Doctor Faustus at Blackwell's Bookshop

Tonight, I went to see Doctor Faustus performed by the Creation Theatre company in Blackwell's Bookshop in Oxford. The Norrington Room in the basement of Blackwell's was a very apt setting with the scholarly undertones of Faustus and his dealings with Mephisopheles and Lucifer. The photo gives an idea of the unique setting of the stage surrounded by bookshelves. If you still want to see the play, it has been extended until 2 April due to popular demand.

Of course, Creation Theatre are renowned for their use of unusual settings around Oxford. Last year, I went to see Romeo and Juliet at the rooftop amphitheatre of the Said Business School - an excellent setting on a summer's evening. They are also renowned for their Christmas productions at the Mini Plant in Cowley. The next production (13 May - 11 June) is Tales From King James at the New Road Baptist Church in Bonn Square. This year it is the 400th anniversary of the publication of this version of the Bible (the so-called "Authorised" version), so this is very timely. The Bodleian Library also devotes its summer exhibition (22 April-4 September) to the making of the Bible and its connections with Oxford.