- June 2009
Thrilling, operatic and full of drama, this spectacular musical tells an absorbing and stylish tale of love, murder and obsession. Sondheim's lyrics are typically sharp, tender and hilarious - and the music spell-binding. Set in the harsh underworld of Victorian London, the show is both poignant and darkly comic whilst featuring some remarkably close shaves and surprisingly delicious pies! Recently adapted in the film version starring Johnny Depp, the original stage show is justifiably hailed as a theatrical masterpiece which won numerous accolades including eight Tony Awards and Best Musical. Presented by Cambridge's own Festival Players, the originality and quality of the production are assured as they return to the ADC Theatre for the first time since their hugely successful production of The Witches of Eastwick. A truly memorable evening of theatre, music and culinary resourcefulness – not to be missed!
- May 2009
For too long has war raged between the arts and the sciences. Friendships have been ruined, relationships broken down, and families torn in two - but do not fear! Improvised Comedy Ents are here to resolve it once and for all. Two teams of comedians will improvise their socks off for their subjects (and what's more you will get to tell them how they do it).
Ever been told you are robotically boring or wistfully wordy? Do you often have the hemisphere of your brain you predominantly use insulted? Wondered who would win in a fight between Shakespeare and Newton? Bring along your best insults of articulately abstract artits or syntactically stunted scientists and watch us weave them into a game show. It's quill and quark, particles and passion, pride and protons, science and sensibility in this final battle of the University subject war.
No scripts? No rehearsals? No problems!
- May 2009
- May 2009
When middle aged Martha and her husband George are joined by the younger Nick and Honey for late night drinks after a party, the stage is set for a night of drunken recriminations and revelations. Battle-lines are drawn as Martha and George drag their guests into their own private hell of a marriage.
In one of the most important plays in contemporary theatre Albee presents us with a tragic-comedy that brings together realism and the absurd in a captivating commentary on relationships, human interactions, and the fine line between truth and illusion.
‘A brilliantly original work of art…surging with shocks of recognition and dramatic fire’ Newsweek
‘An intensity, a demoniac misery, a ferocious humour…no one can remain indifferent to its power, its resilience of ideas and its range of language’ Sunday Times
- May 2009
“No, it’s not a symbol. I’ve changed the physical substance of the glass of water into that of an oak tree” Michael Craig-Martin, An Oak Tree, 1973
This is a play performed by two actors, the first is David Brown, who plays the HYPNOTIST. He knows the play very well. The second will be a different actor each night. He or she will play the FATHER. They will have never before seen the play or read the script. The FATHER will volunteer for the HYPNOTIST’S act. It is the first time they have met since the HYPNOTIST, three months ago, changed both their lives forever.
“So, if you’ve got an open mind, if you’re a game, game for a laugh, come with join me, as I welcome you to my hypnotic world. To my hypnotic WORLD!”
On Wednesday 6th May with Mel Heslop; on Thursday 7th May with Rob Carter; on Friday 8th May with Stephanie Bain; and on Saturday 9th May with Alastair Roberts.
- May 2009
Join Orlando and Rosalind, their sidekicks and all, as they break through the black and white disillusionment of the urban sprawl and find themselves bathed in the magic of the Shakespeare's most stunning of surroundings. In the darkest of the depths of the Forest of Ardennes, infatuation is inescapable and hilarity is sprinkled, doused and poured. The ADC is delighted to present "As You Like It" as its Easter 2009 Headline show and we promise you some of the very best comedy, and most spectacular of images, Cambridge's most innovative venue has ever seen.
Orlando is lost in a world without leaders. The good ones have vanished and the bad ones have taken their place. He needs to become the man to lead the new youth onwards and upwards and out of this disillusioned state, but there’s a problem, his complete and unqualified adolescent inadequacies.
Rosalind is lost in a world without leaders. The old ones have abandoned her and the young ones are little more than causeless rebels. She needs to escape her monotonous life and become the woman to lead her sex into a new freedom that can only be made possible through love, but there’s a problem, a complete and absolute lack of men.
Enter Ardennes.
The only true solution to oppression is love and laughter, and the club’s headline Easter term spectacle will overflow with both. Sure to boast Cambridge’s finest acting and comic talent as well as an aesthetic designed to melt your eyes, As You Like It is going to be huge. Watch this space.
- April–May 2009
"You tell me what’s possible and not possible any more. I wouldn’t be surprised if you opened your mouth to answer and a kestrel flew out of it. We’re just worms, all pumped up with God knows what, like white lab rats shut in a box." A Trilogy of darkly comic plays: A comedic mime on the futility of the human condition. 'The Box', a piece of new writing about four strangers trapped in a room.'Conservatory' by Enda Walsh, a short play about a man who is convinced by his friends to kill himself at his own birthday party. Entangled by the themes of language, loneliness and fear of the unknown, these three acts will make for an evening of intrigue, unease and amusement.
Devised with the aid of 'Complicite' theatre company, this is the perfect project for fans of the darkly comic and the absurd - we are looking for an actor who is skilled at mime, those who enjoy improv, and any actors who are looking to workshop a script and have some fun.
- April–May 2009
Sweet Charity tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine - "a girl who wanted to be loved" - who works as a dance hostess in the seedy Fan-Dango Ballroom while hoping in vain to meet the man of her dreams. Dumped - and ducked in the lake - by the preening Charlie, she is picked up by the film star Vittorio Vidal at the fashionable Pompeii Club, but ends up spending the night hiding in his wardrobe.
Trying to find culture at the YMCA, Charity meets the nervous Oscar. Despite a bad start when they’re trapped in the lift, their relationship starts to blossom. Will the Fickle Finger of Fate be kind to Charity this time? The Pied Pipers return to their original venue of the ADC to present this witty and touching show, featuring songs such as I Love To Cry At Weddings, If My Friends Could See Me Now, There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This, the raunchy Big Spender and the show-stopping Rhythm Of Life.
- March 2009
Edgy, relevant and non-trivial
- March 2009
The ADC Theatre is the oldest student playhouse in the UK . It was established in 1855 by a group of gentleman students, and is now operated by the University of Cambridge . It still predominantly presents student theatre, and outside of University term offers a mix of local theatre groups and professional touring companies.
As the home of student drama in Cambridge, the ADC Theatre is proud to present a very special event to mark the University’s 800th Anniversary. For one night only, we will be bringing together alumni and current students to entertain, reminisce and celebrate the incredible impact Cambridge graduates have had on the world of British theatre and entertainment.
Please note that attendance at this event is by invitation only.
- March 2009
- March 2009
Cambridge Footlights present the winner of this year's Harry Porter Prize for a one-hour comic play.
The prize was set up in 2003 in honour of the late Dr Harry Porter, who served as the Footlights' Senior Archivist until his death, and was the longest standing member of the Footlights Committee. It is open to all students from both Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin Universities.
Over the last five years the entries have been judged by prestigious figures such as Stephen Fry, Bill Oddie, Michael Frayn and Declan Donnellan, and the 2007 winning play, Coat by Rory Mullarkey, went on to receive high acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Join us to herald the realisation of the latest Porter-winning playwright's comic vision, by watching a play written, chosen, cast, and then performed: all within a matter of whirlwind weeks.
- March 2009
‘Guys and Dolls’ tells the story of a group of small-time gamblers and the ladies in their lives. Nathan Detroit bets his pal, Sky Masterson, that he can’t make the next lady he sees fall in love with him; and when the next ‘doll’ happens to be the prim and proper neighbourhood missionary, Sarah Brown, the stage is set for an evening of high-spirited entertainment.
www.guysanddolls.org.uk
- March 2009
"Wherever it was, whatever it was, I'd come with you...to the end, I'd follow you"
As the detritus of a past world stagnates, witness the creation of an optimistic but hollow fantasy of a world that could have been, and could be...
The old man and woman swamped in memories of the past sit on a Secluded island, isolated from the harsh reality of the post-apocalyptic world around them. They wait for The Orator to announce the Old man's plans for a future world, and as the audience amass we wait to hear what The Orator has to say.
An elegy for the past and a plea for a brighter future, The Chairs is a tragic farce that conflates the whimsical with an underlying despondency. That explores the endurance of relationships when faced with the realities of life.A fusion of music, movement and experimental set design, The Chairs promises to be a riveting theatrical event.
- March 2009
Exciting, charismatic, talented and sexy - Derek Fish is none of these things. But we’ve written a show about him anyway. Derek is the life of one man, told through sketches. Join us as we veer haphazardly from one moment in his life to another; some earth-shattering, some trivial, some intimate, some barely involving him at all. Get to know this normal loser and the vibrant characters who suffer his company. The show features jokes from Cambridge comedians James Moran, Keith Akushie and Lucien Young, as well as a cast of the finest performers around.
The Footlights Spring Revue is one of the biggest comedy events of the year. Filled with ideas, energy and laughter, this promises to be another smash-hit from the world-famous comedy club.
Ladies and gentlemen: it’s time to meet Derek.
- February 2009
The Medics Revue returns to the ADC with an hour of the best non-medical humour, featuring the saucy, the surreal, the satirical and the downright silly! We present a cornucopia of entirely original comedy, fresh off the prescription pads of Cambridge medical and vet students. With a mix of hilarious sketches, fantastic songs and incredible enthusiasm, the Medics Revue is just what the doctor ordered.
A sell-out show virtually every year, the Medics Revue is sure to make you laugh harder than your organs can comfortably bear.
- February 2009
A man and his daughter are stranded. Enslaving the inhabitant of a desolate island and mastering its magic force, he plans for his revenge.
Shakespeare's magical last play, his poignant farewell to the stage - has love, tragedy and comedy combined in equal measure.
‘The Tempest’ is an intrusive and exclusive production, taking you right into the heart of an uninhabitable, bleak island.
suffer a sea change into something rich and strange
free online booking www.adctheatre.com
- February 2009
'Richard II' depicts the life and death of the final undisputed king of England, the man whose deposition was to cause some of England's bloodiest and deadliest civil battles. The play explores the pressures of rule, the greed of those in power, the nature of tyranny, the human responses to injustice, and most controversially attempts at the moral justification of acts of treason and regicide.
The play contains some of Shakespeare's most evocative and brilliant language, placed alongside many of the most insightful political observations in the history of drama. Combined with a broad and fascinating array of characters, 'Richard II' is a fast-paced and gripping beginning to Shakespeare's History cycle.
- February 2009
Joe Richards' glorious piss-take of 1930's girls' boarding school adventure stories has been described as “gleefully perverse” by the Financial Times and “blissful” by The Observer. This exuberant, innuendo-filled comic extravaganza incorporates many familiar plot devices of the genre - a thwarted schoolgirl crush on the new Biology Mistress, a school thief, an ostracised foreigner, a midnight feast and a girls' cricket team - all culminating in a dénouement of ludicrously improbable coincidences.
- February 2009
Three Sisters is the story of the Prozorov family and those around them. Olga, Masha and Irina want to go to Moscow. But all they do is talk about it. Andrei, their brother, wants to go to Moscow too but doesn't want to talk about it. He'd rather play the violin. They live together in a small provincial town with only the madcap, misfit officers of their late father's army battalion for comfort and company. Vershinin is the new battery commander. He doesn't want to go to Moscow. He wants Masha. But Masha's married to Kulygin, who teaches at the school. Tuzenbach and Solyony want Irina. But Irina doesn't know what she wants. Nobody wants Olga. And all Olga wants is to be wanted. But all she does is talk about it. Chebutykin wants to believe his life has been worth something. But all he does it talk about it. Andrei and Natasha are ok because at least they want each other. Maybe. Everyone knows a change is coming, but everyone wants that change to be now. But all they do is talk about it. Three Sisters is a play about people who want things. But all they do is talk about it. It is a play about the subtle and complex emotional shifts amongst a subtle and complex group of people. The characters are as intelligent and stupid, as ridiculous and profound, as comic and as tragic, as real people are.
- February 2009
Kiss of the Spiderwoman" is a Tony Award-winning musical with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, the men behind the fantastically successful shows "Chicago" and "Cabaret". "Kiss of the Spiderwoman" tells the story of sexual offender Molina, thrown into the hell of a South American prison cell- which he is forced to share with a brutish Marxist revolutionary, Valentin, with whom he has nothing in common except his pain. Molina seeks solace in the glamour of the movie star Aurora's cinematic legacy, in particular her terrifying portrayal of the Spider Woman and her fatal kiss. Valentin is driven by an unshakeable belief in the freedoms promised by Marxism and the half-remembered ecstasy of his girlfriend, Marta. Despite their battles and their enmity, the two men transcend the desperation of their existence and ultimately the barriers between them dissolve in a beautifully scored love story.
- February 2009
‘It’s the only dream you can have - to come out number-one man.’
Willy Loman's time "way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine" is over. Visionary playwright Arthur Miller (The Crucible, All My Sons) shows us a character on the edge, out of money, work and luck; and in doing so launches the blistering attack on the American Dream that brought him to international acclaim. The play has never been more relevant than it is today, with the global economy deteriorating and hope reduced to political rhetoric. In this production Miller's classic is brought into the current economic climate, where it offers a profound insight into the human cost behind the numbers.
- February 2009
It's party conference time and in the leader's hotel suite, the spin doctors are sweating over the Prime Minister's speech. With public opinion increasingly volatile, there are rioters on the streets, and there is panic at the top ...this time it's all got to be perfect. But in the same hotel a journalist is piecing together a scandal so far-reaching that it could keep the party out of power for a generation. Can the story be killed? Can the journalist be bought off? Exactly how far will a government go to save itself? And more importantly, when will the transvestites having sex in the lobby stop spraying pink paint at Her Majesty’s Ministers? ‘Feelgood’ is a hilarious, daring and bitingly funny satire on the politics of spin by Alistair Beaton, whose extensive writing credits include Spitting Image and Not the Nine O'Clock News.
- February 2009
‘THIS IS OUR ROAD! But tonight it’s your road an’ all. Don’t feel awkward wi’ us, make yourselves at home. You’ll meet all sorts down here, I’m telling you love.’
- January 2009
In an age where traditional ideas of decency and propriety have all but been forgotten, Ryan Alright wants to make a change. As an attempt to extrapolate himself from the world of smutty, second-rate broadcasting and in order to establish himself in the realm of mainstream decency, he has accepted the role of co-presenter of the new Channel Yes show Breakfast at Night.
The station is pitching the show as ‘a morning show for people who are not awake in the morning’, but everyone involved knows that the real purposes of the show are to fill an hour in the middle of the night. Everything rests on this pilot. If Ryan can hold it together for just one hour, and prevent his fellow presenters Lucky Dorigo and Michael Middle, not to mention the vast and varied array of guests from derailing the whole thing, then things will be alright.
Breakfast at Night is the newest slice of brand new writing from three of Cambridge’s brightest comedy talents who between them boast a dazzling and undeniably well-received back catalogue. So come on down the studio and watch the pilot crash.
Free croissants.
Not only is Breakfast the most eagerly anticipated late-show, and perhaps any show, of next term, but the requirements and resulting effects of the show require a really strong little team. The challenge to present a comedy show which is keen to fully endorse and exploit the technical abilities of the Cambridge/S.O.D underworld, on little budget, should bring together a crew capable of ensuring brilliance.
- January 2009
Baying creatures of the underworld, the descent of Apollo from on high and woven through all, the power of music so beauteous it charms even the gods. Join Orpheus on his perilous journey to Pluto's realm where he, ravaged by grief, seeks to rescue his beloved wife, Euridice. Accompanied only by Hope and his magical lyre, Orpheus sets out upon a timeless tale of Love so strong it vies to overcome even Death. But will Pluto heed his pleas? Will Orpheus' own weakness prove his very undoing?"
Monteverdi's 'Orfeo' is the first opera ever written worthy of the title, and this production promises to be one of the most ambitious to grace the ADC stage. As vibrant today as it was in 1607, with a brand-new English translation, this production showcases the very best of Cambridge's musical talent, joined by a large, professionally-led period-instrument orchestra.
- January 2009
- January 2009
The Cambridge University European Theatre Group is a self-sufficient, entirely student-run theatrical company, which tours a Shakespeare play around Europe for two and a half weeks every December (and has been doing so for over 50 years now!). It is an ambitious coach-bound operation; a company of 25 or so tour with professional lighting and sound equipment, costumes and an experimental set, enabling us to put on a show absolutely anywhere.
Each year we typically visit twelve venues - ranging from professional theatres, to schools and universities, and even to churches and converted bread-ovens - and travel through five or six countries. In the past, we have performed in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, The Czech Republic, Italy and Hungary, before returning for a homerun in Cambridge the following January.
Over time, ETG has developed a reputation at home and abroad for producing exciting, innovative, experimental and professional interpretations of classic texts, attracting the most ambitious actors, technicians and creative forces from within the university. We provide successive generations of company members and audiences with challenging experiences completely unimaginable elsewhere in British (let alone student) theatre.
http://www.cuetg.co.uk
- December 2008
'You were marvellous tonight, no I really mean super well done!'
A budding actor looks for praise on his first performance, whilst a low budget director complains at the lack of money he is offered to 'put on artistic failures'. One slightly overweight producer incessantly hits on a beautiful young actress, whereas Steve, sitting at a table in the corner, perpetually questions his suitability to the role of Macbeth.
Set in a suave London restaurant, Berkoff's fast-moving comedy depicts a world in which one's reputation and social standing is fundamental for success. As we observe how the characters publically compliment and privately criticise one another, we begin to realise just how superficial the theatrical world can be. Through his presentation of amusing caricatures and hilarious conversations, Berkoff manages to portray a unique critique on theatre, which is sure to cause you to think twice on how you respond to this production.
- December 2008
No scripts! No rehearsals! No Quentin Tarantino!
Sit back and relax as Improvised Comedy Ents bring you a series of comedic tales from a world that seems strangely similar, and yet strangely different from our own.
You decide what stories get told as our team of talented performers take your suggestions and weave them together into a tangled web of disgruntled employees, vicious criminals and mysteriously knowledgeable monks. Just what is the secret that lurks at Joe's farm? What's in the briefcase that everyone's dying to get hold of? And how will they all fit together?
You decide.
- November 2008
The 2008 pantomime is here, and it’s going to be an absolute legend.
Join Theseus on his quest to the mystical kingdom of Crete to hunt the bull-man minotaur that romps and chomps beneath the island. Boo at the tyrannical King Minos as he stops his daughter going to Falaraki. Cheer as Daedalus and Icarus attempt flight. Laugh all night with Nanna the horse-dog. But whatever you do, don’t get lost in the labyrinth!
The ADC/ Footlights pantomime is the biggest show in the theatrical calendar. This year it boasts jokes by Tom Evans and tunes by Léon Charles. And with Cambridge’s funniest comic actors playing your pantomime favourites, including Manson the Snake Priestess and Little Nav, Theseus and the Minotaur promises to be a-maze-ing.
Pleasantly heart-warming, a little bit scary and very, very funny- this is one for all the family and then some. Book now to avoid disappointment.
- November 2008
"My guide was trying to persuade me to buy his cousin’s leather goods but across the square I could see a crowd of people gathered round a kind of stage. As I approached I saw four policemen on the stage and one man with his hands behind his back. As soon as I saw the rope around his neck I started to walk away. I imagined I’d be able to hear the snap of his spine but all I heard was the crowd roar."
The son and daughter of a diplomat walk across the courtyard of their new house to meet their new stepmother. The children are divided in their experience of the foreign culture: one is repulsed, the other seduced. Soon an illicit love affair, imminent war, and the destruction of a sacred tree threaten the fragile tranquility of the courtyard.
Developed as part of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme and awarded the Marlowe Society/ RSC Other Prize (2008), this is an eloquent and exciting piece of political theatre.
- November 2008
THERE IS A TIGER ROARING INSIDE YOUR HEART.
Joe Maloney can’t be the man his mum wants him to be; he can’t be like the boys in Cody’s gang; he can’t learn to how kill. But on his own, he can slip into another skin, fly with the larks, hear the tiger’s footsteps in his dreams. He can be anything within his secret heart.
When Joe meets Corinna and her strange circus world, everything changes. Under the canvas of the big top, Joe finally begins to feel at home. But when protest and violence from the townsfolk of Helmouth force the circus to close, can Joe return the spirit of the tiger to where it truly belongs?
Secret Heart, based on the novel by Carnegie Award Winning author, David Almond, combines puppetry, music and movement to bring to life the delicate tale of Joe’s discovery of the tiger within him.
- November 2008
ADC Freshers' Show
'It's their bed, and they can lie on it.'
When Malcolm and Kate throw a house-warming party, everything seems to go wrong.
Couples start swapping partners, a blazing row is going on upstairs, and Nick is bed-bound due to an unfortunate DIY accident. When Susannah finds Trevor kissing an old flame, chaos ensues and reconciliation seems impossible.
Meanwhile, Delia and Ernest’s’ wedding anniversary is interrupted by a few surprises, also disturbing their special bedtime treat... a large box of pilchards.
As the classic farce of four marriages unfolds, Alan Ayckbourn's fast-paced comedy allows a glimpse into the private lives of three very different bedrooms, as the couples quarrel, kiss, cry and, ultimately, are kept up all night.
- November 2008
Simon Evans is not popular with the ADC management. Over two sell out magic shows he has stuck cards to the ceiling, smashed eggs on the stage, and played haphazardly with pyrotechnics and un-clingfilm-ed glass.
But this is not a conventional magic show.
With the support of the Old Vic and Black and White Rainbow, Simon Evans is now ready to return to the ADC stage for one night only to bring you a sneak preview of a completely new show.
The new Untitled Magic Show is an experiment. With fascinating performances that blur the line between the real and the imagined, the aim is to drag magic back from the street performers and television personalities and return it firmly to the stage, creating a wholly theatrical work that elevates and promotes the art of magic.
Join Simon for a selection of brand new one-man effects, presented with his unique irrepressible style, and let him introduce you to the vibrant cast of the Untitled Magic Show, five dynamic physical performers who pool their energy and experience to bring you a performance aimed at firing the imagination, arousing your desire to suspend disbelief and satisfying your wish to be enchanted.
- November 2008
ADC Freshers' Show
"Have you ever seen a woman's body?"
Melchior Gabor and Moritz Steifel are, like all sixty-seven children in their class, bogged down with homework in the knowledge that, at the end of the year, seven boys will have to fail. But Melchior and Moritz also have other things on their mind
When Melchior sends Moritz a ‘twenty-page document entitled “Sexual Reproduction”, embellished throughout with almost life-size drawings illustrating the most revolting obscenities', life for the children changes forever. In a repressive society where parents shield their children from the outside world, the results are disastrous, shocking and, ultimately, tragic.
Censored for eighty years and controversial even today, Wedekind's Spring Awakening is a tale of sexuality, shame and the abuse of power.
