Pioneering theatre company Headlong has announced its first new production to premiere in Oxford since establishing a base in the city.
Robota: A Creation Story for the End of Time will be staged at the University of Oxford’s brand-new Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities from 3–18 July 2026.
This marks the first full-scale theatre production to be presented at the state-of-the-art venue, with priority booking now open and general on-sale beginning 14 October.
Robota reimagines Karel Čapek’s visionary 1920s play R.U.R., which introduced the word “robot” to the world. Headlong’s adaptation explores our evolving relationship with artificial intelligence through a bold fusion of theatre, sci-fi, and philosophy.
Created in collaboration with Oxford University’s Cultural Programme for the Humanities, Robota offers a charged exploration of power, progress, and the consequences of creation.
Blending origin story with myth and machine, the production promises a high-voltage theatrical experience for the age of AI.
Holly Race Roughan, Artistic Director at Headlong, and Lisa Maguire, Executive Director, said:
“We are proud to announce that Robota will be the first Headlong production to premiere in our new base of Oxford. Working closely with our partners at the University of Oxford this exciting new adaptation of the extraordinarily visionary play, R.U.R, is the perfect piece to marry Headlong’s reputation for bold theatre making with the Schwarzman’s focus on state-of-the-art research.”
Headlong’s return to Oxford connects with its origins as the Oxford Stage Company, founded in 1974. The company established a new base in the city in late 2024 as part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio transfer programme.
Through strategic partnerships with the Schwarzman Centre and Oxford Playhouse, Headlong continues its mission to create exhilarating theatre rooted in the pressing questions of our time.
The Schwarzman Centre, a cutting-edge academic and performance space, will host Robota as part of Headlong’s Future Making strand, which explores the intersection of drama, research, and technology.
Robota follows Headlong’s UK tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which opens at Shakespeare’s Globe from 13 November 2025 before touring to venues including Shakespeare North Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic, and Oxford Playhouse.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
