Queen's Now

Viewing archives for Old Members & Friends

Following the widely acclaimed productions of Fiddler on the Roof (2025) and Into the Woods (2024), Eglesfield Musical Society return this summer with the high-class entertainment of Guys & Dolls!

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys & Dolls follows the story of gambler Nathan Detroit who tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town. With the authorities breathing down his neck, his girlfriend and nightclub performer Adelaide laments that they’ve been engaged (yet unmarried!) for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, but Sky is already preoccupied, chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown.

This Guys and Dolls is fast, playful, and a little bit different. The audience isn’t just watching the action; they’re right there with it – surrounded by swirling dance numbers, overheard schemes, and love stories that sneak up on you. Placed in circular seating in the Queen’s gardens, the garden becomes our Havana, our Times Square, our secret sewer hideout, and the perfect place for romance to bloom. Fast paced and filled with unique characters, this garden production will be unlike any other theatre experience in Oxford.

Please note that this is an outdoor event, so do bring weather-appropriate clothing. The Queen’s College is wheelchair accessible, although it is an historic site with uneven surfaces. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch with us at contact@eglesfieldmusic.org and thomas.constantinou@queens.ox.ac.uk. 

Following the widely acclaimed productions of Fiddler on the Roof (2025) and Into the Woods (2024), Eglesfield Musical Society return this summer with the high-class entertainment of Guys & Dolls!

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys & Dolls follows the story of gambler Nathan Detroit who tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town. With the authorities breathing down his neck, his girlfriend and nightclub performer Adelaide laments that they’ve been engaged (yet unmarried!) for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, but Sky is already preoccupied, chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown.

This Guys and Dolls is fast, playful, and a little bit different. The audience isn’t just watching the action; they’re right there with it – surrounded by swirling dance numbers, overheard schemes, and love stories that sneak up on you. Placed in circular seating in the Queen’s gardens, the garden becomes our Havana, our Times Square, our secret sewer hideout, and the perfect place for romance to bloom. Fast paced and filled with unique characters, this garden production will be unlike any other theatre experience in Oxford.

Please note that this is an outdoor event, so do bring weather-appropriate clothing. The Queen’s College is wheelchair accessible, although it is an historic site with uneven surfaces. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch with us at contact@eglesfieldmusic.org and thomas.constantinou@queens.ox.ac.uk. 

Following the widely acclaimed productions of Fiddler on the Roof (2025) and Into the Woods (2024), Eglesfield Musical Society return this summer with the high-class entertainment of Guys & Dolls!

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys & Dolls follows the story of gambler Nathan Detroit who tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town. With the authorities breathing down his neck, his girlfriend and nightclub performer Adelaide laments that they’ve been engaged (yet unmarried!) for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, but Sky is already preoccupied, chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown.

This Guys and Dolls is fast, playful, and a little bit different. The audience isn’t just watching the action; they’re right there with it – surrounded by swirling dance numbers, overheard schemes, and love stories that sneak up on you. Placed in circular seating in the Queen’s gardens, the garden becomes our Havana, our Times Square, our secret sewer hideout, and the perfect place for romance to bloom. Fast paced and filled with unique characters, this garden production will be unlike any other theatre experience in Oxford.

Please note that this is an outdoor event, so do bring weather-appropriate clothing. The Queen’s College is wheelchair accessible, although it is an historic site with uneven surfaces. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch with us at contact@eglesfieldmusic.org and thomas.constantinou@queens.ox.ac.uk. 



Following the widely acclaimed productions of Fiddler on the Roof (2025) and Into the Woods (2024), Eglesfield Musical Society return this summer with the high-class entertainment of Guys & Dolls!

Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, Guys & Dolls follows the story of gambler Nathan Detroit who tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town. With the authorities breathing down his neck, his girlfriend and nightclub performer Adelaide laments that they’ve been engaged (yet unmarried!) for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, but Sky is already preoccupied, chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown.

This Guys and Dolls is fast, playful, and a little bit different. The audience isn’t just watching the action; they’re right there with it – surrounded by swirling dance numbers, overheard schemes, and love stories that sneak up on you. Placed in circular seating in the Queen’s gardens, the garden becomes our Havana, our Times Square, our secret sewer hideout, and the perfect place for romance to bloom. Fast paced and filled with unique characters, this garden production will be unlike any other theatre experience in Oxford.

Please note that this is an outdoor event, so do bring weather-appropriate clothing. The Queen’s College is wheelchair accessible, although it is an historic site with uneven surfaces. If you have any accessibility requirements, please get in touch with us at contact@eglesfieldmusic.org and thomas.constantinou@queens.ox.ac.uk. 

Runs from 20th – 23rd May

The annual Benefactors’ Dinner is held to recognise and thank those Old Members and Friends who have made significant contributions to the welfare of Queen’s in recent years.

Our 2026 Benefactors’ Dinner event will be held on Saturday 20 June.
Invitations have now been sent, including booking instructions. Any queries, please contact the Old Members’ Office.

Join Provost Paul Johnson for the afternoon and hear directly from some of the College’s Fellows and senior staff about the College’s academic programme, its finances and endowment as well as its Old Member and fundraising activities. They will provide some insights into their specific areas and highlight what they see as some of the College’s recent successes, current challenges and future opportunities across these key areas. There will also be plenty of opportunity for questions and answers.

If you would like to know more about making a significant gift to Queen’s, please contact the Old Members’ Office.

Plans are coming together for this summer’s family-friendly Old Members’ Garden Party, taking place in the College grounds on Saturday 4 July from 2 till 5pm.

You can look forward to…

Bouncy Castle – Face Painting – Circus Skills – Afternoon Tea – Live Music – Giant Connect Four – Glitter Tattoos – Croquet – Pimm’s – Giant Jenga – Garden Tours – Queen’s Society Reception – Scavenger Hunt – Teddy Bear Zipline – Football World Cup

In case of bad weather, the Hall, Cloisters, Shulman Auditorium and some gazebos will be available for shelter.

There is no strict dress code: we suggest smart casual but being comfortable at this outdoor event is most important!

Tickets will go on sale in mid-May.

The annual Taberdars’ Society Luncheon will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

Invitations by email and letter will be sent out to members of the Society shortly. Members are very welcome to bring a guest.

The Taberdars’ Society

The Taberdars’ Society recognises the enormous contribution that legacy gifts have made to The Queen’s College, building academic excellence and nurturing generations of students. We are always pleased to welcome new members and anyone who lets us know that they have included a gift to Queen’s in their will is invited to join the Society.

Event programme

11:00           Tea and coffee in the Shulman Auditorium
11:45           Welcome from the Provost 
12:30           Drinks reception in the Provost’s Garden
13:00           Lunch in Hall

Afternoon programme (optional)

14:30           Musical recital (TBC)
15:15           End of event

Dress code: Smart casual or lounge suits

Contact

If you would like to know more about the Taberdars’ Society and leaving a gift to Queen’s in your will, please contact the Old Members’ Office. You can also find more information at: Your Queen’s legacy – supporting the future in memory of the past.

This year’s London Reception will take place on Tuesday 5 May from 6.00 till 9.30pm. By kind permission of the Dean & Chapter of Westminster, we will be in the Cloisters of the world-renowned Westminster Abbey (map)!

Famous as the site of coronations of the British (formerly English) monarchy since William the Conqueror in 1066, and long established as a traditional site for royal weddings and state funerals, Westminster Abbey is one of the most significant buildings in the history of the United Kingdom. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Abbey also has a unique connection to Queen’s: the College’s namesake, Queen Philippa of Hainault, wife of King Edward III, is buried there. The College’s founder, Robert de Eglesfield, served as a chaplain in her household. 

Special thanks to Old Member Dr Matthew Payne (Literae Humaniores, 1989), Keeper of the Muniments at Westminster Abbey, for helping us secure this venue. 

We are sorry to say that unprecedentedly, all 200 places for this event sold out in less than 24 hours.
The waiting list is now also closed.

Please note that this event is for Old Members only.

Programme

17:00  Evensong (optional) – please arrive by 4.30pm
18:00  Doors open to Reception via Dean’s Yard entrance (map)
19:00  Welcome:
Paul Johnson, Provost.
Dr Matthew Payne, Keeper of the Muniments, Westminster Abbey and Queen’s Old Member.
19:20  Further drinks and bowl food service.
21:30  Close

Please note:

The Queen’s London Reception will take place in the Cloisters of the Abbey.
If you want to visit and experience the main Abbey, you have the opportunity to attend Evensong beforehand, starting at 5pm. Please indicate your wish to do so at the time of booking (no charge) to secure a seat. If you would like to attend Evensong, you must arrive before 4:30pm at the Great West Door to be seated; a later arrival will result in experiencing the service on the wrong side of the Quire screen.