Blackout Songs

Blackout Songs runs at the Burton Taylor Studio from Tuesday 10 November, with performances continuing through Wednesday 11, Thursday 12, Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November. It's a new staging of the Olivier-nominated play by Joe White, who's an award-winning writer, and it's part of the University of Oxford Student Season for Michaelmas Term 2026. The show runs in the Playhouse's smaller studio room rather than the main house, so it's a tight, focused space.

White blends drama, dance and sound in what he describes as an intensely intimate exploration of tenderness, memory and addiction. The story follows two lives that converge at an AA meeting, with the characters chasing each other across time, haunted by alcoholism and fragmented by the love they share. It's a play that works across different eras, so you'll see the two lives pulling together and apart as the story unfolds.

Because it's part of the Student Season, it's one of the productions the university puts on during the term. The show runs for an hour and thirty minutes, and there's an age recommendation of 16+ with content advisories for alcoholism, physical violence and fake blood, so it's worth keeping in mind if you're bringing anyone younger. All performances start at 7:30pm, and the run spans five nights from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 November at the Burton Taylor Studio.