Tim Burton's Universe by Mystery Ensemble

Mystery Ensemble are playing Holywell Music Room on Saturday 31 October, a theatrical show they've called Tim Burton's Universe. It's a journey through the music that made Halloween unforgettable, drawing on the work of Tim Burton and his lifelong collaborator Danny Elfman across films like Alice in Wonderland, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice, Batman and Sweeney Todd.

The venue is the Holywell Music Room on Holywell Street, the oldest purpose-built music room in Europe and Britain's first concert hall, right in the heart of Oxford. It's a small, historic space, so the music will be close at hand rather than distant on a big stage.

Mystery Ensemble was founded in 2021 by Almin Alexander and brings together professional musicians who perform film and TV soundtracks using the composers' own arrangements, often in non-standard venues. Their repertoire goes well beyond Burton and Elfman: they've played scores by Hans Zimmer, John Williams and Joe Hisaishi, neoclassical pieces by Ludovico Einaudi and Ólafur Arnalds, and the works of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven. This show sits on the film side of that mix, pulling from a long list of Burton's most recognisable soundtracks.

The concert runs from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, so it's a full hour of music. Doors open at least 30 minutes before, and late entry may not be permitted, so it's worth getting there a bit early. Tickets start from £27, and the show is for ages 6 and up.