- January 2017
“Ladies and Gentlemen may I have your attention purrrrlease...
Introducing, Dragtime! An evening of eargasmic drag delights where the beards are beautiful, the broads are busty, and binaries are busted!
Don your cap, grab your heels - it's smart, it's sexy, it’s coming back from the future into your present... it's Dragtime!”
In 2017, a motley assortment of drag kings and queens were frozen in time in a forgotten drag bar. Thirty years later, an unsuspecting teen stumbles upon them, and the troupe creaks back into life to give the future a blast from the past.
Expect a time-bending cabaret like no other, featuring spectacular musical numbers, side-splitting character comedy, breath-taking lipsyncs and all manner of surprising delights for your pleasure and enjoyment.
Fasten your seatbelts and get ready to be taken at breakneck speed through the crazy, spectactular, gender-warping world of drag.
- January 2017
The finest of Cambridge's musical theatre talent join forces to create an original musical... in just 24 hours! Creative teams are given a theme for a musical, and each team write, compose and rehearse a song over the 24 hour period. The result is an eclectic and brand-spanking new show, and a spectacular celebration of new writing!
- November 2016
Down on Skid Row, where everything is drag and dreary, Seymour toils away in Mr. Mushnik’s flower shop, dreaming of one day achieving greatness, as he pines away for the sweet shop assistant, Audrey. Through mysterious circumstances, he comes upon a unique plant. Little does he know that this strange and unusual plant will develop a soulful R&B voice, a potty mouth, and an unquenchable thirst for human blood- all the while giving him all he’s dreamed of: a chance at fame and fortune, and a plan to win the heart of Audrey. To what lengths will Seymour go to satisfy his own thirst for success, and the plant’s thirst for blood?
- October 2016
The Last Five Years explores a five-year relationship between Jamie Wellerstein, a young, up-and-coming novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, a struggling actress. Its unique storytelling device shows Cathy singing about their relationship from breakup to meeting, and Jamie from meeting to breakup, their songs alternating. A hilarious and moving insight into the love and tragedy of two people, this is a show that leaves you to make the decision about which of the flawed characters is in the right.
- August 2016
"I have lots of friendships but this one transcends all the ones in which I don’t get laid and that’s why we’re just friends…with benefits."
In an attempt to get over the messy ends of their last relationships, Marcy and Austin find someone who is perfectly wrong for them: each other. But what they don't realise is that 'wrong' may actually be 'right'...
Loosely based on Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice', 'I Love You Because' is a modern day, musical love story which follows two couples and their struggles to find love alongside the pressures of modern romance.
With stunning music, and a hilarious script, 'I Love You Because' teaches us to love not in spite of faults, but because of them.
- May 2016
"Isn't it rich? Are we a pair? Me here at last on the ground, you in mid-air. Send in the clowns"
Desiree Armfeldt, the renowned actress, finds herself caught once more in a tangled set of affairs - sleeping with the Count Carl-Magnus (in full knowledge of his wife) while falling in love once more with her old flame, Fredrik Egerman (despite the fact that he is also newly married). How better to solve this problem than a weekend in the country together?
Sondheim's classic musical, adapting an Ingmar Bergman film, brings together love in all its tragicomic forms in this nostalgic and farcical story. Reset in contemporary times, with the ghosts of the past watching on, this production of 'A Little Night Music' will demonstrate just why Sondheim is one of the revered greats of musical theatre.
- April 2016
“Welcome to the world; it’s such a funny place. The people who you love the most are also the ones who make you cry. I’m not sure why.”
Six-year-old Jen Tracy welcomes her newborn brother John into the world, with a warning about the pain the ones you love can cause you…
Set against the backdrop of a changing America between 1950 and 1990, "john & jen" follows the story of Jen and her relationships with the two Johns in her life: her brother, and his namesake, her son.
A chamber musical beautifully scored by Tony nominee Andrew Lippa, composer of "The Addams Family", "john & jen" is Lippa’s overlooked masterpiece.
Chock-full of wit, sparkle and touching ballads, at its heart John & Jen is a moving portrayal of family: of brother and sister, and of mother and son.
- February 2016
The Cambridge University University Musical Theatre Society presents its annual Gala night - a one night extravaganza, complete with solos, chorus numbers, choreography, a full band and a good sprinkling of glitz and glamour. The Gala is guaranteed to be an evening of outrageous fun!
- February 2016
“Thought is suspect, and money is their idol, and nothing is okay unless, it's scripted in their Bible. But I know there's so much more to find just in lookin' through myself, and not at them”.
Wendla longs to be a grown up, to be taken seriously. Moritz is terrified- of dropping out of school, of his erotic dreams, of disappointing his parents. Melchior, headstrong and cocky, wants to change the status quo.
In this groundbreaking musical, 19th century Germany envelops these young characters in an oppressive, inherently conservative society, in which adults hold all the cards and make all the rules. There is no room for change, and no courage to change it- until Melchior steps forth, whipping them all into a youth revolution and the chaos of sexual awakening. But even in these bold steps, his ideals shatter against the concrete norms and constraints of the regime of the adults.
Winning Best Musical and Best Original Score in 2006, this show is one that is not to be missed!
- January 2016
Ladies and Gentlemen may I have your attention purrrrlease...
Introducing, Dragtime! An evening of eargasmic musical theatre delights where the beards are beautiful, the brawds are busty, binaries are thrown out the window.
Don your cap, grab your heels - it's smart, it's sexy... it's time to Dragtime!
- January 2016
The finest of Cambridge's musical theatre talent join forces to create an original musical... in just 24 hours! Creative teams are given a theme for a musical, and each team write, compose and rehearse a song over the 24 hour period. The result is an eclectic and brand-spanking new show, and a spectacular celebration of new writing!
- November 2015
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, the story of the notorious demon barber of Fleet Street.
When Sweeney Todd returns to London after 15 years of unjust incarceration, his mind is bent on black revenge. He longs to kill the sadistic Judge Turpin who had stolen and abused Todd’s wife and wrongfully banished him to Australia. With the help of a young idealistic sailor, Antony, and the loveable but immoral Mrs Lovett, Todd sets his mind to avenging his beloved wife Lucy and being reunited with his daughter Johanna, now locked away by the lecherous Turpin.
This delightfully macabre tale descends into a cut-throat world of cannibalism, caged birds, meat pies, mad beggars and deceit as Todd restarts his career as a barber, declaring war on all mankind.
Join the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society in an industrial world of smoke and steampunk as they try a little priest. It’s an acquired taste.
- November 2015
How do you make your voice heard in a world that wants to keep you quiet?
Inspired by the events of the London Riots in 2011, this exciting new musical follows the story of a teenage boy trying to pursue his dream of becoming a successful musician against the backdrop of a struggling London borough. When the only hope of a future rests in the security of a local gang, he must decide which path to choose. Facing the pressures of social tensions and the changing nature of community, what will he do?
With a brand new script, and a score by the composer of The CUADC/Footlights Pantomime 2014: The Emperor’s New Clothes, we present to you a concert performance of snippits from this new show.
- October 2015
The original 1972 Broadway production of Stephen Schwartz (best known for his work on Wicked, Godspell, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Prince of Egypt) and Roger O. Hirson's 'Pippin' won five Tony Awards, and the 2013 Broadway revival won another four.
The story is told by a troupe of actors, led by the ‘Leading Player’, a mysterious figure who breaks the fourth wall and blurs the distinction between the world of fiction and reality. The troupe stages the story of Pippin, a young prince who is searching for his place in the world. Rather than following a linear structure, the show resembles a picaresque adventure-story, consisting of a number of fantastical episodes: Pippin goes to war with the Visigoths, murders his father, becomes a tyrant, flees to the countryside and falls in love.
Pippin contains a masterful score by Stephen Schwartz, with upbeat pop-inspired numbers that propel the story along with wit and energy, and many of its memorable songs, from Pippin’s soaring ballad Corner of the Sky to Berthe’s rousing (and audience-participatory) anthem No Time at All, have become established classics.
- August 2015
The original 1972 Broadway production of Stephen Schwartz (best known for his work on Wicked, Godspell, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Prince of Egypt) and Roger O. Hirson's 'Pippin' won five Tony Awards, and the 2013 Broadway revival won another four.
The story is told by a troupe of actors, led by the ‘Leading Player’, a mysterious figure who breaks the fourth wall and blurs the distinction between the world of fiction and reality. The troupe stages the story of Pippin, a young prince who is searching for his place in the world. Rather than following a linear structure, the show resembles a picaresque adventure-story, consisting of a number of fantastical episodes: Pippin goes to war with the Visigoths, murders his father, becomes a tyrant, flees to the countryside and falls in love.
Pippin contains a masterful score by Stephen Schwartz, with upbeat pop-inspired numbers that propel the story along with wit and energy, and many of its memorable songs, from Pippin’s soaring ballad Corner of the Sky to Berthe’s rousing (and audience-participatory) anthem No Time at All, have become established classics.
- May 2015
‘It’s hard to find your way, when you have no voice to guide you.’
Set in a Catholic boarding school, BARE is the story of Jason and Peter, whose forbidden love causes them to ask questions both of themselves and their god.
With graduation approaching, and the added pressure of the school’s production of Romeo and Juliet, these questions are getting more insistent.
When religion makes up so much of who you are, how do you continue when the world you thought you understood has fallen apart around you?
Featuring some of the most beautiful music written in the last fifty years, often working with Shakespeare’s original language, BARE is a portrayal of love, loss and identity in a world that is quick to judge.
- March 2015
Broads on the Way - scenes of absolute uproar and confusion! A comic show jam-packed with ludicrous parodies of well-known and loved musical numbers, bizarre satirical sketches and really strange dance moves!
Come on down for a night of fun, madness and laughter that will make your abs hurt in the morning!
- February 2015
The Cambridge University University Musical Theatre Society presents its annual Gala night - a one night extravaganza, complete with solos, chorus numbers, choreography, a full band and a good sprinkling of glitz and glamour. The Gala is guaranteed to be an evening of outrageous fun!
- February 2015
Trouble is brewing in the picture book New England town of Eastwick. When three women ostracised by society wish for their ideal man, they have no idea what lies in store.
As the irresistible Darryl van Horne manipulates the three women, all hell breaks loose in Eastwick, literally. Under the watchful eye of the moon, Alex, Jane and Sookie bring themselves to life in ways they could never have imagined. But all is not as it seems, and things are spiralling out of control.
Combining soaring harmonies and excellent score with a darkly funny script, The Witches of Eastwick was first presented by legendary producer Cameron Mackintosh. This production takes a fresh look at the material, resulting in a show which glories in the power and character of its female leads. Not for the faint hearted, this musical is a magical rollercoaster ride.
Be careful what you wish for. Speak of the devil and he might appear.
- January 2015
The finest of Cambridge’s musical theatre talent will be joining forces to create an original musical... in just 24 hours! Following a similar format to the ADC’s incredibly successful 24-Hour Plays, several creative teams will be given a theme for a musical and will have just 24 hours to compose and rehearse their song. Overnight, the composer and lyricist for each team will write their song and the following day their performers will learn it in time for their one-off performance at 11pm. The result will be an eclectic and brand-spanking new musical, and a spectacular celebration of new writing.
- November 2014
[description of show]
[title of show] is a one-act musical that chronicles its own creation as an entry in the New York Musical Theatre Festival. It follows the struggle of two writers, Jeff and Hunter, as they strive to channel their sarcasm into writing an original, meaningful musical. They enlist the help of two actress friends: the wonderfully sassy Susan, and Heidi, the only member of the group who has actually made it to Broadway. With just three weeks before the deadline, is there any chance that they will achieve their goal?
If an essay crisis could be a musical, it would be [title of show]. Come see the Corpus Playroom reach a new level of meta.
[end of post]
- November 2014
"Did you ever have one of those days? At least I didn't get tattooed again... And I still have my dowry... Maybe things are beginning to pick up for me."
The sexy, sultry, side-splittingly hilarious show that brings you Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now and The Rhythm of Life. From the dark, grungy depths of the trashy Flamenco Ballroom to the effortlessly elegant Pompeii Club, we follow the lovable Charity Valentine in her pursuit for true love in 1960s New York City. Charity is dated by one suave, sophisticated guy after the next and never learns her lesson: not to wear her heart on her sleeve.
A smoking ensemble of dancers perform a sleek and modernized medley of traditional Fosse, jazz and contemporary dance whilst the stunning musical accompaniment reverberates against the priceless script, with the stage, top-to-toe in glamorous, spangling Gatsby-esque high-fashion.
"Tonight. Tonight. It will all happen tonight!"
- October 2014
Thalposis. Definition: Sensation of warmth. Sample Sentence: “After feeling another wave of thalposis, Tommy realized he was in the kiddie pool.”
Follow six nerdy American school kids as they compete in the ultimate quest: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. They each have their own battles to contend with, from pushy parents, to spiritual encounters, extreme nut allergies and unexpected manifestations of puberty. Through all of this and more, our contestants navigate the tournament’s pressures, and learn that there’s more to life than what can be found in the dictionary. Featuring off-Broadway hit songs such as “I Speak Six Languages”, “My Friend the Dictionary” and “My Unfortunate Erection”, this is Tony Award – winning, partially improvised musical comedy is not to be missed.
- August 2014
'White: a blank page or canvas. His favourite – so many possibilities.'
Georges is a struggling artist with a masterpiece in mind. With his mistress Dot on one side, his friends and his critics and the stories of strangers on the other, he's looking for someway to complete a painting he's been sketching and planning for years.
In one of Sondheim's most unique musicals, a fictionalisation of the life of Georges Seurat, we are drawn into the world of the artist's studio and into two deeply personal stories as we let the artist paint his own scenes for the audience.
- June 2014
Julie Atherton is coming to the ADC for one day only to lead a Musical Theatre Masterclass - including tips on singing, audition technique and advice on how to survive in the 'the business'.
Julie has had an incredibly broad and impressive career in Musical Theatre, starring in several shows from Fame to Sister Act, Avenue Q to The Last Five Years. As well as this, she is a founder member of the Notes from New York company, and has released two of her own solo albums.
She will be instructing a few performers individually, but the event is open to the public who are welcome to participate in the Q&A session which will follow.
- May 2014
- February 2014
Can SCIENCE and THEATRE work together? Science! the musical’ is a brand new exciting musical about life in the lab, written by Cambridge University PhD Student, Andrew Goldman.
Janice, a young enthusiastic graduate student has just had her first paper proposal accepted at a conference, only that ... she has not yet written the paper! In two short weeks, she must learn the process of doing scientific experiments from a cynical post-doc named Simon, and her well-meaning if somewhat aloof professor. Meanwhile, the conference organizer and publishing kingpin Jay Wiles Blackly is pressuring Janice to finish her work soon or else she'll never make it in the scientific world.
- February 2014
A surreal musical comedy adventure tells the tale of eccentric couple Ezekiel and Aphrodite Sparks on the hunt for a mythical immortal panda, in pursuit of which treasured nature documentarist David McAttenford has lost his life.
Complete with singing, silly dancing, quick character swaps, a tribute to London bus drivers, a lot of running about, a surprising amount of Chinese history and, of course, a panda, the show sees us led from the 'section of the British Library for Things Proved Silly or Factually Incorrect' to the remote village of Hu Flung, in Xi Li province, China. But will our two penniless, half-pissed protagonists ever manage to outsmart Sir Reginald Huntleigh Morgan, mustachioed gentleman adventurer and full-time villanous bastard, who always seems to be one step ahead...
- February 2014
The Cambridge University University Musical Theatre Society presents its annual Gala night - a one night extravaganza of everything from Shwartz and Sondheim to Schonberg and Styne complete with solos, chorus numbers, choreography, a full band and a good sprinkling of glitz and glamour. The Gala is looking for performers old and new alike for what is guaranteed to be an evening of outrageous fun. Auditions are to be held on Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December, 13.30-16.00 - venue TBC. Applications are also open for Technical Director - email rth26@cam.ac.uk and sjm263@cam.ac.uk for more information.
- January 2014
Putting the World to Writes involves one young, idealistic woman; a keyboard; a ukulele; and shallow philosophies about what could be done to make the world a better place. Let's be honest, it's not going to change the world, but it might make you laugh for an hour - or, at the very least, consider the sorry state we're all in. And if THAT doesn't sound like fun, I don't know what does.
Shortlisted for Musical Comedy Awards 2014.
Previous praise for Rosalind Peters: 'Comedy musictress, Rosalind Peters, may be the most ambitious rhymer I have ever seen.' (Fellow Bright Club comedian Josh Witten); 'impeccable comic timing' (CTR); 'lovely singing voice' (Varsity)
- January 2014
The finest of Cambridge’s musical theatre talent will be joining forces to create an original musical... in just 24 hours! Following a similar format to the ADC’s incredibly successful 24-Hour Plays, several creative teams will be given a theme for a musical and will have just 24 hours to compose and rehearse their song. Overnight, the composer and lyricist for each team will write their song and the following day their performers will learn it in time for their one-off performance at 11pm. The result will be an eclectic and brand-spanking new musical, and a spectacular celebration of new writing. Just bring along yourself a song to perform, preferably a musical theatre song!
- November 2013
Burlesque! is back.
Prepare to be delighted and titillated by our glorious army of reprobates, freaks and sexual deviants. Cambridge's most revolting talents are back for more high-kicking, side-splitting, chair-toppling, delicious pandemonium!
Come down into our den of iniquity, with low lighting, cabaret tables, "private" booths, and secrets awaiting around every corner in the tantalising cellars.
Doors open at 8:30pm for you to collect drinks from the bar and to prepare yourself for the spectacle that you're about to behold.
Here's what the papers said about last year's show: 'If you do one thing this week, it should be to see Burlesque!. Its fabled, if slightly soiled, fantasy world will leave you tingling with happiness, amongst other things' VARSITY * 'Burlesque aggressively exceeds your expectations at every turn: just when you think they won’t go there, they do. ' THE TAB
- November 2013
'In all of the world so far, I’m the greatest star.’
That may have been the case in 1964, but now it’s 2013 and if Fanny Brice is ‘a great big clump of talent’, she’s one of thousands. Her dreams might get her to the audition, but even a rousing rendition of 'Don't Rain On My Parade' might not be enough to keep her in all the way through to the final round.
This November, Funny Girl is re-imagined for the ADC theatre, bringing all the class and exhilaration of the original Tony-nominated musical and Academy Award-winning film right into the 21st century. Poignant, fierce and with a brilliant score full of show-stopping numbers, Funny Girl takes a look at what being a star is in a world where everyone thinks they have the X-factor.
- November 2013
This is Euripides' tale as you've never seen it before, set in the week of the London riots, August 2011. Wild Bacchants are tearing down Pentheus' city, driven by the elusive Dionysus, and in their midst is Pentheus' young daughter, Agave, caught up in this seductive and mysterious mob. Physical theatre, live percussion and multimedia footage combine to bring this ancient tale of hedonism firmly into the modern day.
- August 2013
“All you have to do is squeeze your little finger, you can change the world”. Set in a fairground shooting gallery, 'Assassins' follows nine historical figures as they attempt to assassinate the President of the United States. The tone of the show is as varied as the characters themselves, contrasting moments of humour with dark and thought-provoking undertones. Prepare to have your preconceptions challenged in a show which attempts to understand the assassins’ motives, bringing together a range of people with little in common except that one harrowing act in pursuit of their version of the American Dream.
- March 2013
What good is sitting alone in your room? Come and have the time of your life at this musical theatre gala for one night only. Sit back and witness our cast defy gravity with songs from a wide range of well-loved musicals. We promise you glitz, glam and all that jazz with a live orchestra and backing choir. We will rock you with this musical extravaganza! This is the moment to celebrate being alive so follow the yellow brick road to the ADC – you’ll have to pick a pocket or two to get a ticket.
