A University of Oxford student company will stage Stephen Sondheim’s comedy musical Company at the Oxford Playhouse later this month, marking the latest large-scale production from Fennec Fox Productions.
The show runs from Wednesday 28 to Saturday 31 January, with tickets starting at £15.
Written by Stephen Sondheim with a book by George Furth, Company follows Bobby on his 35th birthday as he navigates friendships, relationships and the quiet pressures of settling down — or choosing not to.
A contemporary take on a classic
Director Joshua Robey, whose recent Oxford productions include Uncle Vanya, said the musical’s themes remain strikingly current.
“There’s a very timeless quality to the feelings in Company,” he said. “It’s about the choices of what you want your life to look like, who you want to be with, and what will make you happy. These are questions that everyone wrestles with every single day.”
Robey’s production places the action on an abstract set inspired by a soft-play centre — a deliberate metaphor for childhood comfort and the reluctance to grow up.
“We’re creating something big and bold,” he said. “The show is all about the growing pains as we move through stages of our lives, so a large, expressive, metaphorical space felt resonant across different ages and generations.”
Student theatre on a professional scale
The production features a 14-strong cast supported by a full orchestra, with student creatives leading all aspects of the show.
Playing Bobby is Aaron Gelkoff, whose West End credits include Les Misérables and The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole.
“Bobby feels like someone watching life move on without him,” Gelkoff said. “There’s that social pressure to mature and work out what you want, while everyone else seems to be speeding ahead.”
He added that working with an Oxford student company had been a refreshing experience.
“Oxford is incredibly creative. People are willing to take ideas somewhere new, and the team on this show is very strong — including an incredible band.”
A growing reputation
Fennec Fox Productions has built a reputation in Oxford for ambitious reinterpretations of classic and contemporary work. Recent productions include Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children, Ella Hickson’s The Writer, and an expressionistic staging of Uncle Vanya, which received strong reviews from student and local critics.
Robey said Company continues that approach.
“You can expect a delightfully expressive show,” he said. “It’s funny, moving, and full of life — and it’s for everyone. Growing up never really stops being complicated.”
Booking information
Company runs at Oxford Playhouse from Wednesday 28 to Saturday 31 January.
Tickets start from £15.
Book via www.oxfordplayhouse.com or the box office on 01865 305305.
Listing
- Company
- Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim
- Book: George Furth
- Directed by: Joshua Robey
- Presented by: Fennec Fox Productions
- Venue: Oxford Playhouse
- Dates: Wed 28 – Sat 31 January
- Age guidance: 14+
