As April draws to an end, we reflect on what has been a captivating month of events held in the Painted Room, a remarkable survival evocative of Oxford’s urban history.

Tuesday last week, 23 April – better known to some as Shakespeare’s Birthday – saw the city centre come alive as OPT hosted our annual celebrations in honour of the Bard. The lively parade led by Town Crier and local dignitaries began at Oxford Castle and wound its way along Queen Street accompanied by the medieval melodies of the Oxford Waits. 

Inside the Painted Room Dr Lynn Robson was on hand to raise the birthday toast, quoting Falstaff's famous line on the benefits of sherry – very fitting as guests raised their malsey & sac. The Oxford Imps, Oxford’s premiere improvised comedy group treated the audience to an inspired performances of the lost Shakesperean fragment The Cordwainer of Florence.

Other events this month included, the remarkable Unversed… written and performed by Beckis Cooper an original and creative piece offering audiences the opportunity to experience Shakespeare’s work in a setting he likely frequented! The reviews speak for themselves: “I booked the show on a whim. So glad I did. Great setting and evocative performance.” “Beckis was so engaging… it felt very special to be watching all of this in the intimate space of the Painted Room.”

Hamnet: Extraordinary Tudor Lives returned to the Painted Room by popular demand with Dr Lynn Robson and Dr Janet Dickinson weaving a compelling narrative around the lives of Tudor women and children inspired by Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel. And the festivities concluded with Dr Robert Stagg’s talk on Shakespeare’s Arabic Sonnets, a romp through the history of this poetic form and its middle Eastern origins.

We anticipate the continued success of these events in our future programming and are actively seeking potential performers and speakers who can bring these medieval wall paintings to life as the ultimate backdrop!