy and the Mermaid, at Pegasus Theatre. The company put on quirky, original productions, with this show using live music, puppetry and even a rapping octopus to tell the tale of three shanty-singing fishermen. 5+
LAUNCH PARTY: Library of Things launch party, Makespace Oxford, nr Jerhico, Sat 16 Feb
I think this is such a great idea! Created by initiative SHARE Oxford, this new library contains borrowable things, from little used household items to entertainment. The aim is to reduce waste and save dosh- win, win! At the launch you can see how the library works, what you can borrow, become a member and learn more about the benefits of a circular economy, 2pm- 4pm.
THEATRE: The Giant Jam Sandwich, Cornerstone Arts, Didcot, Sun 17 Feb
Showing for one day only, Dicot’s purpose built arts hub put on this comical play, for kids aged 3-8. Based on the beloved book, Itching Down residents hatch a giant sandwich-making plan to defeat millions of wasps that have invaded their village, 11.30am and 2.30pm.
WALK: Snowdrop Weekend, various locations, Sat 16 – Sun 17 Feb
Gawd bless the little fellas! With over 60 different varieties of snowdrop carpeting Waterperry’s ornamental gardens, spring is now around the corner. There are free guided walks (although winter garden entrance applies) at 11am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm so you can learn all about this petite flower and the cafe is open too. From Sat 16 until Thurs 21 Feb, you can also play I Spy in the Gardens. Task your kids with finding every letter of the alphabet hidden in the gardens for a small prize. It’s very low tech stuff at Waterperry but my children always loved it, so it’ll be a gentle way to spend an hour or so. Or, for a lesser known hotspot, snowdrops spring up around St. Botolph Church’s 1000 year old grounds in Swyncombe. Snowdrop weekends run on Sat 16 – Sun 17 and Sat 23 – Sun 24 with refreshments in the Church and potted snowdrops available to buy. There’s some great walks around there too if you fancy it.
SHOPPING: Celebrating China pop-up boutique, Bicester Village, until Sun 17 Feb
Popped up to this the other day and it’s well cool. Curated by hot-to-trot fashion influencer Susie Bubble, this pop-up boutique of ten cutting-edge Chinese designers is opening to celebrate Chinese New Year. It includes rising stars Ryan Lo, Mukzin and I Am Chen and with Chinese designers starting to make their mark on catwalks around the world.
KIDS: Half-term at Waddesdon Manor, Aylesbury, Sat 16 – Sun 24 Feb
As always Waddesdon is on it for half term kicking off early with one day family cookery lessons (lunch and sweet/savoury treats to take home); Orienteering challenges round the grounds – with medals! Plus guided tours of the gardens (that one’s for you, the kids won’t give a chuff).
EXHIBITION: Turner, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Sat 16 Feb – Mon 22 Apr
The Young Turner: Ambitions in Architecture and the Art of Perspective takes place in Blenheim’s Gallery with works from The Ashmolean, The Tate and private collections. The exhibition celebrates some of his earliest commissions and shows his progress in depicting architecture and perspective in drawings, paintings and engravings from the 1780s – 1810s. You can also see one of Turner’s sketchbooks and some diagrams from a lecture he gave to the Royal Academy on perspective, which have rarely been exhibited before. Between Thurs 21 – Sun 24 Feb, the Cotswolds Art and Antique Dealers Association Fair also rocks up with over 30 dealers selling the very best furniture, pictures, silver, sculpture, carpets, jewellery. Prices start around £100 and you can imagine where they’ll end up!
FURTHER AFIELD
EXHIBITION: Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, until Sat 2 Feb
Christian Dior by Maria Grazia Chiuri (b. 1964), Éventail de vos hasards, Dress, Haute Couture, Spring/Summer 2018. Dior Héritage collection, Paris
The V&A is showing the largest House of Dior exhibition ever staged in the UK, tracing the history of Christian Dior and the six artistic directors who succeeded him. The exhibition is based on the major exhibition Christian Dior: Couturier du Rêve, organised by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, and there’s a new section exploring Dior’s fascination with British culture. A highlight is the Christian Dior dress worn by Princess Margaret for her 21st birthday celebrations, on loan from the Museum of London.
EXHIBITION: Don McCullin Photography, Tate Britain, Sun 3 Feb – Mon 6 May
Over 250 photographs spanning Don McCullin’s 6o year career are on display at Tate Britain and include his iconic war images, including Vietnam, Northern Island and Syria, as well as some of his work focussing on poverty in England.
THEATRE: The Winter’s Tale for Young Audiences, National Theatre, London, until – Thurs 21 Feb
This is a great way to introduce primary-age children to Shakespeare (and it’s only an hour long). The Winter’s Tale, the story of Perdita, the girl who was once lost but is found, returns to the National Theatre in February 2019, following a sell-out run at the Dorfman Theatre last year. Adapted by Justin Audibert and directed by Ruth Mary Johnson, the show is also touring round primary schools in Greater London.
BOOK NOW
THEATRE: Blood Brothers, Wycombe Swan, Tues 19 – Sat 23 Feb
A stalwart of the touring musicals scene, and still going after 30 years, Blood Brothers clearly has something going very right for it. The show tells the story of twins separated at birth and brought up on different sides of the tracks.When they eventually meet, the consequences are far-reaching. What, is Mr Tickle in the play too? (*I’ll get my coat*).
KIDS: AniMalcolm, Aylesbury Waterside, Wed 6 – Thurs 7 Mar
Get booking now for Story Pocket Theatre’s dramatisation of Brit comic and award winning children’s author David Baddiel’s AniMalcolm. The show uses physical theatre and live puppetry to tell the comical tale of Malcolm, a boy who hates animals, as he inhabits the bodies of several farm creatures on a school trip.
Get tickets here
THEATRE: Rain Man, Wycombe Swan, Tue 19 – Sat 23 Mar
Based on the Oscar winning blockbuster, Paul Nicholls (Eastenders) and Chris Fountain (Hollyoaks) star as the road-tripping brothers in acclaimed theatre producer Bill Kenwright’s show.
