Oxford University Dramatic Society
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| Founded | 1884 | ||
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| Home Page | OUDS | ||
| President | Lydia Free, Keble College (2024/2025) | ||
The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal
O'Reilly Theatre at Keble
. All productions put on by Oxford University students can use the society's services, such as the website, the auditions portal, and advice from the committee, providing their production company is registered.
The Society supports a competition for Freshers (Cuppers), held in
Shakespeare production, jointly with Thelma Holt, touring Japan, with preview performances in the UK.[2]
The society was founded in November 1884 by Arthur Bourchier, James Adderley, and Alan MacKinnon, and its first production, Henry IV, Part 1, opened in May 1885.[3][4]
During World War I, when some 200 Belgian refugees came to Oxford, the society lent its room to a "Belgian Club".[5]
Alumni
Many famous actors have participated in OUDS productions. For example, in 1907 professional actresses
Dr. Faustus in 1966 with undergraduates in the supporting cast.[8]
Past members and people associated with OUDS productions include:
- Paul Almond
- Lindsay Anderson
- Andrew Havill
- Gethin Anthony
- Pierre Audi
- Rowan Atkinson
- Helen Atkinson-Wood
- Peter Bayley
- Timothy Bateson
- John Betjeman
- Will Bowen[9]
- Gyles Brandreth
- Richard Burton[8]
- Kate Beckinsale
- Eve Best
- Shirley Catlin
- Caryl Churchill
- Michael Codron[citation needed]
- Alex Cox
- Jonathan Cullen
- Richard Curtis
- Thomas de Mallet Burgess[citation needed]
- George Devine
- Edith Evans
- Felix Felton
- Oliver Ford Davies
- Philip Franks
- Patrick Garland
- William Gaskill
- John Gielgud
- Peter Glenville
- Hugh Grant
- Tom Hooper
- Arthur Hutchinson
- David Jessel
- Felicity Jones
- Peter Kosminsky
- Nigel Lawson
- Harry Lloyd
- John Maud
- David Melamed[citation needed]
- Ariane Mnouchkine
- Dudley Moore
- Stanley Myers
- Terence O'Brien
- Norman Painting
- Katherine Parkinson
- Roger Parry
- Rosamund Pike
- Esther Rantzen
- Diana Quick*
- Gervais Rentoul
- Gillian Reynolds*
- Tony Richardson
- John Schlesinger
- Thea Sharrock
- Maggie Smith
- Mel Smith
- Imogen Stubbs
- Mabel Terry-Lewis
- Kenneth Tynan
- John Veale (incidental music)
- Evelyn Waugh
- David William
- Emlyn Williams
- John Wood
- Dornford Yates
- Owain Yeoman
- Michael York
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* Note that women could not formally join OUDS until 1963. Diana Quick was the first female OUDS President.
See also
References
- ^ OUDS UK Summer Tour 2010 Archived 18 September 2017 at the Wayback Machine, OUDS UK Summer Tour 2010, The Master and Margarita.
- ^ OUDS, Oxford University Dramatic Society.
- ^ MacKinnon, Alan (1 November 1909). "The O.U.D.S. – After Twenty-Five Years". The Fortnightly Review. No. DXV. p. 877–878. Retrieved 3 October 2023 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 9781902806877. Retrieved 3 October 2023 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 978-0-19-822974-2.
- ^ Review: The Taming of the Shrew. The Times, 7 February 1907.
- ^ Gyles Brandreth, John Gielgud. Little, Brown & Co., 1984.
- ^ a b Coleman, Terry (12 February 1966). "Liz Eyes 'Walk-on' Role – One Kiss, No Dialogue". The Salt Lake Tribune. Oxford, England. p. 9. Retrieved 3 October 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ Will Bowen Archived 25 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Noel Gay.
Further reading
- ISBN 0-19-212241-X).
- OUDS 125th Anniversary Gala programme, Oxford Playhouse, 13 June 2010.