Swan Song

Join Marcus du Sautoy and Venki Ramakrishnan for the 2026 Charles Simonyi Lecture, Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality.Humans have obsessed about ageing and mortality ever since we became aware of it. In the last few decades, we have begun to understand the underlying biological causes of ageing that eventually lead to death.In Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality, Venki Ramakrishnan will discuss the fundamental facts and promising approaches to combat ageing, as well as the social and ethical consequences of extending life.About Venki Ramakrishnan  Venki Ramakrishnan grew up in India and left at the age of 19 for the United States. After a long career there, he moved in 1999 to the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. He works on the structure and function of the ribosome, an enormous molecular complex that reads the genetic information on mRNA (itself copied from a stretch of DNA) to synthesise the proteins they specify. His work also showed how many antibiotics work by blocking bacterial ribosomes, which could help to design better antibiotics. For this work, he shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. From 2015 to 2020, he was president of the Royal Society.Ramakrishnan is also the author of a popular memoir, Gene Machine, a frank description of the race for the structure of the ribosome and the science and personalities involved, and Why We Die, about the biology of ageing and our curre

University of Oxford Student Season: Michaelmas Term 2026By Anton ChekhovAfter his farewell performance in provincial Russian theatre, an actor has drunk himself to sleep. Vasilyich Svetlovidov is left behind after closing. His only company in the empty auditorium is a cue-caller, Nikita Ivanich, who dutifully listens to him whinge and whine about the woes of his life, and at one point is even co-opted into an impromptu performance of Shakespeare. The two men wallow and despair as they come to terms with their age and realise that this, the last stage of their lives, is their swan song.

An Oxford Playhouse PantomimeWritten by Sarah HenleyDirected by Oxford Playhouse Artistic Director, Mike TweddleMirror, mirror on the wall... which panto is the most magical of them all?This festive season, Oxford Playhouse invites you into a world of laughter and wonder with the spectacular pantomime Snow White – a wicked adventure for the whole family.Step into the enchanted West Oxford Wood as Snow takes you on a journey where ancient forest magic meets a world of image-enhancing technology. Standing in her way is Queen Narcissa and her all-knowing mirror, MiRi, whose hunger for power and endless admiration fuels her contempt for the natural world. When the glamorous queen discovers a magical resource that preserves her beauty, she becomes determined to mine every last piece of the forest. Can Snow and some unlikely friends outwit the Queen and restore the balance?With dazzling dance numbers, spectacular songs and plenty of hilarious jokes, it's one adventure you won’t want to miss! Gather your friends and family and start a Christmas tradition to remember.Perfect for all ages, expect boos, cheers and magical moments aplenty! This listing is for the 11:00 performance on Saturday 12 December 2026, listed by Oxford Playhouse as audio described with a touch tour. Check the official page for access arrangements and other performances.