Multi-award- winning drama The Madness of George III will be broadcast live to cinemas, in National Theatre Live’s first ever broadcast from Nottingham Playhouse.

Written by one of Britain’s best-loved playwrights Alan Bennett (The History Boys, The Lady in the Van), this epic play was also adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film following its premiere on stage in 1991. The cast of this new production includes Olivier Award-winners Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Wolf Hall, NT Live Coriolanus) in the title role, and Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey, Upstairs Downstairs, After the Dance).

It’s 1786 and King George III is the most powerful man in the world. But his behaviour is becoming increasingly erratic as he succumbs to fits of lunacy. With the King’s mind unravelling at a dramatic pace, ambitious politicians and the scheming Prince of Wales threaten to undermine the power of the Crown, and expose the fine line between a King and a man.

For more information about the performance, please go to the NT Live website.

Half a dozen of our most gifted violinists will each be "taught" in a 20 minute lesson in front of a public audience. Always a fascinating insight into the learning process, and in the presence of Levon Chilingirian, one of the leading violinists of his generation - and friend of the school, this is a must for all string players and their parents.

When a group of schoolboys survive a catastrophic plane crash, what starts as a desert island adventure quickly descends into a struggle for survival in a darkly sinister world of superstition and immorality…

Performed by our Middle School boys.

The  Nutcracker  has  long  been  one  of  the  most  delightful  ways  to  discover  the  enchantment  of  ballet  –  and  makes  for  a  delicious  seasonal  treat  for  all  the  family.Tchaikovsky’s  much-loved  music  is  matched  to  a  magical  adventure  on  Christmas  Eve  for  Clara  and  her  Nutcracker  doll.  Their  journey  to  the  Land  of  Sweets  brings  with  it  some  of  the  most  familiar  of  all  ballet  moments,  such  as  the  Dance  of  the  Sugar  Plum  Fairy  and  the  Waltz  of  the  Flowers.  Peter  Wright’s  production  for  The  Royal  Ballet  keeps  true  to  the  spirit  of  this  Russian  ballet  classic,  with  period  details  and  dancing  snowflakes.  The  many  solo  roles  and  ensembles  put  the  world-class  skills  of  the  Company  to  the  fore  in  this  Christmas  classic.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Our two Christmas Concerts constitute the musical highlight of the Michaelmas Term and bring together the best of Abingdon's larger ensembles in a programme which is repeated on consecutive nights.

All the senior bands, orchestras and choirs will be singing, including the entire First Year, in music of an often Christmas flavour. Come and join us for a celebration of musical talent at the end of term!

What happens to your body when you push it somewhere it's not built to go - to the top of the world?

Joining YouTuber & Blue Peter Science Guy - Greg Foot - for the story of his scientific adventure to the world's highest pop-up lab at Everest base camp. With summit kit, interactive experiments and stunning videos Greg will uncover how a group of scientists and medics braved thin freezing air to perform cutting edge research that turns our ideas about medicine upside down.

Greg Foot has presented multiple BBC TV series, his YouTube videos have over 20 million hits, and he recently completed his first nationwide theatre tour.

Suitable for ages 11+.

In association with Abingdon ATOM Festival of Science and Technology, Science Oxford, The Ogden Trust and The Institute for Research in Schools.

A classical concert with the following programme:

The Thieving Magpie, Overture, by Rossini

Hungarian Dances, Nos 5 & 8, by Brahms

Bacchanale , from Samson and Delilah, by Saint-Saens

Hary Janos, Suite, by Kodaly

Tickets are £12 (£10 concessions) and available on the door.

One of Event Cinema’s biggest names, André Rieu, returns with a major new production this New Years 2019!

The King Of Waltz André Rieu will bring to millions of fans across the world, his New Years concert recorded live in Sydney, Australia. The first full production from leading Event Cinema distributor Piece Of Magic Entertainment, André Rieu will present a festive concert like never before, recorded live in Sydney’s stunning Town Hall.

Join the maestro, André Rieu, for a magical evening of music and dance featuring his world class sopranos, the platin tenors and plenty of surprises. With show tunes, classical music and plenty of festive fun it promises to be a great way to start the new year!

Take a front row seat and experience this spectacular musical event on the big screen. Enjoy backstage access, interviews with André and his special guests, musical favourites and much, much more, exclusive to cinema.

The evening will be hosted by ITV’s Charlotte Hawkins, a familiar face for all those who continue to enjoy Andre’s annual Maastricht concert each July.

Broadcast live from the National Theatre, Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo play Shakespeare’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of politics, passion and power.

Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of a war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.

Director Simon Godwin returns to National Theatre Live screens with this hotly anticipated production, following broadcasts of Twelfth Night, Man and Superman and The Beaux’ Stratagem.

Please note: this is a 'Delayed Live Screening' originally broadcast on 6 December 2018.

For more information about the performance, please visit the NT Live website.

Simon Russell Beale plays William Shakespeare’s Richard II, broadcast live from the stage of the Almeida Theatre in London to cinemas.

This visceral new production about the limits of power will be directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins, whose previous plays include Little Revolution at the Almeida and Absolute Hell at the National Theatre.

Richard II, King of England, is irresponsible, foolish and vain. His weak leadership sends his kingdom into disarray and his court into uproar. Seeing no other option but to seize power, the ambitious Bolingbroke challenges the throne and the king’s divine right to rule.

Simon Russell Beale returns to National Theatre Live screens following broadcasts of Timon of Athens and King Lear, and his recent role in the National Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Lehman Trilogy.

For more information about the performance, please go to the NT Live website.

In  Tchaikovsky’s  intense  opera  of  obsession  and  the  supernatural,  Gherman  is  caught  between  the  woman  he  loves  and  a  destructive  fixation.  The  Queen  of  Spades is  based  on  a  short  story  by  Pushkin,  and  comes  to  the  Royal  Opera  House  in  a  new  production  that  has  already  garnered  five-star  reviews  in  Amsterdam.  The  production  is  set  in  1890,  the  year  of  the  opera’s  premiere.  In  his  study,  Tchaikovsky  imagines  the  opera  into  life  as  his  own  story,  its  characters  giving  voice  to  his  unfulfilled  desires.  Aleksandrs  Antonenko  and  Eva-Maria  Westbroek  head  the  cast  and  Royal  Opera  Chorus,  conducted  by  Antonio  Pappano,  Music  Director  of  The  Royal  Opera.  This  is  an  engrossing  portrayal  of  a  tortured  creative  artist  and  a  gripping  piece  of  gothic  storytelling.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

From  the  thrill  of  unexpected  romance  to  a  heartbreaking  reconciliation  that  comes  too  late  –  Verdi’s  La  traviata  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  all  operas.  Alfredo  falls  in  love  in  with  the  courtesan  Violetta  in  glamorous  Paris  society,  but  underneath  the  surface  run  darker  undercurrents,  leading  to  a  tragic  ending.  The  opera’s  wealth  of  melodies  includes  the  famous  Brindisi  and  the  exuberant  ‘Sempre  libera’  –  both  showing  the  lyricism  of  Italian  opera  at  its  most  immediately  appealing.  Richard  Eyre’s  production  for  The  Royal  Opera  brings  out  all  the  emotional  colour,  from  the  giddy  discovery  of  love,  through  painful  confrontation  to  the  inevitable  conclusion.  Lavish  period  sets  and  costumes  enhance  the  reality  of  a  moving  story  based  on  true  life.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

I’m Not Running is an explosive new play by David Hare, premiering at the National Theatre and broadcast live to cinemas.

Pauline Gibson has spent her life as a doctor, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign. When she crosses paths with her old boyfriend, a stalwart loyalist in Labour Party politics, she’s faced with an agonising decision.

What’s involved in sacrificing your private life and your piece of mind for something more than a single issue? Does she dare?

Hare was recently described by The Washington Post as ‘the premiere political dramatist writing in English’. His other work includes Pravda and Skylight, broadcast by National Theatre Live in 2014.

For more information about the performance, please visit the NT Live website.

Michael Dork is 17. They call him nerd, geek, slacker. Socially marginalised by the entire school and constantly picked on by Eddie, the coolest boy in school, Michael is desperate to find his ticket outta Loserville. But when stunning new girl Holly arrives, Michael is introduced to a whole new world of cool.

This bold and brilliant rock musical - created by James Bourne of the band Busted and Elliot Davis - is a colourful and catchy ride through the life of the underdog performed by Abingdon and St Helen's pupils.

Tickets on sale from 29 October.

We are delighted to welcome to Abingdon the brass ensemble, Quartet Menine, which is comprised of four of the most talented young brass players in the country. Formed in Manchester in 2016 and now based in London, the group was set up with the aim of creating an exciting and engaging chamber music experience, breaking away from the usual repertoire restrictions experienced by brass instruments. They preform a set list covering everything from Bach to the present day, choosing pieces they feel gives a comprehensive overview of some of the best music written.

The quartet will be giving a master class to our brass players in the afternoon and we look forward to this performance, which is quite different to professional ensembles that have visited the school in recent years.

Get ready for an evening of inspirational adventure films coming at you from the wildest corners of the globe!

In this selection of extraordinary short films, follow the world’s top explorers and action film-makers as they brave intrepid journeys into the most spectacular regions of planet Earth. Witness breath-taking cinematography, stunning scenery and an exhilarating dose of adrenaline – all on the big screen!

These brand-new films are taken from the world’s most prestigious mountain festival, held every year in Canada. An exciting, not-to-be-missed event with free prize giveaways.

To book tickets, please visit the Banff Film Festival website.

Cervantes’s  story  of  the  bumbling  knight  Don  Quixote  has  inspired  countless  artistic  interpretations.  Marius  Petipa  choreographed  this  sparkling  ballet  about  the  encounters  of  the  man  from  La  Mancha  and  his  faithful  squire  Sancho  Panza.  At  its  heart  are  virtuoso  roles  for  the  lovers  Basilio  and  Kitri.  Carlos  Acosta  chose  this  joyful  classic  for  his  first  production  for  The  Royal  Ballet.  His  vibrant  staging  brings  together  the  whole  Company  in  such  roles  as  exuberant  villagers,  passionate  gypsies  and  even  fantasy  flowers.  The  story  follows  Don  Quixote’s  picaresque  journey  to  do  deeds  in  honour  of  his  imaginary  noble  lady,  Dulcinea.  Sunny,  charming,  funny  and  touching  –  Don  Quixote  is  a  ballet  as  full  of  uplifting  emotion  as  it  is  of  astonishing  ballet  technique.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Leonora  falls  in  love  with  Don  Alvaro,  but  when  her  father  forbids  their  marriage,  a  fatal  accident  triggers  a  drama  of  obsession,  vengeance  and  tragedy.  Jonas  Kaufmannand  Anna  Netrebko  star  in  Verdi’s  epic  La  forza  del  destino  (The  Force  of  Destiny)  an  opera  which  demands  the  very  best  of  singers  for  its  powerful  music  and  the  fullest  theatrical  treatment  for  its  story  of  bitter  revenge  pursued  across  miles  and  years.  The  production  comes  to  The  Royal  Opera  in  a  sensational  staging  from  Amsterdam  packed  with  colour  and  action.  It  is  directed  by  Christof  Loy  and  conducted  by  Antonio  Pappano,  Music  Director  of  The  Royal  Opera.  

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

Come into the forest; dare to change your state of mind.

Rosalind is banished, wrestling with her heart and her head.

With her cousin by her side, she journeys to a world of exile where barriers are broken down and all can discover their deeper selves. Director Kimberley Sykes (Dido, Queen of Carthage) directs a riotous, exhilarating version of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy.

For more information about the performance, please go to the RSC website.

The former King's Singer and internationally renowned composer and choir master comes to Abingdon School to deliver one of his ever popular "Come and Sing" days.

For more information, please visit the Arts and Sports website.

Suitable for ages 14+

Approximate duration: 6 hours

Registration from 9.30am on the day.

There  are  many  versions  of  the  story  of  Faust,  who  trades  his  soul  with  the  Devil  for  youth  and  power,  but  Gounod’s  opera  remains  one  of  the  most  constantly  enthralling.  Michael  Fabiano  stars  as  Faust,  with  Diana  Damrau  as  his  beloved  Marguerite  and  Erwin  Schrott  as  the  diabolical  Méphistophélès.  Virtuoso  leading  roles,  a  large  chorus,  sensational  sets,  ballet  and  an  ecstatic  finale  make  this  the  epitome  of  theatrical  spectacle  –  the  lavish  scale  of  French  grand  opera  is  wonderfully  in  evidence  in  this  production  by  David  McVicar,  set  in  1870s  Paris.  Above  all,  the  music  includes  several  of  popular  opera’s  most  recognizable  numbers,  performed  by  a  cast  of  great  international  singers  and  the  Royal  Opera  Chorus.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

The  contemporary  face  of  The  Royal  Ballet  is  shown  in  works  from  three  of  today’s  leading  choreographers.  Christopher  Wheeldon’s  Within  the  Golden  Hour  is  based  around  seven  couples  separating  and  intermingling,  to  music  by  Vivaldi  and  Bosso  and  lit  with  rich  colours  suggested  by  sunset.  Crystal  Pite’s  Flight  Pattern,  revived  for  the  first  time,  uses  a  large  dance  ensemble  and  Górecki’s  familiar  music  from  his  Symphony  of  Sorrowful  Songsfor  a  poignant  and  passionate  reflection  on  migration.  Between  them,  a  new  work  by  Sidi  Larbi  Cherkaoui,  created  on  The  Royal  Ballet  has  its  premiere  to  bring  the  contemporary  truly  up-to-date.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

In a reimagined 1590, England is a matriarchy. Baptista Minola is seeking to sell off her son Katherine to the highest bidder. Cue an explosive battle of the sexes in this electrically charged love story. Justin Audibert (Snow in Midsummer, The Jew of Malta) turns Shakespeare’s fierce, energetic comedy of gender and materialism on its head to offer a fresh perspective on its portrayal of hierarchy and power.

For more information about the performance, please go to the RSC website.

Shakespeare's enduring  love  story  is  known  the  world  over. Since  its  1965  premiere  with  The  Royal  Ballet,  Kenneth  MacMillan’s  Romeo  and  Juliet  has  become  a  modern  ballet  classic.  The  choreography  captures  the  emotions  of  the  young  couple  as  they  fall  in  love,  despite  the  barriers  that  finally  bring  about  the  story’s  tragic  end.  Each  revival  gives  opportunities  for  new  dancers  to  interpret  the  doomed  lovers.  The  whole  Company  brings  the  colour  and  action  of  Renaissance  Verona,  where  a  busy  market  all  too  quickly  bursts  into  sword  fighting,  and  a  family  feud  leads  to  tragedy  for  both  the  Montagues  and  Capulets.

For more information about this performance, please visit the Royal Opera House Live website.

"To whom should I complain?"

When a young novice nun is compromised by a corrupt official, who offers to save her brother from execution in return for sex, she has no idea where to turn for help. When she threatens to expose him, he tells her that no one would believe her. Shakespeare wrote this play in the early 1600s, yet it remains astonishingly resonant today. Artistic Director, Gregory Doran, directs this new production.

For more information about the performance, please go to the RSC website.