AniMalcolm magic! Family theatre

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Join animal-hating Malcolm on his trip to a farm and see how life changes at Wycombe Swan on Sunday, 17th February.

Malcolm doesn’t like animals even though his family love them. The house is full of pets which are of no interest to Malcolm who only wanted a laptop for his birthday.

A Year Six trip to a farm is the last thing he wants but during he learns a lot about animals and what it’s like to be an animal. Something amazing happens to him and he finds out how wild life as an animal can be.

AniMalcolm is a vibrant, energetic and funny musical, based on David Baddiel’s book. “AniMalcolm was my third book for children, and I think it’s my funniest,” says self-confessed animal-lover David, who has four cats and a guinea pig. “Animals are loveable, cute, sweet, friendly, and nice to cuddle, but they are also, always, funny. They are deadpan – their faces never really change… Which, if they’re falling off a sofa, or running into a plate-glass window, is definitely the funniest face to make.”

The production by Story Pocket Theatre combines physical theatre, puppetry and storytelling to bring the comic tale to the stage.

The show is suitable for children aged seven years and up and tickets cost £12, £10 concessions or £35 for a family.

    To book tickets for AniMalcolm at 2pm or 6pm call 01494 512000 or visit www.wycombeswan.co.uk

For the full tour, which also includes shows at Aylesbury Waterside in March, visit www.storypockettheatre.co.uk

We have a family ticket (four tickets) to give away too, to see the show at a venue of the winner’s choice!
Click here to enter before 12pm on 11th February 2019.

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Jeff Koons exhibition at Oxford’s Ashmolean

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A new exhibition by American artist Jeff Koons at Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum includes work never seen before in the UK.

A new exhibition which provokes a conversation between the artist’s work and the history of art is set to be unveiled at the Ashmolean Museum.

The work of American artist Jeff Koons, which is self-curated, will feature 17 important works, 14 of which have never been seen in the UK before.

Since Koons burst on to the contemporary art scene in the 1980s he has been described as important, subversive and controversial, consistently pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.

Director of the Ashmolean, Dr Xa Sturgis says: “In showing Jeff Koons at the Ashmolean, the world’s oldest public museum where the collections range from prehistory to the present, this exhibition will provoke a conversation between his work and the history of art and ideas with which his work engages. I am sure it will also provoke conversations among those who see it.”

Among the pieces on display will be examples from Koons’s most well-known series including Statuary, Banality, Antiquity and the most recent Gazing Ball sculptures and paintings.

His work is exhibited all over the world including at New York’s Rockfeller Center, Guggenheim Bilbao and at the Chateau de Versailles.

The Ashmolean exhibition will include important works from the 1980s with which Koons made his name with pieces such as One Ball Total Equilibrium Tank (1985); Rabbit (1986) and Ushering in Banality (1988).

It will also explore his more recent focus on the meeting of ancient and modern art which come together in his singular vision, with the highlights including Balloon Venus (Magenta) (2008-12) featuring his signature motifs of monumental scale and the mirror-polished surface which positions the viewer in the work.

Ashmolean curator Sir Norman Rosenthal says: “Putting his work in the Ashmolean – the first museum in the very heart of academia, Oxford University – we can take his experiment a step further. For those of us willing to share in his visions, Jeff Koons makes art a magical transformation.”

Jeff Koons at the Ashmolean runs from 7th February to 9th June at the John Sainsbury Exhibition Galleries. Tickets for the show cost £12.25/£11.25 concessions on the door or online.

 For online tickets www.ashmolean.org/jefflkoons

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Maths = fun!

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Ping Woolley of Mathnasium in Summertown explains how you can help your child subtract stress and add confidence!

Maths seems to induce more stress than any other subject, leading to anxiety which can have a huge impact on overall learning.

Many parents will opt for the traditional one-to-one tutor when extra help is needed but many experts believe that children working alongside their peers often work better.

This is where Mathnasium can help – children need an environment in which they feel secure and where learning maths can be challenging but fun, children will realise they are not alone in needing extra help or indeed enjoying maths.

Mathnasium students take a customised assessment which pinpoints their individual learning needs then a customised learning plan is designed which can be shared with your child’s school maths teacher for continuity.

Children learn best by understanding what they are doing. Mathnasium’s expert instructors look at different ways of approaching the same problem to develop this understanding along with independent thinking.

One mum of a seven-year-old boy who has been attending Mathnasium since it opened commented: “My son has benefited greatly from his twice weekly sessions, gaining in confidence and ability. As his parent I feel relief that he is beginning to be happier around maths and that someone else is doing the teaching! It’s an easy venue with regards to location; welcoming and friendly. Ping and her team seem to really care about the children using the service.”

Mathnasium North Oxford Centre on South Parade, Summertown offers maths learning support for children aged 6 to 12.

Contact 01865 655968, email [email protected] or visit www.mathnasium.co.uk/northoxford for details.

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Only the be-gin-ning

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Two favourite worlds of beauty and booze combine to create Collagin.

Gin has become the drink over the past few years and Liz Beswick and Camilla Brown decided they wanted to “create a truly beautiful looking product with a taste that matched”.

The self-proclaimed “gintrepreneurs” formed Young in Spirit and set about the process to set up a company and create their own gin.

But their gin has one unique ingredient that can’t be found in any other on the market – collagen.

The idea came from their desire to combine their two favourite worlds of beauty and booze, and what they’ve come up with is a deliciously smooth and fragrant gin with added collagen, creating what Liz describes as a “surprise and delight product that gets people talking”.

“Collagen is a protein found naturally in our skin that keeps skin looking young. Consuming it can help stimulate collagen production again. But we are making alcohol at the end of the day so we are not going to make you look younger.

“People love the concept! Collagen in gin? Why not!” she quips.
In addition to the collagen, 11 botanicals combine with earthy liquorice and floral notes of orris root, balanced by the clean taste of juniper and the tang of orange.

But they didn’t stop there… A pink twist on the original gin was born in the form of the limited edition Collagin Rose – using the basic principles of a classic gin, with rose oil steam distilled from rose petals as well as pink grapefruit producing a subtle rose sweetness.

Together with the new wave of gins, new tonic waters have helped give gins a fresh lease of life, creating what Liz calls “an exciting drink right now with so many options for every drinker”.

Liz and Camilla were colleagues, having worked in marketing, and after lots of 6am meetings in car parks and working evenings and weekends at each other’s houses decided they would set their dream in motion.

Lots of Googling later and the pair, based in Chalgrove, began their search for the right distillery and then took some time to find the right type of collagen that wouldn’t affect the look, smell or taste of the gin.

They obviously hit on a winning formula as it received the backing of two investors when they appeared on Dragons’ Den in September.
Liz recalls the terrifying day which lasted from 6.30am to 5.30pm. She says: “When the lift doors opened it was very surreal seeing the Dragons sitting in their chairs, just how you see them on TV. We had a bit of a ‘pinch me’ moment when we realised we were standing in front of them.”

But after standing before the panel making their pitch, which lasted just under two hours, they finally got their “dream result”.

And from that dream, there are now plans for more products and future events including Countryfile Live at Blenheim in August.

So how is Collagin best served? Liz’s advice – the original with pink grapefruit and light tonic water and the Rose with an unflavoured tonic and fresh rose petals or mint.

    Visit www.collagin.co.uk

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Funny bones: Suzi Ruffell

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Following on from her hugely successful Keeping it Classy tour, Suzi Ruffell brings her show Nocturnal to Oxford on Friday, 1st February.

Suzi Ruffell is taking anxiety to the next level… so much so that she’s getting anxious about getting anxious!

She is quite simply worried about everything – someone breaking into her flat, will the next series of The Crown be as good as the first two, her cat’s happiness and that’s before you even start on finding love and politics.
But one thing the 32-year-old stand-up doesn’t need to worry about is her popularity and esteem as a comedian.

After all who can’t identify with tales of social ineptitude and taking a sideways look at the world.
Having sold out at last year’s Edinburgh Festival and earning five-star reviews a plenty, she is now taking that show, Nocturnal, on the road with a stop in Oxford.

Regarded as one of the best breakthrough acts in the UK, Suzi was nominated for the Chortle Best Breakthrough Act last year as well as having her Edinburgh show filmed as a special for Live at the BBC. Suzi quickly established herself on the live comedy scene, supporting Alan Carr, Josh Widdicombe, Kevin Bridges and Romesh Ranganathan.

And if you think she looks familiar that’s because you’ve probably seen her on Mock the Week or Comedy Central’s Stand Up Central and with more TV projects in the pipeline she might soon be developing anxiety about the number of people recognising her.

Catch Suzi Ruffell and all her anxiety at the North Wall, Oxford on Friday, 1st February. For more details and tickets go to www.suziruffell.com

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Shock horror: theatre in Oxford

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Enjoy a fabulous comedy-drag-boxing-musical extravaganza from The Wardrobe Theatre at Oxford’s The North Wall this month.

It’s a hook to the left! And then a jab to the right! Let’s do the time-warp back to 1976; a world without men and women – only lovers, fighters, dancers and all-nighters and where the mean streets of Philadelphia are full of campy song.

After the stunning successes of Goldilock, Stock & Three Smoking Bears, Reservoir Mogs and Muppits Die Hard, Bristol’s The Wardrobe Theatre brings you another signature, darkly comic, adults-only show with all original music directed by Tom Brennan of The Wardrobe Ensemble.

Rocky Shock Horror is a loving, playful fusion of the boxing classic with the cross-dressing cult musical masterpiece. A scary-sexy, knock-out comedy that always punches below the belt, Rocky Shock Horror is a show you won’t forget, however hard you try…

A fringe studio venue and thriving arts hub in the heart of Bristol showcasing the best theatre-makers, companies and artists from around the UK, Wardrobe Theatre’s programme is a lovingly curated mix of theatre, comedy, storytelling, live music, poetry/spoken word, dance, puppetry, cabaret, drag, improvisation, new writing and family shows, with an emphasis on emerging artists and Bristol-based work. Throughout the year they also produce/co-produce productions of their own with dynamic Bristol-based creative teams and companies, shows which often go on tour nationally.

• At The North Wall, Oxford, on Thursday, 24th January, 7.30pm.

  For tickets, £13 (£11 conc) call 01865 319 450 or visit www.thenorthwall.com. Visit www.thewardrobetheatre.com or follow @WardrobeTheatre

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Concert: Violin virtuoso

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Former Young Musician of the Year Jennifer Pike will be playing the piece that won her the title when she appears at Marlborough College.

At the age of just 12, Jennifer Pike became the youngest ever winner of the Young Musician of the Year in 2002.

Three years later she performed at the Proms and has gone on to build an international career which has included many more accolades, not least being the only classical artist to win the South Bank Show/Times Breakthrough Award.

Jennifer is passionate about helping other young people enhance their lives through music and is an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust.

You can enjoy her music on Sunday, 20th January when she takes to the stage in the Memorial Hall at the college, as part of the World Class Musicians in Marlborough series when she will perform Vaughan William’s The Lark Ascending alongside pieces by Bach and Wieniawski.

Following the redevelopment of the Memorial Hall (which Marlborough College provides as sponsors of the concert series) the town now has a state-of-the-art concert hall.

The £6.5million project retains the charm of the original design while adding contemporary touches to create a state-of-the-art facility. The acoustics received accolades after a BBC National Orchestra of Wales concert recently and with improved front of house facilities, a concert at Marlborough College will be a true treat for the senses.

  Tickets available at marlboroughconcertseries.org. Enquiries: 01672 892566 or [email protected]

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Set sail! Drama in Kennington

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Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates, by Alan P Frayn, will mark the start of Kennington Amateur Dramatic Society’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

Kennington Amateur Dramatic Society (KADS) set sail on a fantastic journey in their annual pantomime with a Brazilian flavour, bringing their own kind of feelgood fun to a chilly winter’s weekend in Oxfordshire.

This promises to be a tropical, swashbuckling tale from a brilliant cast, with great songs from the house band to get the audience singing along. Add to this the wonderfully colourful costumes, make-up and scenery from the talented creative team, and you know you’re in for a treat!

The group, made up of amateur theatre enthusiasts, was formed in 1979 at the village hall in Kennington, and regularly performs pantomimes and musical shows for the local community. Members come from across Oxfordshire, some from families with several generations performing on stage together. Many hours are spent not just rehearsing, but with a dedicated support team who give up their free time painting scenery, putting together the songs and music, designing and sewing the many costumes, choreographing the dance routines, and all the other work behind the scenes that goes in to making the show a success.

As a community-minded group, they support local charities, and are currently raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Oxford. The charity provides a home-from-home service for parents and families of children being treated at the Children’s Hospital, and is an invaluable provision at a critical time. Ronald McDonald House is a cause close to members’ hearts, after a family within the group had received invaluable support from the charity when their son had received extensive care at both Oxford and Birmingham children’s hospitals.

The show opens at Kennington Village Centre on Friday, 25th January (7.30pm), then Sat 26th (2pm and 7.30pm), Sun 27th (12pm and 4pm), Thu 31st (7.30pm), Fri 1st February (7.30pm) and Sat 2nd (2pm and 7.30pm). Tickets are £10 adults, £8 concessions and £30 for a family of four, and are available by phone on 01865 739025 or by email at [email protected]

  Find out more about the group on Facebook @KenningtonADS or at www.kenningtonads.co.uk

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Blackbeard’s Treasure at Escape Hunt

Cherry Butler

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Cherry Butler ends up all at sea in Reading’s newest escape room, Blackbeard’s Treasure at Escape Hunt.

It seems Reading residents can’t get enough of being locked in a room and trying to puzzle our way out against the clock, with numerous escape games popping up in town over the past few years. The fifth and latest, Escape Hunt, opened on 7th December.

Having assembled a crack team of sleuths – from escape room virgins to Crystal Maze Live veterans – we arrived at King’s Walk bright and early on a grey Saturday, ready to attempt to steal Blackbeard’s Treasure.

Themed on a pirate ship, the wood-clad room had been put together with great attention to detail, and was so involving that we quickly forgot that we were in a shopping centre. My “shipmates” and I had an hour to search for clues and solve the puzzles that would set us free. Sadly, our time ran out; in our defence there were a couple of technical teething issues! We left thoroughly flummoxed, but having had fun.

As well as pirates, players can channel Norse gods or outlaws in The Last Vikings and Escape From The Wild West rooms. Doctor Who fans will soon be able to immerse themselves in the first escape game officially based on the BBC series, coming to Reading in March.

A game costs £20-25 per person (£30-33 for Doctor Who) depending on the number of players (up to six in a team). They sell gift boxes, too, an alternative to giving more stuff.

Escape Hunt also has rooms in Oxford, Bristol and other cities around the UK and the world.

 You can find out more, check terms and conditions and book at escapehunt.com

Image courtesy of Escape Hunt

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A cut above: best Christmas roasts

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Turkey is a traditional favourite but there are so many choices of meat when it comes to the festive table, and many excellent local producers

What scene depicts Christmas more traditionally than a large cooked bird being brought out to the table and carved by the head of the household?

Turkey is, of course, the popular festive choice. Tom Copas Jnr says: “Turkey is what you’re meant to have! We’ve been rearing the best turkeys in Britain for over 60 years and nothing tastes better on Christmas Day, especially knowing all the care and attention that’s gone into their welfare.” Visit www.copasturkeys.co.uk.

Walters Turkeys is a family business running since 1911 on the Yattendon Estate in the Berkshire Downs. The team are passionate about animal welfare and expert in the best way to cook and store your bird for the perfect feast; call 01635 578 251 or visit www.waltersturkeys.co.uk. Tell your butcher how many guests you have (and how greedy!) to select a bird or joint of the perfect size.

Excellent traditional alternatives to turkey include goose and duck, which are more expensive and do not give as much meat per size as a turkey. Cockerels (male chickens) clock in at about the 10lb in weight and are becoming a popular alternative to turkey. For more adventurous of home cooks there is also the three-bird roast, with a wide variety of bird breasts one inside another (such as turkey, pheasant and partridge). These have plenty of meat but need to be carefully cooked.

Hungerford butcher Christian Alba says: “In all the places I’ve worked, Christmas meat is usually turkey. But I grew up on a turkey farm, so I have beef fore rib.” Phil Currie, head chef at The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis says: “I like to use beef shin as the bone provides so much flavour which leaves you with a great sauce. For Christmas we serve it with classic bourguignon garnish and a twist with a blue cheese dumpling. It’s a great alternative to turkey.” Visit www.thegreyhoundletcombe.co.uk or call 01235 771969.

Jesse Smith Butcher & W.J Castle in Cirencester has a unique dry-aging process for its beef featuring a room lined with Himalayan salt bricks. The company, which goes back for several generations, are passionate about animal husbandry and welfare and also offer the very finest poultry, game, pork and lamb for the well-stocked Christmas larder; visit www.jessesmith.co.uk or call 01285 653352.

Recipe queen Lyn Deveson says: “I’ve always cooked turkey and a gammon; cold turkey, ham, turkey curried, stir fried, in sandwiches is a big part of the appeal. But I cooked a cockerel last Christmas and won’t go back to turkey – it has more flavour. I remember my mother cooking the turkey all night on a low heat but the French way is best; higher heat and less time. People complain it can be dry but if cooked properly, it isn’t. Good gravy makes all the difference, too!

“I also remember my mother cooking the turkey all night on a low heat, but the French way is best – higher heat and less time. People complain it can be dry but if cooked properly, it isn’t. Traditionally we cook turkey, stuffing, bread sauce, sausages wrapped in bacon etc. with the head male at the top of the table, carving! That’s the  picture we all have in our heads and everyone wearing paper hats and pulling crackers! Because turkey meat can be quite bland, you can go to town with the other flavours. A good gravy makes the difference and thanks to chefs such as Jamie Oliver, we are learning that Bisto is not the essential ingredient but I am shocked by the number of English who still use it! The trouble is we are so spoilt nowadays and can eat anything any time of the year, so Christmas lunch or dinner isn’t such a treat as it used to be.”

Enter our competition for a Christmas In A Box foodie hamper – including a 6kg turkey!

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