- January–February 2025
“What, you think philosophy, you think poetry harmless, sir? Sir, it can maim, it can mutilate, blinded for centuries, it can kill.”
A dark summer, 1816, on the stormy shores of Lake Geneva, a utopia is born. This utopia is one built on free love, on unfettered immorality, on shadowy philosophies built to encase reality, to shield from the consequences of any misdeeds.
Here, in this thundery paradise, shelter the radical poets Bysshe and Byron, accompanied by their respective mistresses, Mary and Claire, and the frustrated physician, Polidori, who joins to shadow his sometime lover and document this sundry menagerie of Shelley’s devotees.
But no paradise can last forever, and a storm is coming.
- November 2024
- November 2024
Timon is a wealthy Athenian who spends his money with great beneficence, yet excess. When his fortunes change, his friends and creditors turn their backs on him. Destitute, he wanders the woods outside of Athens, strikes gold and decides to enact revenge against those that spurned him.
A bold and exciting production of this rarely performed Shakespeare, our interpretation will centre around the idea of 'parable'. What does it mean for a parable to be performed? How can religious morale (particularly a Judeo-Christian one) be communicated in a context that pre-dates it? What does it mean for a parable to fail?
Come and see this refreshing adaptation of one of Shakespeare's most disputed plays this November in the Trinity Chapel.
- June 2024
Summer, 1920. The war is over and the soldiers have been demobbed. At a country estate, romance blooms between Bright Young Things Claudio and Hero. Meanwhile, old sparring partners Beatrice and Benedick resume the war of wits which convinces their friends they might just be perfect for one another. Matchmaking, mistaken identities, and Much Ado ensue! But when an accusation interrupts the joviality, everything is threatened, and the characters are forced to question who they will believe and what they will value when it counts.
- March 2024
Step into the timeless world of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" as Trinity College Cambridge Chapel transforms into the backdrop for this classic tale of love and tragedy.
The stunning architecture of Trinity College provides an exquisite setting for the enduring story of two star-crossed lovers, whose passion defies the feuding forces that seek to keep them apart.
Staged by Trinity College's prestigious resident dramatics society the Dryden Society, join us for a captivating matinee and evening performance, where the brilliance of Shakespeare's words will echo through Trinity College Chapel. To elevate the experience, we hope to complement the performances with musical accompaniment, adding a melodic layer to the poignant narrative.
- February 2024
A night to celebrate LGBTQ+ writers for LGBTQ+ History Month! Trinity College Students' Union in collaboration with the Dryden Society.
- June 2023
'You see…I believe in the god of carnage. He has ruled, uninterruptedly, since the dawn of time.’
"God of Carnage" is a Tony and Olivier award-winning play written by French playwright Yasmina Reza. It follows the story of two sets of parents who come together to discuss a playground fight between their young sons. However, what begins as a civilized conversation quickly devolves into a wild, no-holds-barred argument that exposes each couple's deepest flaws and prejudices.
The play is a witty and scathing commentary on modern society and the facade of civility that we often put up. Through the escalating chaos of the conversation, the characters reveal their true selves and the tensions that exist beneath the surface of everyday life.
"God of Carnage" is a powerful and thought-provoking piece of theatre that will make you laugh, cringe, and perhaps even see yourself reflected in its characters. This is a must-seefor anyone who appreciates sharp writing, complex characters, and a good dose of dark humor.
So come join the chaos and see for yourself why "God of Carnage" is a true theatrical masterpiece.
- June 2022
"Septimus, what is carnal embrace?"
In a large country house in Derbyshire 1809, Lady Thomasina Coverly, aged thirteen, and her tutor, Septimus Hodge discourse on Classical literature, love, and mathematics. 180 years later, the historian Hannah Jarvis and don Bernard Nightingale arrive at Sidley Park to uncover the events of the past.
Did Lord Byron fight a fatal duel here? What is the second law of thermodynamics? And who is the elusive hermit of Sidley Park?
- October 2019
‘You’ve got to do something pretty damn impressive to not get into heaven these days. Inflation hit us pretty bad as well.’
A quasi-uplifting comedy about interdimensional lovers faced with mortality, bureaucracy and the crushing boredom of eternity.
Upon stepping into the arrivals lounge, Will is informed that he is in holding for divine punishment. Either Hell, or worse - a bottom karma-band reincarnation and return to Earth. With only seven days to seek redemption and secure his place above the sky, he will encounter many of the bored residents of paradise as he wrestles with the celestial bureaucracy, wrangles with angelic officials and whines about the existential squalor of eternity with a workaholic former Pope.
Come and witness what two writers with one RS GCSE between them will produce if they talk about Heaven for long enough: the Kafkaesque Romcom that left Alex Horne "feeling peculiar about whether I will ultimately want to get into the Pearly Gates." Highly commended for the Footlights Harry Porter Prize, we invite you into the afterlife. Take a seat, there’s a queue.
- August 2019
Ritual madness has descended upon Thebes. Dionysius is demanding obedience at all costs - but is his chaos less liberating than it first appears? With Pentheus’ own mother lost to Bacchic celebration, the King is determined to shame and punish the new God. Civilisation declares war on instinct as the divine tears up the mortal.
This visceral new production provokes uneasy questions and demands uneasy answers. Explore the fear of the unknown as this divine tragedy exposes the cracks in our own moral codes. Our fundamental values are broken down in this horrifyingly compelling examination of society and the self.
- March 2019
Joy Hunter is fine. No really. She’s totally fine. SHE’S FINE OK! Jesus Christ! CAN YOU GET OFF HER BACK FOR ONE SECOND? Fucks sake. Ok. Alright. She may not be totally fine all the time. Is Joy just fine, or more or less than fine? Or hella fiiiine? Honestly who knows anymore. I am her and I certainly don’t. I mean is anyone who writes about themselves in the third person really fine? Possibly? Probably not. Join her/me, stand-up comic and footlight on an hour long journey through the finer things in life; mainly depression, adventures into the world of romance and other general life disasters. Come in fine, leave fine, but very possibly more than! Now isn’t that a tantalising offer. No?! OKAY FINE.
TLDR; Joy Hunter is fine. Really. She’s totally fine. She’s Fine ok! JESUS! Here’s a show about it.
- February 2019
Charlie has spent his entire life followed by bad luck. It’s a part of his life that’s become all too easy to laugh at, and to blame things on when they go wrong.
But everything changes when he’s dumped and two weeks later his best friend dies in a freak car accident. Lonely, untethered, and desperately missing his past, Charlie attempts to reconnect with it the only way who knows how — through his ex-girlfriend Alex.
Both funny and sad, this piece of new writing explores grief, intimacy, and what it means to be vulnerable.
- October–November 2018
Oliver and Heather seemed perfect for each other, until the emergence of the mysterious and alluring Anna and the beginning of a turbulent love affair. To Oliver’s friends and family, Anna appears to be leading him down a dark path, while Oliver sees nothing but her beauty and affability. However, all is not as it seems as flashes of the truth are disclosed, until finally Anna’s secret is revealed in this circus adaptation of an original play.
- October 2018
“Theatre should be grand, vulgar, simple, pathetic – not genteel, not poetical.”
So said Joan Littlewood, artistic director of the infamous Theatre Workshop and developer of the seminal 'Oh, What a Lovely War!', first performed in 1963. Born of a revolutionary collaborative process, this so-called ‘epic musical’ shook a nation with its visceral portrayal of the first world war. Both riotously entertaining and profoundly affecting, there is no other play which combines the same level of cultural significance and timeless appeal. Come to be enraged, come to be entertained – come and be part of 'Oh, What a Lovely War!'
4.5 stars from Varsity: https://www.varsity.co.uk/theatre/16259
5 stars from The Tab: https://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2018/10/15/review-oh-what-a-lovely-war-114512
Listed in The Tab's top five shows of Michaelmas 2018: https://thetab.com/uk/cambridge/2018/12/03/tab-roundup-michaelmas-theatre-highlights-118438
- August 2018
Breathless Theatre’s new piece, ‘Spaces’ will be part-scripted and part-devised, which means we are looking for innovative actors who are interested in the key themes of the piece and who will happily contribute innovative ideas and thoughts throughout the rehearsal period. You will need to be available for all of July for rehearsals (although of course we can be flexible for particular days you can’t do!) and most of August for the performances in Edinburgh.
‘Spaces’ discusses boundaries - the obstacles that affect our relationships - with a focus on friendships, romance and familial bonds. These boundaries affect the way in which we interact with each other, the questions we ask, the things we choose to hold back and the parts of ourselves that we lay bare. The show will explore how race, religion, mental health and sexuality affect and form these boundaries and how we respond to and navigate them in the political minefield that is 2018.
‘Spaces’ will be framed as a documentary where the documentary-maker is never seen, incorporating elements of docu-drama and verbatim. The piece will follow three interconnected relationships, examining how differences can both cause ruptures and celebration, and in turn asking if the explicit and implicit boundaries we put in place can ever be crossed.
- August 2018
The experimental multimedia sketch show for the ‘fake news’ era is back.
Set in a world where all comedic speech is banned, the performers start an illicit underground club where they must use physicality, projections, sound and the audience themselves to make you laugh.
Coming to the Fringe fresh from runs in Cambridge, Durham and London, this criminally good devised show with glowing reviews is about the importance of communication, the dangers of censorship and the universal appeal of comedy. Relaxed performances available.
- April 2018
"Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is elephant" - Charlie Chaplin
After a dictatorial decree, all comic speech has been banned and comedians branded in an attempt to secure power. In a ramshackle theatre, a group of intrepid performers stage a new rebellion: using their physicality, subtitles, projections, sound effects, overdub, recorded lines, audio description and the audience themselves to create laughter. Speechless is a devised comedy sketch show about the importance of communication, the dangers of censorship and the universal appeal of comedy.
Narrowly escaping the police after their Cambridge run, the rebel comedians take to the nation's capital for one night only.
- January 2018
"Words are cheap. The biggest thing you can say is elephant" - Charlie Chaplin
After a dictatorial decree, all comic speech has been banned and comedians branded in an attempt to secure power. In a ramshackle theatre, a group of intrepid performers stage a new rebellion: using their physicality, subtitles, projections, sound effects, overdub, recorded lines, audio description and the audience themselves to create laughter.
Speechless is a devised comedy sketch show about the importance of communication, the dangers of censorship and the universal appeal of comedy. It focuses on multimedia and is the first Cambridge comedy show to be BSL interpreted.
In association with the Relaxed Theatre Company.
- November 2017
In "Eurydice", Sarah Ruhl reimagines the classic myth of Orpheus through the eyes of its heroine. Dying too young on her wedding day, Eurydice must journey to the underworld, where she reunites with her father and struggles to remember her lost love. With a combination of breathtaking language, unique visuals and an exciting never-before-used performance space in the round, this show will make you think about the nature of life, and choosing between loved-ones. A fresh, unforgettable take on a timeless love story.
- June 2017
"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
Join us for Shakespeare’s upside-down comedy fairytale. Helena, the poor ward of the Countess of Rousillon, loves Bertram, the Countess’s son, but Bertram has adventure on his mind. When Helena sets off after him, the girl takes on the role of the prince, journeying away from home and straight into a boisterous life. Will all truly end well?
Rarely performed, “All’s Well That Ends Well” is a touching tale of love, war, mischief, and gossiping Italian women. Hosted by the Countess for two late afternoons only in Pembroke College's beautiful gardens, this is a journey-cum-garden-party not to be missed.
- May 2017
you don't want to know about actors | actors are depressing
Budge and Wyatt sit in a hospital wing and watch things falling apart. The nurses are impostors, the doctors are frauds, and who exactly is Arno Klein? Why is there a man pretending to be a T.V?
Don DeLillo is our greatest living novelist, yet for too long the world has overlooked his plays. Don't make the same mistake. This black comedy, set in a hospital ward, is surreal, funny, awkwardly insightful, and most importantly, pretentious.
This play in Fitzpatrick Hall will create a theatre-in-the-round, for an experience not often provided in Cambridge. The space will be intimate, bizarre, and messy. Welcome to the day room.
- August 2016
"Captain sir, contact's engine noise ceased. We are hearing breaking up noises. Metallic noises and hull popping... She's on her way down..."
'Kursk' is inspired by the real 2000 sinking of the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk and is set on an imagined British submarine on a covert mission in the Barents Sea.
Over the phone, the crew say their final farewells to their loved ones at home as the submarine sets off for their three month voyage. Similar farewells are echoed by Russian crew-members setting off aboard the Kursk.
We get an insight into life in the claustrophobic confines of a submarine. We learn of the politics and military action, namely the crew’s secret mission; to spy and gain intelligence on the Kursk. But we also see the beautifully human stories of the crew living in tight confines for months on end. They receive ‘familygrams’ - messages from home - they write poetry, and CassanovaKen gets caught wanking in the toilet.
But when a huge explosion is felt, the British submarine jolts and the crew are thrown into chaos. The Kursk has ruptured and it sinks to the seabed. The captain must decide whether to ignore their secret military mission and save the Russian submariners, or obey orders and leave them to die.
- February 2016
'To begin at the beginning':
Originally a radio play, Under Milk Wood has been adapted to create a fast paced, high octane journey. Each character is a caricature, ranging from innocent to lustful, and each has a story to tell. A day passes in a small Welsh town; the characters appear and disappear in a whirlwind of movement. Clever and concise it will be Under Milk Wood like you've never experienced before.
- February 2016
"Unhappy the land that has need of heroes."
Planet: Earth. Time and Place: Italy, 1609.
Galileo looks up at the night sky, using the newly invented telescope. He observes the sun and the planets. He sees with a searingly brilliant eye, his genius and his methods have never been seen before.
But he is in danger; his enemies are everywhere, convincing the Pope that Galileo's new ideas pose a threat to all that the World stands upon.
Soon he will be forced to defend himself and his theories against all of civilisation: in his battle for truth, Galileo has to choose between his life and his soul.
Brecht's greatest play is a shattering and beautiful delving into the cosmos, beauty, science and truth, religion and morality, and the responsibility of Genius. Mark Ravenhill's 2013 translation for the RSC national tour is a hugely intelligent and vibrantly theatrical venture.
- November 2015
“I can tell the difference between who I am and a side effect.”
Four people are involved in a failed drugs trial for RLU37, a new anti-depressant created by the international corporate giant, Rauschen Pharmaceuticals. Doctors Toby and Lorna battle with the meaning of depression and the limits of medical science, as they administer the trial in an explosive professional partnership. Tristan and Connie, volunteers on the trial, soon develop a violent love for each other. But they are cannot get past one burning question: is their love ‘real’ or is it induced by the dopamine coursing their veins? Does it matter?
The Effect is a funny, passionate and moving depiction of modern medical science, depression and love.
Winner of Best New Play, Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2012.
'This is a provocative and challenging play ... it ends in an edgy gesture of good sense that made me feel like cheering.' - The Independent
'The Effect is a headlong delve into the mysteries of the human brain. And Prebble pulls it off with assurance, tickling our cerebellums in the first half, before tugging on our heartstrings in the second ... heartbreaking ... it has a heart as well as a brain.' - Time Out
- August 2015
* The Tab .
“Captivating” TCS .
“A brilliant translation of Conrad’s haunting parable” **** Varsity.
In Edinburgh after a successful Cambridge run, this is Conrad’s famous novel - the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now - adapted into an epic one-man show. Join Marlow on the deck of his steamboat for a story of greed and cruelty, fallen heroes and petty monsters. A journey up the Congo river and into the dark heart of 19th century European colonialism.
“The conquest of the earth is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much…”
- June 2015
THE DRYDEN SOCIETY and THE SHADWELL SOCIETY PRESENT 'SUPER'.
The Justice League of North West and Central London, Potters Bar and Cuffley want to use their newfound superpowers to 'fight crime and s**t'. The Siblinghood of Evil want to use theirs for 'maximum personal gain, minimum collateral damage'. The problem is, they unknowingly book the same room for their meetings. Posing respectively as a karate class and an urban dance team, members of the two groups meet, socialise and even date, all the while unaware that once they put their masks on, they're bitterest of enemies.
- June 2015
By Bertolt Brecht, the play follows the trials of Shen Te in a struggle to lead a 'good' life amongst the dingy blaring world of disco and visiting Gods. Chaos, disco lights and italo pop all collide in this partially promenade production of Brecht's bewildering comment on the reality of morality. Performed largely in an underground space, thus far unused by theatre.
- January 2015
- June 2014
The Dryden Society's May Week Show will be Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. The unique and enchanting language of Thomas comes to the fore in this faithful production set amidst the elegance of Trinity College Chapel. Milk wood is a play for voices exploring the sound and song at the heart of the quant Welsh village of Llarregyb.
Any queries, please contact sc829 (Shounok)
- May 2014
"What's it going to be then, eh?"
Alex and his vicious teenage gang revel in horrific violence, mugging and gang rape. Alex also revels in the music of Beethoven. The gang communicates in a language which is as complicated as their actions. When a drug-fuelled night of fun ends in murder, Alex is finally busted and banged up. He is given a choice - be brainwashed into good citizenship and set free, or face a lifetime inside.
Anthony Burgess's 1987 play with music, based on his own 1962 novella of the same name, promises to be an excitingly provocative production, presented by Cambridge Shortlegs with the Dryden Society
- May 2014
' ‘The war is over, the war begins… for me.’
Troy has fallen, and its women wait in the wreckage to discover their fates. Having borne witness to the death of husbands, fathers and sons and seen their city burned to the ground, they now face slavery, abuse and humiliation at the hands of their enemies.
In a modern world no stranger to the inevitability and futility of war, this story of grief, fear and how people react to it is as current and hard hitting now as it was when Euripides presented it to an uncomfortable Greek audience over two thousand years ago. The characters he created remain to this day some of the most complex representations of women in theatre.
This is a powerful and moving exploration of the arrogance of power and the violent aftermath of war, in which women are so often the ultimate victims.
- March 2014
Dijana Polančec knows exactly how much she is worth.
'1000 Euros because that is how much Babac paid for me. To put this in easy language, that is like two and a half iPhones.'
The Larkum Studio provides a malleable canvas for it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now by Lucy Kirkwood. As disturbing as it is radiant, it felt empty when the heart went at first but it is alright now is an immersive journey through the landscape of Dijana’s life; a volatile terrain of optimism, bravado and the painful reality of life as a trafficked sex-worker.
Presented by Old Labs Productions and the Dryden Society
- February–March 2014
"Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, Like diamonds, we are cut with our own dust"
Fascist Italy, 1933. Two despotic brothers tyrannize their own country. But their corrupt and merciless regime struggles to contain one ungovernable force: their sister. The Duchess.
She seduces the man she loves in defiance of her brothers, but their obsessive jealousy follows her at every turn. As she fights for the life she wants, the Duchess draws ever closer to her terrifying fall.
This production of Webster's dark and thrilling play will use film, sound and a powerful aesthetic to recreate Mussolini's world of false propaganda and brutal masculinity, where lust and violence reign.
"Your darkest actions, nay, your privatest thoughts, will come to light."
- February 2014
"I love you so much I could burst into flames"
London is dying.
Amidst the chaos and horror, two sibling survivors deal hallucinogenic butterflies from an old ice cream truck and throw parties. These aren't just any parties, but parties for the super rich in which their wildest and darkest fantasies are realised.
In exchange for them escaping with what remains of their family, the next guest wants just one thing...
How far would you go to save the ones you love?
Warning: this show contains adult themes and language, graphic imagery, and scenes of violence, which some viewers may find disturbing or offensive.
- February 2014
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
The world is crumbling and the British people have turned to The Party to keep them safe. Britons have willingly sacrificed their rights and freedoms in order to protect themselves from an unknown yet ever-present threat. War constantly rages with an unidentifiable enemy; opposition is forbidden and futile; dissent is a crime and defiance is treason.
Adapted by Matthew Dunster, Orwell's classic novel is brought into the 21st Century to show a horrifyingly dystopian vision of our future.
