- January 2024
After three miserable years of their undergraduate medical degree, Cosette, Eponine and Marius are ready to enter the world of real-life medicine to #savelives.
But things don’t go quite to plan.
With yet another strike on its way, scary supervisors, and some unexpected guests on their way to the hospital, will our courageous trio and their new friends be able to keep the NHS afloat? Will professionalism seminars save the day? Will clinical life kill the dream they dreamed? Join us for the 31st Addenbrooke’s Charity Pantomime to find out!
- January 2023
The Addenbrooke’s Charity Pantomime is back for its 30th Year Anniversary! With Elsa starting her new job as an FY1 in Addenbrooke’s, and her sister, Anna, joining Clinical School, problems begin to arise when Elsa is tempted away from Medicine and towards Finance. Will Elsa be allured to the dark side? Can Anna bring the MDT together? Will you change your mind about medicine after the show? Find out at the 2023 Addenbrooke’s Charity Pantomime!
- June 2022
The great tradition that is the Addenbrooke’s Charity Pantomime is returning after the pandemic! For the uninitiated, this is an annual production in which medical students put on their own panto at the Mumford Theatre to raise money for the Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust. Previous titles have included “The Little Murmurmaid”, “Peter Pancreas”, “Shrektococcus” – you get the idea!
We are pleased to announce that the title will be “BEAUTY AND THE YEAST INFECTION” – think mediaeval France, talking objects and of course that sexy beefcake Gaston up to no good!
- January 2020
- July 2017
Written by George Gascoigne and originally performed in 1566, Supposes was one of the first comedies to be written in English. Its themes of disguising (the modern translation of the old word ‘supposes’) had a major influence on Shakespeare in his plays such as Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew.
This modern revival — the first time the play has been fully staged for over four centuries — sets the play in 1950s Camden. A young musician, Eddy, falls in love with Polly, the daughter of an intimidating nightclub owner. Eddy and his roadie, Dylan, swap places with each other so that Eddy can get close to Polly, through the guise of a roadie working for her dad’s nightclub. However, when Eddy’s father comes to visit his son, things get a little bit complicated…
- May 2017
Anglia Opera are producing Benjamin Britten's rarely performed opera 'Paul Bunyan' at the Mumford Theatre - 26 & 27 May.
Owing more to Oklahoma than Peter Grimes, Britten’s first musical theatre work, the operetta Paul Bunyan, was written during the early years of his self-imposed exile to America in 1941.
In the operetta, the story of the mythical Paul Bunyan is presented as a metaphor for the human struggles of the emerging New World and the personal struggles of the central character Johnny Inkslinger. In this sense, the opera foreshadows many of the themes of Britten’s later works concerned with a search for identity.
Full of colourful characters and memorable melodies, Paul Bunyan sees Britten at his freshest and most inventive.
Presented by Anglia Opera
- April 2017
A feast of short plays; tragedy, fantasy, history, drama, comedy, social commentary and maybe even Shakespeare, brought to you by adult and junior groups from in and around the region.
At least two one-act plays each evening plus intriguing theatrical quizzes for the audience and interesting professional critiques of each play by Jennifer Scott-Reid from the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.
The Festival ends with the presentation of a number of awards to groups and individuals whose work has been outstanding.
Tuesday 25 April
Biggleswade ATS:
SNOWFLAKES by Sarah Ridley
A touching tale of an elderly lady whose wisdom helps a teenage boy through a personal crisis.
Waterbeach Community Players:
THE DUMB WAITER by Harold Pinter
Unsettling Pinter classic combines dark humour with a growing sense of menace.
Wednesday 26 April
Samuel Ward Academy:
GRAHAM – THE WORLD’S FASTEST BLIND RUNNER by Mark Wheeler
A school group tells the true story of a pioneer's inspiring ventures in a Paralympic competition.
WriteOn!:
PAVEMENT IS MY PILLOW by Various Writers *
Collaborative project with homeless people explores issues facing rough competition.
Thursday 27 April
Huntingdon Drama Club:
ALFIE (excerpts) by Bill Naughton *
Selected excerpts from celebrated play capture conflicted nature of a 1960s 'likely lad'.
Meridian Theatre:
AFTERPLAY by Brian Friel
Intriguing drama imagines meeting between two characters from different Chekhov plays.
Friday 28 April
Swavesey Youth Theatre:
WHAT ARE THEY LIKE? by Lucinda Coxon
Youth production examines adolescent emotions through eyes of teenagers and their parents.
Stagefright:
THE MURDER OF RED RIDING HOOD by Andra Bishop
Youth company's original drama of tension and intrigue amongst a school play cast.
BAWDS:
ANYONE CAN DANCE by Sean Baker *
Lovers review their relationship in a series of witty, adult flashbacks.
Saturday 29 April
Dramawise/Sky Blue Theatre:
SHAKESPEARE’S SHREW
Sparring of the sexes in the Bard's perceptive study of an unconventional courtship.
Big Squirrel Productions:
UKE BELONG TO ME by Kattreya Scheurer-Smith
Offbeat young couple seek romantic connection through amusing platonic exchanges.
these plays contain adult themes and may not be suitable for under 12s
Presented by the Cambridge Drama Festival.
- January 2017
A double-bill of theatre inspired by people and places. Federico García Lorca’s Blood Wedding is a masterpiece of twentieth-century theatre. Desire, repression, ritual, and the constraints of the rural Spanish community are at the heart of this classic tragedy. Upwardly Down is a visual experimentation with tea, technology and poetry taking us into the heart of Afghan refugee life in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ambitious and creative refugee youth have taken to writing poetry to tell their story as a group and to improve their prospects for a better life.
These performances will be assessed work by Anglia Ruskin University’s 2nd year Drama students.
- May 2016
Football is a game of two sexes
It’s 2016, the wrecking ball is approaching and Ashley, Britney and Heather must face up to the destruction of their beloved football ground. As the demolition company moves in, the girls stage a last-ditch protest to save their club and fight for what they believe in.
This new play is inspired by real-life events from 1921 when the Football Association banned women from playing at affiliated grounds. After fifty years of hurt, the ban was finally lifted in 1971.
Tackling football and feminism head on, Girls with Balls takes a bold look at women, men and the beautiful game.
Suitable for ages 16+ (contains some adult language and simulation of sexual activity)
- April 2016
A feast of short plays; tragedy, fantasy, history, drama, comedy, social commentary and maybe even Shakespeare, brought to you by a variety groups from in and around the region.
At least two one-act plays each evening plus intriguing theatrical quizzes for the audience and interesting professional critiques of each play by Robert Meadows from the Guild of Drama Adjudicators.
The Festival ends with the presentation of a number of awards to groups and individual actors, including an audience appreciation award.
- April 2016
After being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, Ted goes on the trip of a lifetime...and so does his pet fish.
As the disease starts to cause his mobility to degenerate, Ted rushes towards experiencing a world that is outside of his comfort zone; from the streets of Lille to the romance of Venice.
Humorous, heart-warming and hopeful, CELL features charming puppetry, physical theatre and an original score to tell the story of one man’s final adventure to create enough memories to last a lifetime.
Nominated for a Peter Brook Award, CELL is the outcome of a new collaboration between two of the most exciting young companies in the UK. Having lost their Grandfathers to the disease, the subject of MND is close to the hearts of those involved.
“A celebration of technique and emotion” - **** The Stage
This project has been supported by public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Due to the complex themes in this show, CELL is better suited to ages 11+
- April 2016
The most talked about new Shakespeare company in the UK, Merely Theatre has honed a style that strips the Bard back to basics - no gauche sets, frilly collars or fussy props: just the actors, the audience and the text. Now the company are stripping back something more profound to create audience-focused, multi-role, gender-blind Shakespeare.
Henry V tells the story of young King Henry’s famous victory at Agincourt while outnumbered, but underestimated, by the French. The show uses football shirts to separate the French and English armies in Shakespeare’s most patriotic History play. An exciting, humorous and profound portrait of the birth of modern England.
- April 2016
The most talked about new Shakespeare company in the UK, Merely Theatre has honed a style that strips the Bard back to basics - no gauche sets, frilly collars or fussy props: just the actors, the audience and the text. Now the company are stripping back something more profound to create audience-focused, multi-role, gender-blind Shakespeare.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream playfully depicts the comically intertwining tales of feuding forest gods, midnight elopements and staging a theatre show. This energetic, 90 minute production of Shakespeare’s most popular comedy stays true to Shakespeare’s text while presenting it in an exuberant and stripped back style.
- April 2016
A swinging sixties story of unconditional love from the UK’s leading full mask theatre company
It’s 1966. The record player’s on, her hair’s bobbed and eye-lashes curled: for seventeen year old Susan, life is an adventure waiting to begin. But what happens next turns everything upside down, and its repercussions will last for decades to come,
Step into the wordless world of Vamos Theatre for this bitter-sweet story of mistaken morals and broken hearts, 45s and beehives, where sexual revolution proves a hard and rocky path to tread.
Funny, heart-breaking and human, The Best Thing is the latest touring production from one of the country’s must-see theatre companies.
Suitable for ages 12+
This production is equally accessible to hearing and deaf audiences.
- April 2016
Free pre-show talk: Tuesday 12 April, 6.30pm with Dr Tory Young, Principal Lecturer in English Literature
1923: The War is over. While Clarissa Dalloway prepares a party in Westminster, Septimus Smith is diagnosed with shell-shock, their memories and dreams magically intertwining with those of 15 other disparate souls, this hot blue day in June. Conjuring the hopes and regrets of middle- and upper-class London, this adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s celebrated map of hearts, minds and memories offers a compellingly feminine response to the aftermath of the First World War.
Written and directed by Elton Townend Jones (The Unremarkable Death of Marilyn Monroe). Performed by Rebecca Vaughan (Female Gothic, I, Elizabeth, Austen’s Women).
★★★★★ ‘Intelligently adapted, beautifully performed... entrancing’ (British Theatre Guide)
★★★★★ ’Richly re-imagined, exquisitely evocative stage adaptation, portrayed with heart breaking poignancy and passion.' (Edinburgh Guide)
‘Perfection… Vaughan is simply sublime’ (Huffington Post)
- April 2016
Barney is staying with his grandparents when he falls over the edge of an old chalk pit and tumbles through the roof of a hidden den. When he looks round he sees a caveman, with shaggy black hair and bright eyes. The chalk pit is disused and full of people’s dumped rubbish, which Stig uses to make his home. Barney and Stig get on rather well together. They have to manage without language, as Stig speaks no English, but that doesn’t seem to stop them. Through a series of adventures, Stig becomes Barney’s secret friend.
Clive King’s charming and timeless children’s classic is given an entertaining theatrical adaptation by London Contemporary Theatre.
Suitable for ages 6+
- March 2016
In a world bereft of goodness, is it possible for one truly good person to survive?
Theatrical Niche re-awakens Brecht's epic tale with signature jubilance; using ethereal puppetry, physical theatre and object work.
The gods descend but find that only sex worker Shen Teh will help them. Hidden identity, betrayal and unrequited love all stand in her way... Will Shen Teh's unbreakable belief in the goodness of others save her, or ultimately drag her under?
From the critically acclaimed team behind 'Lysistrata' and 'Blood Wedding' - Puppet Director Alice Sillett leads the production with her exquisitely crafted creations, whilst Venetia Twigg re-works Brecht’s morality play to tender enduring questions of culpability and status quo to a modern-day audience.
Brutality and kindness here collide in a spell-binding calamity of noise and colour.
Suitable for Ages 12+
- March 2016
Icarus Theatre Collective brings you a World Premiere, the first theatre adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s chilling masterpiece At the Mountains of Madness. William Dyer is brought vividly to life, trapped and tormented by visions of what he saw – and what he could not possibly have seen – in those ancient, Antarctic mountains of madness.
For nearly a century, this cornerstone of Weird fiction has thrilled readers with its tale of a disastrous expedition to Antarctica, and the awful implications of what was discovered.
RSC actor and RADA faculty Tim Hardy rejoins the Icarus Collective for his 50th year working in the industry as the leader of the ill-fated expedition, offering theatre audiences a masterclass in acting.
- February 2016
“The Universe is a divine miracle Galileo, not a clockwork toy! ‘Proof’ denies faith, and without faith we are nothing.”
The Trials of Galileo focuses on the events surrounding Galileo’s heresy trial in 1633.
In this reprimand by Pope Urban is Galileo’s tragedy, a mistaken belief that if he supplied the church with proof, he would enlighten the world while escaping persecution. He understood the science better than any man alive, but never grasped the politics. Until it was too late.
This witty, chilling, and passionate one-man rollercoaster stars Tim Hardy of the RSC/RADA and is written by Emmy Award-winner Nic Young.
- September 2015
There are always things we run away from, things that we think will never come back to get us, we sometimes feel like our past won't catch up with us. Well...it does, at this one particular university a bunch of students are forced to relive former experience and somehow find hope, trust and love. They finally will understand the Depths of Their Heart
- May 2014
ARTS presents An Evening of Moliere A double bill of one act comedies set in the Moulin Rouge era of France - The Countess of Escarbagnas
One of Molière's best one-act plays, The Countess of Escarbagnas blends broad farce and pointed wit to express his never-ending delight in human foibles. But Molière is more than just the "master of the laugh," for behind the comic gestures of these matchless rogues, tight-fisted masters, possessive lovers and elegant ladies lurk fears, insecurities and their consequences
And...
The Pretentious Young Ladies Magdelon and Cathos, two young women from the provinces who have come to Paris in search of love and jeux d'esprit. Gorgibus, the father of Magdelon and uncle of Cathos, decides they should marry a pair of eminently eligible young men but the two women find the men unrefined and ridicule them. The men vow to take revenge on the pretentious young ladies. On stage comes Mascarille, a young man who pretends to be a sophisticated man of the world. Magdelon falls in love with him. Next on stage comes another young man, Jodelet, with whom Cathos falls in love.
- April 2014
ARTS is promoting a fellow company originating out of Anglia Ruskin. The company currently performing under the name Anglia Ruskin Creative or ARC is committed to promoting new work in and around Cambridge. It has previously enjoyed successful runs in Cambridge and Oxford, with highly acclaimed performances in the Cambridge and Haverhill drama festivals.
ARC announces its newest offering entitled The Road Less Travelled by Dr Sean Lang. The show is based on the poem by Robert Frost entitled The Road Not Taken. In one act it follows the decision one man has to make which will decide his fate, all he has to do is decide which road to take. His decision is made harder by the presence of a mysterious stranger, who speaks in riddles.
The play will be performed as part of a World War One evening at the Mumford Theatre with guest speakers, as well as being entered into the Sawston and Cambridge Drama Festivals.
- February 2014
Let yourself be enchanted by Cambridge University Ballet Club's production of the world famous ballet, The Sleeping Beauty. Set to Tchaikovsky's iconic score and inspired by Petipa's original choreography, the performance will transport you to a fairy-tale world of beauty and splendour, where only the kiss of a charming Prince can wake Princess Aurora from her hundred-year slumber.
- February 2014
The Festival Players are delighted to announce AUDITIONS for their upcoming production of the rip-roaring, riotous romp of a comedy - AVENUE Q!
Whether you are a current or recently graduated student, a working or retired adult, a Festival Players regular or new to the Cambridge drama scene, this is the show for you! Utterly hilarious and wickedly irreverent, Avenue Q is a Sesame Street satire dealing with the big issues of growing up... Oh, and there are puppets!
THE SHOW Avenue Q is a comedy of hilarious proportions... Set in a fictionalised New York (Sesame) street 'Avenue Q', the show follows the dreams and pitfalls of the street's residents as they struggle with the clashing fictions and truths of life. The puppets and humans that inhabit the world try and discover their rightful (and easiest) paths, whilst reaching (with tuneful hilarity) such revelations as "The Internet is for Porn" and "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist".... Side-splittingly funny, a little bit naughty, always entertaining, AVENUE Q is a fabulous show that will be as much fun making as watching!
PERFORMANCES and REHEARSALS The show will run at the Mumford Theatre in Cambridge from the 5th - 15th February 2014, and rehearsals will be on a weekly basis from 4th November 2013 (with a two week holiday for Christmas). At the auditions, there will be a rehearsal schedule for prospective performers to confirm their availabilities, so please bring your diary!
AUDITIONS FOR CAST These will be held in Cambridge (Castle End Mission, St Peter's Street) on the following dates / times:
Friday 11th October, 7.30 - 10pm Saturday 12th October, 10am - 6pm Sunday 13th October, 10am - 6pm
If you are unable to make these dates, there will also be a very few slots available on the date below, but only for theses who absolutely cannot make the weekend, as the recalls are also on this date!
Tuesday 15th October, 7.30 - 10pm
BOOK YOUR AUDITION SLOT! If you would like to audition for the Festival Players' February 2014 run of Avenue Q, please sign up for a slot by emailing secretary@festivalplayers.org
INFORMATION about AUDITION PROCESS Auditions will be approximately 10 minutes long. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your booked slot to fill in the auditions form and prepare the dialogue that will be set outside the room.
First round auditions will be general, and not for specific roles in the show, although you will be asked on the auditionee form which part (if any) you'd prefer!
Please prepare a song in the style of the show (but NOT from Avenue Q) and provide sheet music for the accompanist. Please consider your accompanist when choosing from a Sondheim or Jason Robert Brown collection! An American accent is preferred but not compulsory. There will also be a few musical tests (range, harmony, memory etc).
After the musical section of the audition, you will be asked to deliver your choice of unseen dialogue from the sides provided. There may be a few directorial requests to see how flexible you are with character / style, and how well you respond to direction.
For a few roles there will be RECALLS, held on Sunday 13th after 3pm and on Tuesday 15th in the evening. For this, there will be a standard song set from Avenue Q for each voice part (details on the Festival Players website www.festivalplayers.org). There may also be one or two group movement recalls.
If you have any QUESTIONS, please do not hesitate to contact us on avenueqcambridge@gmail.com
WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN ANOTHER CAPACITY? If you would like to apply for production team, design team, crew or band, please email either Davina (Director) or Joe (MD) on avenueqcambridge@gmail.com to register your interest. Current open roles are advertised on CamDram (and more will follow soon!): www.camdram.net (search for Avenue Q, Lent 2014)
AUDIENCE MEMBERS Fancy regular updates and anecdotes about the progress of the show? Email Producer at avenueqcambridge@gmail.com and request to be added on to our mailing list!
- February 2013
- April 2012
It's 1985 and you're a rockstar wannabe. The reality is you live in your Grandma's basement...
Robbie Heart is New Jersey's favourite wedding singer. He's the life and soul of the party until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart and stomped on, emotions run wild through Robbie as he tries to make everyone else's 'special day' a complete disaster. The Wedding Singer is the culmination of laughter, love, fighting and social debauchery, where love triangles end up creating a vast kaleidoscope of emotions and confrontations.
- March 2012
An exciting dance show with a huge range of styles.
- March 2011
Just Dance is the annual dance of The Cambridge University Tap and Jazz dance society featuring dances ranging in style from tap and jazz to street and lyrical and covering all abilities.
- October 2010
The silent clown has found her voice. This musical journey reveals her story through voice, song, mime - and the unexpected. From traditional Gaelic song to futuristic digital soundscapes, the vocal clown makes her unpredictable way along the boundary between joy and sorrow, love and hate, laughter and tears. Performed by charismatic vocalist Anne L Ryan, and directed by Loré Lixenberg - best known for her role in Jerry Springer Opera - Moving Tones's new vocal theatre song cycle promises a work-out for your grey cells and your funny bones. Part of the University of Cambridge/Anglia Ruskin University Festival of Ideas 2010.
- November 2009
Parodying the 1980s movie Flash Gordon, Crash Jordon is a new piece of writing by actor, director and now playwright (evidently), Gytha Lodge. The play takes the camp and utterly ridiculous cult film and ramps it all up at least one notch further. A cast of characters ranging from a gallant rebel leader (somewhat insecure about his sexuality) to a surprisingly easy-to-seduce heroine surround the real hero, international cricketer CRASH(ah-aah), as he struggles to save the world in three days (so he can get back in time for that important test match) whilst overcoming his fear of talking to girls.
- June 2008
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling musical based on the adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the reign of terror following The French Revolution. A secret society of English aristocrats, known as The League Of The Scarlet Pimpernel, is engaged in rescuing their French counterparts from the guillotine. Their leader is The Scarlet Pimpernel. Despite being the talk of London society, no one except his small band of followers, and possibly his close friend The Prince Of Wales, knows the Pimpernel's true identity. Set in the late 1700s with a wonderful musical score by Frank Wildhorn, a hilarious libretto and lavish costumes, this is certainly not a production to miss.
The Festival Players make a welcome return to The Mumford Theatre with The Scarlet Pimpernel - an ideal show to follow their critically acclaimed production of The Witches Of Eastwick: "The most talked about show of 2007" (Combinations review).
- March 2008
Set in the Oklahoma territory near the beginning of the twentieth century, Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration follows the on-off romance of Curly and Laurey, with the sinister Jud Fry always in the background. Meanwhile, the flighty Ado Annie tries to decide between her two suitors, Will Parker and the Persian pedlar Ali Hakim, with her irascible father never far away with his shotgun.
The Pied Pipers – presenting Oklahoma! for the first time in their long history – promise a joyous evening that will have you humming the tunes, from Oh What a Beautiful Morning through to the rousing title song, all the way home.
- November 2007
The Elective. A chance for medical students to roam free around the world learning medicine. It is often an exciting and ‘studious’ time for the students. But this year, for one group of elective students, the dream goes bad. The modern world has some dangerously evil people in it. None so much as the abominable MB-PhD students at Cambridge University.
Raising money for The Oncology Unit, based at Addenbrooke's, funding support and treatment for their patients.
Tickets available from the Mumford Box Office 0845 196 2320. Book early to avoid disappointment, especially for Friday and Saturday night performances.
http://www.addenbrookespanto.co.uk
http://web.anglia.ac.uk/mumfordtheatre/information/booking.htm
- November 2006
A Young Woman dares to follow her heart. Ibsen's classic directed by Stephen Siddall. A Horseshoe Theatre Company production.
- June 2006
Festival Players, winners of the Combinations best musical award for last year’s production of ‘Hello, Dolly!’, return to the Mumford Theatre with the Cambridge Premiere of the phenomenal musical ‘Jekyll and Hyde’.
In late Victorian England, brilliant yet tortured scientist Dr Henry Jekyll pursues his life-long experiments to separate the essence of good from evil. Forced to test his formula on himself, Jekyll unwittingly unleashes his own dark side in the murderous Mr Hyde. As Jekyll struggles to maintain control, the lives of his friends and family become irrevocably entangled in the epic struggle of good versus evil.
With a powerful, engaging score, including unforgettable songs such as ‘This Is The Moment’ and ‘Someone Like You’, ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ has met with worldwide acclaim. Those who know the show will embrace its long-awaited arrival in Cambridge, whilst those who have not yet discovered this amazing musical cannot fail to be captivated by its haunting melodies and evocative tale.
- May 2006
"Why do you think they call it a nuclear family? Because they‘re all burning"
An adaptation of the cutting and poignoint Drama from controversial playwright Anthony Neilson.
Living with a man twice her age in a doomed relationship whilst sleeping with a crude and coarse young man, Claire's life is about to take on some harsh and complicated twists and turns. Meanwhile Fliss, her half sister, is convinced she has found her lost father living on the streets of London the only problem being he was supposed to have died twenty years ago.
This interwoven tale of five wounded hearts takes you through a journey of blind optimism and harsh realities. Will the family ties bond people together...or blow them apart?
*Contains strong language and scenes of a sexual nature
Tickets available from Mumford Theatre: £7 (£4 concessions) box office no. 0845 196 2320
