Oxford Playhouse Chairman Gets on his Bike???

Hats off to Graham Upton, chair of the Oxford Playhouse, who’s embarking on a 1,100-mile sponsored bicycle ride to boost funds for the theatre’s 70th anniversary fundraising campaign. The Playhouse, a producing and receiving venue, aims to raise £1 million by October 2009 in order to pay for a range of new initiatives. These include plans to bring new work and creative talent to Oxford, present and tour more of the Playhouse’s own productions and expand learning and community outreach programmes.

Upton sets off from the Playhouse on 4 June 2008 and plans to visit a different regional theatre every night of his two-week journey, which he’s titled From the Saddle to the Stalls. “This bike ride is a way of demonstrating my commitment to the Playhouse and the need we have to raise additional funds to build on past achievement and do lots of new and exciting things in the future,” says Upton, who has set a sponsorship target of £100,000. He’s currently putting in “hours on the bike and in the gym” and has “every confidence” he will make it to the finish line. We wish him luck!

For more information, visit www.oxfordplayhouse.com/bikeride.

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