The New Theatre Oxford, Oxford's main commercial theatre, is on the north side of the street. For a period, it was the Apollo Theatre but it has regained its earlier name. The Burton Taylor Studio is in Gloucester Street, which runs off the north side of George Street. Number 40 on the north side is occupied by Arts at the Old Fire Station.
George Street is outside the formerly walled section of Oxford, running parallel with the medieval wall. Buildings on the south side of the street occupy plots that were formerly part of the defensive ditch outside the wall.
W.F. Lucas' ready-to-wear clothing factory on the south side of the street was designed by Harry Drinkwater and built by local contractor T. H. Kingerlee in 1892.[3] As a factory, 300 employees worked on the site.[3] It is now divided into multiple retail and office premises.
The brick buildings of the former fire station and Corn Exchange on the north side of the street were designed by H.W. Moore and built in 1894.[4] By 1974, the fire station had moved to Rewley Road and its former building had been converted to a community arts centre (Arts at the Old Fire Station) run by the charity Oxford Area Arts Council and used occasionally by Anvil Productions, the Oxford Playhouse Company, for rehearsals.[4]
The present New Theatre was built in 1933. It is the third New Theatre on the site, replacing successive buildings completed in 1836 and 1886.
The Ritz Cinema on the north side of George Street was built in 1936.[5] Since then it has changed owners and names a number of times. It is now the Odeon George Street.[6]
