- November 2021
Two short farces by Chekhov, ostensibly exploring themes of love and loss, but with a heavy dose of materialist conflict - a commentary as applicable to today as to Chekhov's Russia.
- October 2021
Christ's College’s May Week Shakespeare play is back with the hilariously absurd "The Comedy of Errors" on Fresher's Week 2021! Join us in the Fellow's Garden for Shakespeare's riotous tale of wild mishaps and mistaken identities. Two sets of twins accidentally separated at birth cross paths in the Greek city of Ephesus, causing confusion and chaos on a grand scale. From a near-seduction to wrongful accusations of demonic possession, theft and infidelity, all hell breaks loose in the most absurd way possible.
- January 2021
Culhwch and Olwen is a pantomime adaptation of a medieval Welsh text in which Culhwch, a Welsh prince, is cursed to only love one woman: Olwen, daughter of Ysbaddaden, Chief Giant. Ysbaddaden does not want his daughter to marry Culhwch and sets the prince impossible tasks to prevent them from marrying. However, with the help of King Arthur Culhwch completes the tasks and the two lovers marry. In this updated and pantomimed version of an already hilarious text we roam Cambria-Ridge, the best university in all of Medieval Wales, alongside a host of pantomime characters including muddling knights, lovesick queens, and the true bane of any student's life: acadmic rigour. But don’t take our word for it, come along and watch!
Dates TBC
- December 2020
Join Alex as she travels through time to seminal moments in Christie College’s history to find the cure for the pandemic that ruined 2020: peroni-virus
- November 2020
"What makes you who you are? A name? An address? A random collection of experiences, a few memories?... You are who you can prove you are. And that's the easiest thing in the world to change." When a young executive reaches breaking point and decides to disappear, he pays a visit to a master of the craft in a seafront fortune tellers in Southend. Haunted by visitations from a pathologist who swears he is already lying flat out on her slab, he begins a nightmarish journey to the edge of existence that sees him stripped of everything that made him who he was.
- June 2020
Mr Shakespeare once said that "brevity is the sould of wit", in which case this play, or should I say plays, is very funny indeed. Join us as the bard himself presents 5 student written Shakespearean plays condensed into 10 minute comedies.
- December 2019
Harry Spatz is a hapless man whose life is dictated by the random outbursts of song that follow him and those he loves. When his girlfriend is promised to another man, can he rewrite the lyrics?
Christ's panto is back promising a hilarious night and an unofficial drinking game
- June 2019
“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.”
A lost generation return from the war to the warmth and glamour of Messina; with jazz in the air and the cocktails free-flowing, the stage is set for a fabulous romance. But Benedick and Beatrice are at each other’s throats, a bitter history blinding them to how perfect they are for each other. Claudio and Hero are in love, but lies and jealousy are forcing them apart. As Don Pedro works to mastermind his friends’ love lives, his bastard brother Don John works to undermine them, resulting in a hilarious mess of misunderstandings.
Much Ado About Nothing is a play of elaborate schemes, scandalous gossip, and love lost and found, all set in the glamorous post-war chaos of the 1920s. Relaxing in the Christ’s beautiful Fellow’s Garden, under the glittering lights of Milton’s mulberry tree, prepare to enjoy a wild night of May Week entertainment.
- June 2019
There is a light in the darkness, there is hope in the exam despair, there is a buttery in Christ's 1st court ... And on the 10th June this Buttery will become your oasis in the week 7 desert, hosting a chill night of comedy that is FREE for all and in very close proximity to a bar... Bring your friends, maybe don't bring your family, and definitely leave your stresses at home - we look forward to seeing you at 8pm!!
- February–March 2019
'I did what I thought you should have done. Taken care of her. Taken very good care of her. Like she was broken. 'Cept I thought I could fix her. Thought I'd do anything to fix her. Used to wish it on eyelashes.'
Mia is at boarding school. She has access to drugs. They are Martha's. Henry is preparing for Art College. He has access to alcohol. From Martha. Martha controls their lives. Martha is their mother.
The winner of the TMA Award 2007 for Best New Play, Stenham's debut play 'That Face' delves into the life of a family that is falling apart, a family which exists in a liminal space in which parents become children, good people do bad things, and family relationships are turned on their head.
'Crammed with startling images, ferocious cruelty and pitch-black humour, it is insolent, audacious, witty and wise.' - The Times
- January 2019
Come join us in the ADC bar for an evening of monologues from some of Cambridge's finest student performers. A great opportunity for audiences and actors alike to see extracts from brilliant plays that they may never have heard of before and to stretch their skills for that next big audition.
New this term, our Clashes will be themed, first off the Classical Clash – all our performers will be performing monologues from greats such as Marlowe and Shakespeare, wiith our second theme to be announced later in term!
- November 2018
CADS presents its annual pantomime - this year, how will six Christ's students fare when they are forced to take part in the popular children's TV show Raven? Meanwhile, in a post-bear world, a gang of Wild West fast-shooters battle an unlikely foe.
- 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
- October 2018
The Monologue Clash returns and this time its in the Bar! An evening of Cambridge's finest performing monologues from the entire history of theatre. A chance to see extracts of new plays you may never have heard of, and find monologues for the next big audition!
- June 2018
"A wild dedication of yourselves / To undiscovered waters, undreamed shores..."
Camillo, Act IV, Scene 4 of The Winter's Tale
CADS is bringing the undreamed shores of Shakespeare's Bohemia to the Christ's College Fellows' Garden, in an immersive outdoor production of the beloved comedy-romance. King Leontes and King Polixenes are boyhood friends, but unfounded suspicions begin to corrupt Leontes' court and a fantastical chain of events is set into motion. Young love blossoms and family members are lost and found in this summer festival of a production.
The performance invites the audience into a vibrant world of kings, shepherds, and the odd bear. Join us amongst the trees for a sparkling evening of May Week entertainment!
- May 2018
‘I’ve got to try right? Because we’ve tried everything else.’
Young mum Kat is a woman on a mission, but when she kisses her daughter goodbye one morning no one could have anticipated the consequences - least of all herself. Unable to comprehend her actions, Tommy, Catherine and Jo each try to pick up the pieces - but, as the years go by, should Kat concede all her bridges have been burned?
Winner of a Bruntwood Prize Judges Award in 2015, Parliament Square is a dazzling exploration of family, fantasy, and what it takes to change the world - and how far one woman will go to light that spark.
- March 2018
Massacre At Paris is a play which exposes the brutal fight between Protestants and Catholics during the height of religious tensions in 16th Century France and explores the futile nature of this battle to establish religious dominance.
The instability within the royal establishment leads Catherine de Medici to get her hands dirty in order to protect the throne for her issue.
Performed candlelit against the dark back drop of Christ's College Chapel, this unique production of Marlowe's final play provides an opportunity to witness this rarely-performed work in an atmospheric and imaginative setting.
tickets
https://cads.tessera.info/tickets/massacre-at-paris-by-christopher-marlow
if you have any questions about accessibility or arrangements that need to be made please get in contact with Hattie Hammans or Isobel Griffiths
- February 2018
To kick off 2018, CADS is starting a series of new events bringing the Monologue Clash to Cambridge. An evening to see 10 great actors perform a monologue of there choosing from all of theatre-history!
A great opportunity for audiences and actors alike to get to see extracts from brilliant plays they may never have heard of before as well as stretch their skills for that next big audition.
There will be an element of competition with the audience being able to anonymously vote their favourite. The winner receiving a £15 amazon voucher - however the aim of this event is to showcase great performances and great plays, so come along for what is sure to be a great night of theatre!.
- November–December 2017
The year is 1978, and Christmas draws near. Brian Cocks, inter-dimensional twin of the physics documentarian, is about to take over the world.
Only Zavid Blowie, Princess Leah, and the inhabitants of a poorly maintained student house stand in his way. Will they manage to defy the desires of the evil Cocks, or will the world instead be plunged into decades of horrifying neo-liberalism?
The CADS Panto - the perfect antidote to the actual panto
Come for the bizarre storyline, stay for the drinking game.
- October 2017
"I'm not saying he wasn't put in a dreadful position. But it's an inescapable fact he did it. He commanded those pilots to dive. To their deaths. Whatever the reasons."
Nikolai Koslov is a renowned architect about to open his biggest project yet, but when his family die in a plane crash on their way to see him, he resolves to see justice done. In his unwavering quest for answers he goes after those who he believes responsible for his loss and when an inquest fails to explain what truly happened to his family his grief turns him into the person he hates.
- June 2017
---INTERACTIVE PHYSICAL THEATRE PIECE ---
'An exhilarating monologue drama for a young performer, from the writer of the recently released West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and award-winning Television dramas, including: Skins, This is England '86, This is England '88, The Fades and Glue.'
Synopsis: 'Katie is a feisty and intelligent 18 year old. When her boyfriend Abe gets into a fight, his mates insist they track down the kid who attacked him. What starts as an adventure becomes more dangerous as Katie is thrust into a journey she'll never forget. The complexities of multicultural inner-city life are vividly exposed in this remarkable coming-of-age tale.'
- February 2017
Hell is empty
All the devils are here
- November 2016
CADS’ Christmas Panto is finally here! Prepare to be taken on yet another wild ride (this time with a plot!) as we follow the events of an industrial sales pitch gone awry.
This year’s Panto takes us up north, to Yorkshire, to visit the family mine of old-money entrepreneur Rupert Buttock. Having reached retirement age, Rupert is now making preparations to sell his mine to the extravagant Dame Ivanna Sukyoff, the daughter of an unfortunately named billionaire. Unsurprisingly, something goes rather wrong during Rupert’s sales pitch to the Dame (entirely the fault of his incompetent mine Foreman, George), which results in all three of the aforementioned humans becoming trapped deep in the Buttock mine.
Stuck with no clear exit, the trio decide to explore the shaft for some means of release – a quick spelunk never hurt anyone, right?
There will be drama. There will be magic. There will be a panto horse
- June 2016
"Lord, what fools these mortals be!"
An open-air production of Shakespeare's magical comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream - performed by fairy light in the shadows of the Mulberry tree.
- March 2016
You've loved the timeless Disney Classics. You've seen Christ's School Musical. You may have even accidentally watched The Real Housewives of Beverley Hills. But now, prepare yourselves for The Real Housewives of Disney!
In this Disney spoof, inspired by the SNL sketch, Cinderella is having a ball, and all the biggest names in the Enchanted Kingdom will be there. There'll be love, surprises, and a considerable amount of name-calling.
- November–December 2015
The show stars Gabriella, an innocent girl following her dreams by joining the esteemed local Convent. But rather than living a quiet life of pious servitude she finds herself thrust into a maelstrom of debauchery, espionage and cheeky banter. There will be shocks. There will be scandals. There will be a panto horse.
- October 2015
From the team that brought you the sell out hypnotism show last year, we present The Hypnotist: Séance.
The Corpus Playroom has been transformed into a bridge to the spiritual world, through which the audience can interact with the dead, via The Hypnotist.
Prepare to see, hear and feel the dead in this brand new hypnotism show.
Volunteers, who must be aged 18 or over, can refuse at any point
to continue taking part in the performance.
- 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
CADS are back for May Week and putting on a show to celebrate the end of the year! In true CADS fashion, we’re here to entertain you and having a blast while doing so. What awaits you in this May Week Extravaganza you may ask, well: A series of brand new sketches, musical performances by our outgoing-President, Jodie Coates, King of Pantomime, Richard Kish, and more (Which may be confirmed at a later date), and magic from The Hypnotist, Kyle Fearn! It’s going to be big, it’s going to be fun, and considering most people may or may not be at least a little bit tipsy from May Week Sunday drinking, it’s bound to be a laugh! If you want a fun end to the day or something to pass the time before taking to the clubs, make sure to drop by.
- March 2015
Family Matters is a dark comedy about the Johnsons, who are, by all means, very respectable people. Donald and Barbara, the parents, their daughter Mary and their soon to be son-in-law John, visit Paul, the old grumpy grandpa, for a weekend on his request. What could possibly go wrong? After all, everybody loves family reunion…
- January 2015
Providenciales, a Caribbean paradise. A local woman and two tourists meet on a hot patch of sand.
"Why would I do what I do back 'here' when I aint back 'here' - I'm 'there' - don't make no sense - I'm not at home am I. Am I? I'm 'there' on holiday"
One subject. Two worlds. Three points of view.
A darkly humorous and quietly brutal meditation on female sex tourism, investigating the indignities inherent in international trade through the lens of first-world women visiting a third-world resort, purses stuffed with local currency and British Kitemark condoms, searching for something special.
As the sun beats down and another 'highball glass of su'un sweet' is consumed, disturbing transactions take place; sex and romance, consumer and consumed, victim and perpetrator become ever more difficult to tell apart. On this beach, 'tourism' is the title under which indignities thrust by one culture onto another are permissible in the name of commerce, and for the alleged betterment of a flailing economy.
- December 2014
A dream is a wish your heart makes…
Yet, will wishes be enough for Cinderella to escape her evil stepmother, Lady Tremaine, and her two ugly stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella?Will Buttons ever confess his love to Cinderella or will he have to let it go? Will Prince Charming ever get to do what he wants? More importantly – will Cinderella be home by the stroke of midnight?
There really is only one way to find out!
It’s time to enter into the wonderful world of CADS Pantomime where the camp factor is high, the jokes dirtier (most definitely not suitable for children) and the fun is better than ever before! With suitably cheesy good old fashioned musical numbers and a colourful cast, Cinderella is going to be the biggest and best Panto Christ’s has ever seen! If you’re looking for a hilarious, Christmassy spectacle, make sure to come on down to the Yusuf Hamied Theatre at Christ’s College to experience Cinderella: A Christ’s College Pantomime!
- November 2014
Arthur seems to be a well-meaning, attentive husband. Miryanna is his wife, slowly coming to realise the truth about her husband's dealings, comes to realise the true purpose of her existence in Arthur's eyes. At Sixes and Sevens is a devastating exploration of a failed drive for individuality, subverting all idealistic considerations of the human condition.
This performance is part of the ADC's Papercuts series. Papercuts is produced in the Larkum Studio at the ADC Theatre, and is intended to let the writer see their work given a voice.
Come along, grab a drink from the bar, and watch new theatre in its purest form.
- November 2014
CADS present the first hypnotism show to hit the Cambridge theatre scene: The Hypnotist. For one night only, witness the power of The Hypnotist as you lose the ability to remember your own name, or even speak in your own language, but acquire the ability to speak a new one. This ADC One Night Stand promises to blow away sceptics and believers alike.
- June 2014
CADS presents the perfect end to May Week. Headlined by Footlights smoker regulars and accompanied by the newest sketch and musical comedy talent, pop along to Christ’s for 90 minutes of comedy gold.
- March 2014
Owen is ready for another week of parties and procrastination when he finds out that his parents are arriving that evening for dinner, under the impression that he has booked a restaurant and that they will meet his new girlfriend. Will Owen pull off the greatest deception of Lent term? Will he find love in the back room of Curry Queen? And will the whole thing be derailed by a bad French accent?
CADS present the 2014 Christ's College Freshers' Play, written by Paul Tait and Alasdair McNab
