2025 was an incredible year for OUDS, both in quality and in quantity, with 92 productions advertised on the OUDS Instagram termcards alone. Below are my own personal favourite productions from each term of 2025, along with some which have been pointed out to me by committee members, OUDS enthusiasts, critics, and audience members.
My top spot for Hilary Term 2025 is Playing Productions’ run of The Critic by R. B. Sheridan, performed at the Michael Pilch Studio in week three. This funny yet complex script was seamlessly given a further metatheatrical layer, proving director Phoenix Barnett’s intricate knowledge of Sheridan’s work as well as their own intelligent, witty style of approaching theatre. Each actor brought a different, engaging energy to the stage, giving the production an exciting eclecticism. Jem Hunter, Noam Sala Budgen, Hugh Linklater, and Cameron Maiklem gave humorous and distinctive performances, which felt exaggerated and absurd in the best possible way. Wendy Shi was so convincing as the director that for a moment I found myself questioning if there had actually been an issue with the show part-way through. Fiona Bestrova and Gillies Macdonald were stand-outs for me, bouncing off of each other stylishly and making me laugh constantly. At such a hectic university, it is impressive if a play makes enough of an impression for you to still be thinking about it even a week later. And yet, we are now approaching one year since The Critic was performed and there are still images and facial expressions from this production which pop up regularly in my mind. The Critic set the tone for 2025 and raised my expectations for student theatre.
Other notable Hilary 2025 productions include Peach Productions’ Into The Woods at the Oxford Playhouse theatre in week two; Manor Road Productions’ Legally Blonde at the Riverside Lecture Theatre in week three; and Labyrinth Productions’ Julie at the Pilch in week six.
Trinity was the term I found most difficult to decide on as everything I saw was so wonderful. Yet my personal favourite has to be The Mollys Productions run of Bush! The Musical at the Moser Theatre in week five, an original musical was written and produced by Vincent Chen. The performance space, like fifth week itself, was dark and dreary, and yet this joyful, energetic production brought light and cheer so intense that I could have been in a circus of bright lights or out in a field in the middle of summer. The entire cast was hilarious, and it was clear that they were having the best time on that stage. Despite the knowing ridiculousness of the acting and music, the writing was still full of funny commentary which was easy to follow, never making you feel like you were on the outside looking in. This production displayed a whole different side of the theatrical world and brought to the forefront what student theatre is truly about: fun! Special mention must here be given to Josh Bruton (and his moustache), who played Gore, for being the most farcical and fun ‘villain’ ever. I hope to see it brought to life again, whether at the Fringe or here in Oxford, it was truly addictive.
Other loved shows include Tiptoe Productions’ The Death of a Salesman at the Pilch, Jesus College Shakespeare Project’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Jesus College Hall, and Not a Plot Productions’ JACK: The Musical at St Benet’s Chapel Hall. I must also mention the incredible show which took this term’s Playhouse slot: Full Moon Theatre’s Blood Wedding in week six. The performances, the direction, the music, the dancing – every aspect was complemented by at least one audience member. Finally, a production which has nabbed the spot of best-loved garden play for many audience members: Exeter College Drama Society’ All My Sons. Suffice it to say, I was evidently not the only one who found it hard to choose between the incredible Trinity productions.
Finally, we arrive in Michaelmas Term 2025. My personal favourite was Cartesian Productions’ Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas, performed at the Keble O’Reilly in week five. This production was truly one-of-a-kind, an incredible achievement in a drama scene so full of talented and creative people. Huge congratulations are therefore due to director Ted Fussell for how fantastically the vision was executed. Shout out also to graphic designer Esther Carr, puppet designer Tilly Jackson-Long (the puppets were my absolute favourite part of the show), marketing director Grace Kind, lighting designer Sarah Webb and set designer Angharad Thomas-DePaul. These visuals were made all the more impressive by the beauty of the music, and therefore another set of special mentions are due to musical director Natalya Battiwalla, sound designer Caitlin Hawthorne, and to the incredible singers in the cast: Wally McCabe and Magdalena Lacey-Hughes. Of course all the actors were wonderful – this goes without saying for anyone who was fortunate enough to see the show – but I was most pleased to experience the incredible creativity of the crew and was so happy to see their hard work getting the credit it deserved in reviews and from the general audience. It was, in short, a beautiful piece of art.
Another well-loved production for this term was Fennec Fox Productions’ Uncle Vanya at the Keble O’Reilly in week three. Much praise was also given to Blackstar Productions’ Teen Spirit at the BT Studio in week four and, of course, the Playhouse run of A View from the Bridge, Labyrinth Productions’ second well-deserved mention in this OUDS wrapped. Finally, in week six, Frequent Fliers Productions’ Squat at the Pilch has been repeatedly mentioned as an incredible watch.
Though I only scratched the surface here, looking at just 15 productions in nine different venues, I can confidently say that if 2026 brings half as much creativity, talent, and innovation to Oxford’s drama scene, we are in for one hell of a year.
