The sun’s shining, the trees are bursting with blossom, bees are buzzing and thoughts turn to the long warm days of summer and its balmy evenings. Cornerstone’s summer season’s jam-packed with entertainment and activities for everyone. May will bring a super selection of theatre, with something to suit all tastes.
The season kicks off at the end of April with Everything You Ever Needed To Know Ever (And Some Extra Stuff), on Sunday 27 April, is a very silly family comedy show sure to appeal to everyone from 6 to 106, and it’s just an hour long. Funnyman Tiernan’s pretty sure he knows the answer to any question children might ask, like, ‘Why are there trees?’ and ‘What’s the universe made of?’ Don’t miss your chance to come and ask that question you’ve always burned to have answered. 1001 Nights is the classic tale of Shaharazad, who tells a different tale every night and uses whatever’s around her to help to transport us to the world of kings, viziers and jinns. This delightful family theatre production on Saturday 10 May will enchant all the family from ages 6 and up.
On Saturday 3 May London Classic Theatre bring their 50th anniversary production of Joe Orton’s dark comedy, Entertaining Mr Sloane, to Cornerstone. Enigmatic Mr Sloane throws a family’s lives into disarray in this story of seduction, blackmail and murder. Bitch Boxer – please don’t be put off by the title – is a moving, thoughtful and beautifully performed play about a young girl who becomes a boxer, and her growing up. Audience members from age 14+ will find it really engaging and uplifting. Sunday 4 May brings The Showstoppers Improvised Musical. This will be a unique production at Cornerstone, since this brand new musical comedy show is created from scratch, from audience suggestions, at each performance. These shows are selling out in the West End and on tour so don’t miss the chance to come and make your contribution to the Cornerstone version!
And, finally, we’re very excited that The Rutles: Will Be Appearing As Themselves on Sunday 18 May. Originally created by Eric Idle and Neil Iness for the comedy sketch show Rutland Weekend Television they started as a spoof of The Beatles, but were so popular that they became an actual group. recording, touring and topping the charts. Following a great gig at Glastonbury they’re touring again for a brief period, so catch them while you can!
MAY 2014 Calendar
1-31 Open Exhibition: Portraits, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm. FREE admission. Cornerstone’s annual open exhibition is a feast of art, displaying the skill and imagination of local artists.
1-31 Matthew Wright: The Farrier, Exhibition, Tue-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm. Fine art photographer Mathew Wright’s installation in our Window Wall captures the quietly timeless work of a farrier.
Sat 3 Entertaining Mr Sloane: Classic Theatre, 7.30pm. Adult, but suitable for ages 14+. Behind Mr Sloane’s nonchalant front lie seduction, blackmail and murder in this production of Joe Orton’s classic dark comedy.
Sun 4 The Showstoppers Improvised Musical: Musical Theatre, 7pm. Ages 14+. Audience suggestions create a brand new, unpredictable and hilarious musical comedy show at each performance. Selling out in the West End.
Fri 9 Mark Steel’s In Town, Comedy: Stand Up, 8pm. Mark’s a big favourite at Cornerstone and he’s back! This show is based on Mark’s Radio 4 series, where he writes a show based specifically on an individual town.
Sat 10 Draw Cartoons: One-off Workshop for Adults, 10.30am-12.30pm. Learn how to draw simple expressive faces, make characters walk, move, talk and think with Oxfordshire’s professional comic artist Scooter McKenzie.
Sat 10 1000 Nights: Family Theatre, 6pm. Ages 6+. This production collects together the greatest tales ever told, re-imagined by Shahrazad, a lively young girl torn between her old home in the East and her new English home.
Fri 16 Mark Grist: Rogue Teacher, Comedy: Stand Up, 8pm. Ages 13+ (strong language). Mid-recession ex English teacher and poet Mark embarked on a series of challenges. This show is a comic story of his life.
Sat 17 Formby: Theatre, 8pm. Ewan Wardrop plays Formby and all the key characters in his life, brilliantly performing the classic hits live. A funny, touching play about an essentially ordinary man with an extraordinary talent.
Sun 18 The Rutles: Will Be Appearing As Themselves: Music, 7.30pm. Starting as a spoof of The Beatles they were so popular that they became an actual group to great acclaim. They’re touring again for a brief period.
Fri 23 Youth Activity Day, 4-7pm, ages 9-16. FREE. A brand-new event with theatre, sports, art, games and dance activities and information for young people. Stick around afterwards and enjoy the free music gig with Laish.
Fri 23 Laish: Bar Gig, 8pm. FREE admission. Laish is the song writing project of rich voiced Daniel Green. He writes original songs with honesty, pathos and humour accompanied by a hypnotic, fingerpicking guitar style.
Sat 24 Guitar: One-off Workshop for Adults, 2.30-4pm. Learn to play acoustic guitar, all abilities welcome and no music reading necessary. Bring your own guitar!
Sat 24 Bitch Boxer: Theatre, 8pm. Ages 14+, (strong language, sexual references). Don’t be put off by the title. A thoughtful, beautifully realised and performed play about a young girl who becomes a boxer.
Sun 25 Pirate Gran: Children’s Theatre, 2pm. Ages 3+ and adults. Meet Gran. She bakes. She knits. You’d never guess she was a Pirate with a pet crocodile under her bed, a wicked sense of humour and a raft of adventures to tell.
Fri 30 Fairport Acoustic Convention, Music: Folk, 8pm. They’re a national, an Oxfordshire and now a Cornerstone institution. A great show of old favourites, some re-workings, spontaneous banter and some new material.
Sat 31 The Trials of Oscar Wilde: Theatre, 7.30pm. Ages 14+ (adult themes). Less than 100 days after the triumphant opening of The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde was sentenced to two years’ hard labour. What happened?
HALF-TERM HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES
27-30 Drop-In and Doodle: Self-Portraits, 10am-4pm. FREE. All ages, (children must be accompanied by an adult). Explore different ways to make a self-portrait and add it to the Drop-In and Doodle display.
Tue 27 Clay Sculpture: Toby Jugs, 1.30-3.30pm. Ages 5-12 years, (adult goes free when accompanied by a child). These fun jugs take the form of a person. You could make a jug that looks like a TV character, a friend or a teacher.
Wed 28 Shake, Rattle and Roll! 10.30am-12.30pm. Ages 5-12 years, (5 & 6 year-olds to be accompanied by an adult). Create a musical instrument from recycled materials and make music! You’ll need to bring some of your own recycled items, please check when booking.
Thu 29 Play in a Day, 10.30am-4.30pm. Ages 10-14 years. This workshop is for all who love the thrill of making theatre. No experience required, just lots of enthusiasm! Performance for family and friends afterwards.
Fri 30 Media Mash-Up, 10.30am-4pm. Ages 7-11 years. Use iPads, Apple laptops and cameras to make animation and movies in this fun, hands-on workshop. Take home the results to share with family and friends!
Full details of our summer programme can be found on our website http://www.cornerstone-arts.org.
Or call our Box Office on 01235 515144, open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-4pm. Closed Monday.
Best wishes,
Bridget Haffenden
Marketing team