Five of the best things to do in Banburyshire this week


Here are five of the best:
1 LITERATURE
Banbury Literary Live, North Oxfordshire Academy, Drayton Road, Banbury, October 15


Arts, dance, drama and music take centre stage at Banbury Literary Live this year.
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Hide AdAlong with best-selling authors such as Joss Stirling, who wrote the Finding Sky series, and Annabel Abbs, who wrote The Joyce Girl, there will be interactive drama and dance workshops for the little ones, drama and dance performances and illustration workshops for the older ones, and a whole host of musical interludes that celebrate local talent.
There will also be an interactive ‘no holds barred’ creative writing workshop called Writing the Real Stuff with Red Tears author Jo Cotterill, and Atomic Tom has promised explosive fun in his Atomic Science Show.
Lord and Lady Heseltine will be talking about their beautiful Thenford Garden, and children can join Anneliese’s Kids Cooking Workshop to make cookies.


Details: literarylive.co.uk
2 MAGIC
Ali Cook’s Principles of Deception, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, October 13
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Hide AdAli Cook will be treating the audience to his own brand of conjuring and off-beat comedy in his new show, which tells the story of magic. Principles of Deception demonstrates Ali Cook’s skill as an historian of deception.


Ali will demonstrate his skill at close up magic, mind reading sleight of hand, suggestion, hypnosis, black art, misdirection and many more disciplines.
Ali’s renown in the alternative comedy and magic worlds has led him to star in the West End illusion spectacular Impossible, as well as television magic specials including Penn & Teller: Fool Us (ITV), Dirty Tricks (Channel 4), Secret World of Magic (Sky One) and Now You See It (BBC One).
Details: chippingnortontheatre.com
3 MUSIC


Maddy Prior, The Theatre, Chipping Norton, October 17
Britain’s ‘Queen of Folk’ returns to Chipping Norton with new musical partners Giles Lewin (Carnival Band, Bellowhead) and young accordion player Hannah James.
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Hide AdThey will perform the music of England, the British Isles and Eastern Europe – all delivered in her own unique style.
Details: chippingnortontheatre.com
4 MUSIC
Tea and Telemann, Sulgrave Manor, October 15


Music lovers have a special opportunity to discover more about the art of playing the bassoon when baroque bassoonist Sally Holman appears at Sulgrave Manor.
Sally, daughter of the distinguished baroque guru Peter Holman, will be revealing the kind of exciting playing baroque composers expected of their bassoonists.
Sally will be performing and talking to Fiori Musicali’s director Penelope Rapson about her life as a bassoonist, and will also be playing music by a variety of baroque composers, including music by Telemann, whose 250th anniversary is being celebrated this year around the musical world.
5 MUSIC
Marc Almond, New Theatre, Oxford,
October 15
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Hide AdThe former Soft Cell singer turned acclaimed solo artist will perform with a full orchestra playing songs from his latest album, Shadows And Reflections, which features sumptuous arrangements of torch songs and 60s orchestral pop by the likes of Burt Bacharach, The Action and Julie Driscoll.
Details: atgtickets.com/Oxford