Venue information

Oxford Playhouse is a theatre for everyone.

Oxford Playhouse was built as a repertory theatre in 1938; the last new theatre to be constructed before the war.

Though highly valued locally and held in national regard, the Playhouse often had a precarious financial position, and eventually closed in 1987 due to a lack of funds to carry out essential modernisation.

Directors’ Hedda Beeby and Tish Francis were appointed to re-open the theatre, which they managed to do in 1991 after a long fundraising campaign and major refurbishment.

Today, the Oxford Playhouse and its Burton Taylor Studio present and produce a wide range of live performance.

The programme includes the best of British and international drama, family shows, contemporary dance and music, student and amateur shows, comedy, lectures and poetry. They also create live performance here in Oxford.

The Playhouse produces and tours its own shows, hosts Artists in Residence and presents Playhouse Plays Out, an ongoing series of off-site events which happen at locations across the county.

The theatre’s Learning team works with over 15,000 people each year through post show discussions, workshops, work experience, holiday schemes, a youth theatre and a young people’s theatre company.

By car
Oxford can get very busy, so please allow plenty of time for your journey. Traffic restrictions apply in the city centre from 7.30am to 6.30pm. Maps showing city centre access routes are available from the Box Office. If you’re late, you will not be permitted into the auditorium until during an interval or when there is a suitable break in the performance.

By car / bus / coach via Park & Ride
There are 5 Park & Ride bus services in the centre with services to Oxford city centre until around 11.00pm (note: for Water Eaton, the city2 replaces the Park & Ride after 7.00pm). The Park & Rides are clearly signposted as you enter the city. For further information, please visit our Park & Ride pages.

By bus and coach station
Oxford Playhouse is a two-minute walk from the city’s principal Bus and Coach Station, which is situated in Gloucester Green. The Bus Station offers direct services to and from London Victoria, Heathrow, Gatwick and stations throughout the United Kingdom.

By train
Oxford Playhouse is a ten-minute walk from Oxford Station. Oxford Station is a direct line from London Paddington (1 hour) and Birmingham New Street (1 hour 20 minutes) for onward connections to stations nationwide. Oxford Parkway Station connects to Bicester Village (10 minutes) or London Marylebone (1 hour), with regular Park & Ride buses running to Oxford City Centre (25 mins).

Opening hours

On performance days
The box office is open Monday to Saturday from noon. If there is a morning show starting before noon, the box office will open one hour before the start of the first performance. It will then remain open until the due start time of the last scheduled performance that day.

On Sundays and Bank Holidays, the box office will open 90 minutes before the start time of the first scheduled performance and remain open until the due start time of the last scheduled performance that day.

On non-performance days
The box office is open Monday to Saturday from noon to 6.00pm. It is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The Box Office telephone
The Box Office telephone line 01865 305305 is open Monday to Saturday from noon until the start of the evening performance. On Sunday, the Box Office telephone line is closed unless a live stage performance is scheduled, when phone lines will open 3 hours before the start time (for Sunday morning performances, lines will open 90 minutes before the start time). The Box Office phone line will close once the live show has started.

Accessibility information

There are no steps leading up to the entrance of the Playhouse and access to the stalls is on the same level. There is a low-level accessible counter at both the box office and the bar. Unfortunately, access to the First Floor, First Floor Cafe Bar, Hospitality Room and Top Room is by stairs only. They have been unable to install a lift because of the restrictions of the building itself. 

The Burton Taylor Studio is just around the corner from Oxford Playhouse. The auditorium is situated on the second floor of the Burton Taylor Studio, accessed via two flights of stairs. We have a stair climber for wheelchair users.

Assistance dogs are welcome but it is always worth checking with staff before you go in to a performance if there is anything unusual about the play which might affect your dog.

If you have any concerns or particular access issues you would like to discuss before booking a ticket or arranging a visit, please contact the Ticket Office team on 01865 305305.