THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE TRUST
Oxford Playhouse is a 600 seat presenting and producing theatre. The high quality programme includes drama, new writing, children's theatre, comedy, music, local student and amateur work, lectures, poetry and talks. The Playhouse manages the Burton Taylor Studio featuring student and professional shows. The theatre runs an extensive learning and participation programme in the local community.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £502,123 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by recovering audience confidence and effective cost control. The trustees report that free reserves of £665,418 exceed the stated policy target of three months of core operating expenditure, providing financial resilience against economic uncertainty. The organization confirms it is prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified by the auditors.
What the accounts disclose
“The University of Oxford also has representatives on the Board. The University provided a grant of £101,040 during the year (2024: £102,050) and owns the Burton Taylor Studio, which it pays the charity to manage on its behalf. The total fee for this was £85,836 (2024: £84, 986) of which £21,530 was outstanding at year end (2024: £nil).” — page 33
“Total donations received without conditions during the year from Trustees was £1,000 (2024: Enil).” — page 33
“The University of Oxford also has representatives on the Board. The University provided a grant of £101,040 during the year (2024: £102,050) and owns the Burton Taylor Studio, which it pays the charity to manage on its behalf. The total fee for this was £85,836 (2024: £84, 986) of which £21,530 was outstanding at year end (2024: £nil).” — page 33
“Total donations received without conditions during the year from Trustees was £1,000 (2024: Enil).” — page 33
Property (HM Land Registry)
Structured financials (annual return, FY ending 31/03/2025)
Trustees
- Adam Boughton Knight
- Albert Edward Ray
- DAVID JOHN CHARLES RENTON
- Deborah Baker
- Deborah Jane Dance
- Dr Alessandra Buonfino
- Dr Jaskiran Kaur Bhogal
- Eleanor Claughton
- Gillian Aitken
- JOSEPH CHARLES PILLMAN
- Micaela Tuckwell
- Professor Gillian Cathryn Rose
- SOS ANN ELTIS
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/03/2025 | £5.3m | £4.8m |
| 31/03/2024 | £4.6m | £4.5m |
| 31/03/2023 | £4.2m | £4.6m |
| 31/03/2022 | £4.2m | £3.9m |
| 31/03/2021 | £2.0m | £1.7m |
Common questions
Is THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE TRUST financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity generated a surplus of £502,123 for the year ended 31 March 2025, driven by recovering audience confidence and effective cost control. The trustees report that free reserves of £665,418 exceed the stated policy target of three months of core operating expenditure, providing financial resilience against economic uncertainty. The organization confirms it is prepared on a going concern basis with no material uncertainties identified by the auditors. Its FY2025 accounts were audited by Wenn Townsend.
Who funds THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE TRUST?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE TRUST as a grant recipient include THE THOMPSON FAMILY CHARITABLE TRUST, THE TOLKIEN TRUST, BACKSTAGE TRUST, THE EMMANUEL KAYE FOUNDATION, THE THEATRES TRUST CHARITABLE FUND.
Shared trustees with funders
- Adam Boughton Knight — trustee here and at THE THEATRES TRUST CHARITABLE FUND
Known funders
Government & lottery funding
| Funder | Date | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford City Council | 21/12/2018 | £24k | Grant to Oxford Playhouse |
| Oxford City Council | 09/02/2017 | £24k | Grant to Oxford Playhouse |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE FENTON ARTS TRUST | 2 | £10k |
| DENISE COATES FOUNDATION | 1 | £5.7m |
| THE CHARTLEY FOUNDATION | 1 | £121k |
| THE FOYLE FOUNDATION | 1 | £75k |
| Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire | 1 | £40k |
| LILIAN FRANCES HIND BEQUEST (TRUSTEES OF LADY HIND) | 1 | £25k |
| THE WILLIAMS CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £20k |
| CHARITY OF SIR RICHARD WHITTINGTON | 1 | £18k |
Charities like this
- THE NEW THEATRE ROYAL-TRUSTEES (PORTSMOUTH) LIMITED
- NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE TRUST LIMITED
- LIVERPOOL AND MERSEYSIDE THEATRES TRUST LIMITED
- SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY
- THE OXFORD SCHOOL OF DRAMA TRUST
- THEATRE503 LIMITED
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE OXFORD PLAYHOUSE TRUST | £5.3m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |
| THE NEW THEATRE ROYAL-TRUSTEES (PORTSMOUTH) LIMITED | £1.4m | — | 0 | unclear | — | no doubt |
| NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE TRUST LIMITED | £8.7m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| LIVERPOOL AND MERSEYSIDE THEATRES TRUST LIMITED | £6.7m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |
| SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE THEATRE COMPANY | £1.7m | — | 0 | above | — | no doubt |
| THE OXFORD SCHOOL OF DRAMA TRUST | £1.7m | — | — | above | — | no doubt |