iScream

Oxford’s original gelateria. Covered Market.

iScream is one of Oxford’s original gelato stops, tucked inside the Covered Market and known for its small-batch, on-site production. The focus is on clean, natural flavour and a traditional Italian-style gelato experience, making it a long-standing favourite with locals and visitors alike on warm days in the city centre.

I always find myself drawn to the pistachio here — rich, slightly savoury and incredibly smooth. The salted caramel is another standout, striking that perfect balance between sweetness and depth. On hotter days, the fruit sorbets are especially refreshing. Graham makes everything fresh right in front of you.

Characterful inns and townhouse hotels in Oxfordshire

Oxfordshire’s landscape lends itself to the art of staying well. Between honeyed stone villages, market-town streets, and quiet lanes that once formed part of historic coaching routes, there is a rich variety of places to stay — each shaped as much by its building as by the experience it now offers within it.

This collection brings together characterful country inns, historic coaching inns and beautiful townhouse hotels across Oxfordshire, where heritage architecture and modern hospitality meet.

These are places defined by their sense of arrival: stepping through old doorways into timbered interiors, elegant Georgian proportions, or softly lit rooms

While each has its own personality, these properties still carry traces of their original purpose as inns, residences, and stopping points for travellers. They share a common thread — a strong sense of place, and a feeling that the building itself is central to the stay.

Unlike country house hotels, where the emphasis is on estate landscapes, seclusion, and indulgent retreat, these properties are more closely woven into the rhythm of towns and villages. They sit on high streets, market squares, and village edges, offering stays that feel connected rather than removed. There is history here, but also everyday life unfolding just beyond the door.

What defines them is the way that history has been adapted rather than preserved in isolation. Bedrooms are individually styled, public spaces remain sociable and welcoming, and dining is often a central part of the experience.

From former coaching inns that once served travellers on long journeys, to townhouse hotels that bring contemporary comfort into historic settings, these are buildings that continue to evolve while retaining their character.

Together, they offer a different kind of Oxfordshire stay — one that is shaped by architecture, atmosphere, and locality. Not grand escape, but immersion; not distance from the world, but a more interesting way of being within it.

Welcome to a selection of unmissable West End theatre and regional productions.

Stage Watch brings together a curated selection of upcoming theatre, musicals and live performances from London and across the broader Oxfordshire region – from large-scale West End productions to inventive new writing and immersive shows.

This week’s line-up spans sweeping literary adaptations, bold political drama, intimate explorations of love and memory, and a celebration of iconic music.

Whether you’re drawn to classic storytelling, contemporary reimagining or emotionally charged new work, these highlights offer a snapshot of what’s arriving on stage over the coming months.

One Day: The Musical

Garrick Theatre, London. Booking from 17 Nov 2026 to 14 Mar 2027.

A sweeping new musical adaptation of David Nicholls’ beloved novel, One Day charts a lifelong connection between Emma and Dexter, beginning on the night of their graduation and revisiting them on the same date across two decades. What starts as a fleeting encounter becomes a study in timing, chance, and the fragile architecture of love.

This production leans into emotional storytelling through contemporary musical theatre, following the pair through ambition, missteps, missed opportunities and the quiet gravity of growing up. With Jamie Muscato and Sharon Rose leading as Dexter and Emma, the show promises a vocally rich, character-driven interpretation of a modern classic.

Directed by Max Webster, with music and lyrics by Abner and Amanda Ramirez, the piece aims to capture both the intimacy and scale of a relationship defined as much by absence as presence.

Best for: Fans of modern literary adaptations, emotional musical theatre, and long-form love stories.

Tips: Expect a bittersweet tone, strong emotional arcs, and themes around loss, timing, and regret. Age guidance 12+ with references to substance misuse and strong language.

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The Standard of Living

Theatre Royal Haymarket, London. Booking from 21 Sep to 12 Dec 2026.

James Graham’s new West End play explores the life and ideas of economist John Maynard Keynes, reframed through questions of value, happiness and what it means to live well. Set against the backdrop of political upheaval and cultural transformation, it moves between Whitehall’s corridors of power and the artistic freedom of the Bloomsbury circle.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Rory Kinnear alongside Natalia Osipova in her West End debut, the production blends theatre, music and dance into a hybrid portrait of intellectual and emotional conflict. At its core is a provocative question: can human fulfilment ever be measured in economic terms?

It is both a historical portrait and a contemporary provocation, reframing Keynes not only as an economist, but as a man navigating love, art and ideology in turbulent times.

Best for: Political drama fans, intellectually driven theatre, and those who enjoy bold, interdisciplinary staging.

Tips: Expect dance sequences, philosophical dialogue, and a high-concept structure that balances biography with theatrical invention.

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Allegra

Harold Pinter Theatre, London. Booking from 08 Jul to 08 Aug 2026. Save up to 58%.

A new musical blending comedy, spectacle and emotional depth, Allegra tells the story of a mind gradually slipping away, while those around her try to hold onto love, identity and connection. Beneath its musical vibrancy lies a tender exploration of memory loss and the shifting nature of self.

Dame Maureen Lipman leads the cast in the title role, supported by Bailey Patrick, John Middleton and Elizabeth Bower. The production is written by Peter Quilter and directed by Stephen Mear, known for large-scale musical storytelling and choreography.

The piece balances humour and heartbreak, using song and dance to express what words often cannot, particularly as reality becomes increasingly fragmented.

Best for: Audiences who enjoy emotionally layered musicals with both heart and theatrical flair.

Tips: Expect tonal shifts between comedy and poignancy, with themes of memory, ageing and identity.

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The Simon & Garfunkel Story

New Theatre Oxford. One night only on 08 Jul 2026.

A concert-style theatrical event celebrating the music and legacy of Simon & Garfunkel, this production combines live performance with archival footage and projected imagery to chart the duo’s rise from school friends to global icons.

Featuring a full live band and brass ensemble, the show delivers faithful renditions of classics including Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Homeward Bound and Bridge Over Troubled Water. It’s structured as a musical documentary, tracing both their creative partnership and eventual split.

This 60th anniversary edition continues its international success, offering an immersive blend of nostalgia, storytelling and concert energy.

Best for: Fans of classic folk-rock, jukebox-style theatre, and live music events.

Tips: Expect a concert atmosphere rather than a traditional play, with audience engagement and a strong nostalgic focus.

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Julius Caesar

Oxford Castle & Prison. 22 Jun to 04 Jul 2026. .

BMH Productions mark two decades of theatre-making in Oxford with a fast-paced staging of Shakespeare’s political tragedy Julius Caesar, performed in the atmospheric setting of Oxford Castle & Prison as part Oxford Shakespeare Festival 2026.

The production explores the collapse of the Roman Republic as Caesar’s rise to power triggers a conspiracy that leads to assassination, civil unrest and ideological rupture. At its heart is the question of whether political ideals can survive the realities of ambition and power.

Brutus and Cassius emerge as conflicted figures attempting to preserve republican values, only to find themselves swept into the same currents they sought to resist. The result is a sharply drawn study of politics, consequence and moral compromise.

Best for: Shakespeare fans, open-air or site-specific theatre lovers, and those interested in political drama.

Tips: Expect a stripped-back, energetic staging designed for accessibility and pace. Suitable for audiences comfortable with classical text in a modern delivery style.

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