The O'Reilly Theatre is a flexible

studio theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

on Blackhall Road, central north

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is located within

Keble College Keble College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to ...

, one of the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

colleges. The theatre was completed in 2002. Seating capacity of the space ranges from 128 to 200, depending on the setup chosen. The standard configuration is end-on, but alternatives include traverse and in-the-round. The theatre is named after

Tony O'Reilly Sir Anthony Joseph Francis O'Reilly (born 7 May 1936) is an Irish former businessman and international rugby union player. He is known for his involvement in the Independent News & Media Group, which he led from 1973 to 2009,Dublin, Ireland, ...

, the billionaire

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

businessman and former international rugby union player, who contributed most of the funds. The theatre is managed by students at Keble College, and for that reason productions have varied in terms of both style and quality depending on the interest in drama shown in the college and wider university. As of 2007, there is a full management board and slots until the end of the academic year are fully booked. In terms of size, as compared to other

theatres, the O'Reilly is closest to the

OFS Studio __NOTOC__ Arts at the Old Fire Station ('The OFS') is an arts centre in Oxford comprising a Theatre, Gallery and Shop. There are also studios available to hire for classes, rehearsals and meetings. The organisation focuses on three key things: ...

in the city centre, although due to its age and the inconsistent quality of productions it does not have as high a standing in the community. However, for a venue of its size, it is unusually well-equipped technically, as may be seen from the theatre manual (available through the Tabs Are For Flying link below). Shows typically take place on the third, fourth, sixth, and seventh weeks of each Oxford University term. In other weeks the theatre is rented out as a conference centre.

External links

O'Reilly Theatre website

O'Reilly Theatre — Keble

O'Reilly Venue Guide (from TAFF)
Theatres completed in 2002 Theatres in Oxford Keble College, Oxford Student theatre in the United Kingdom Tony O'Reilly family Studio theatres in Oxford University and college theatres in Oxford Buildings and structures of the University of Oxford 2002 establishments in England {{UK-theat-struct-stub