- February 2024
Smörgåsbord is the Corpus Playroom's own eclectic bi-annual showcase of new student-written theatre.
For over a decade, this evening has been a rite of passage for emerging student playwrights in Cambridge, and it’s the event at the heart of the Corpus Playroom’s calendar.
We particularly seek to give a spotlight to those who haven’t previously had their work audienced, and to anyone who feels that they have an underrepresented narrative or cultural lineage to bring to the fore.
Come and sample a platter of the most exciting new theater in town!
- January 2024
Join us for a cosy evening of storytelling in the blanket fort as delve into contemporary tales and forgotten legends of winters past.
Once upon a time… Storytelling at the ADC returns to the Larkum Studio with a warm and relaxed evening of wintry twists and tales set inside a snug blanket fort. Come and hear our storytellers bring warmth and joy to a bleak and cold evening as they take you on an adventure across time and tradition. Weaving threads of old fable and contemporary writing together, Storytelling at the ADC can promise all blanket fort guests “a realm of wonder and delight” in “a perfect fireside experience.” (Varsity 2023, 4 stars)
- November 2023
One tragic night, three separate accounts of the same story ... but which one is real, if any are at all? Witnesses are only human, and no matter how hard one tries, emotion and past experience will always cloud the way in which we remember. Inspired by the work of Frantic Assembly and Florian Zeller, this devised piece will take you on a creative journey of speech, physicality and technical exploration to venture in the less-well defined spaces of theatre in a truly unique performance.
https://www.instagram.com/lighthouse_corpus/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- November 2023
The Hair Shop is a play that shines a light on the black feminine experience.
It discusses the trials and tribulations that black British girls go through growing up in England, and the ways in which sisterhood and community aid them through it. These events mostly play out in The Hair Shop - a setting that is emblematic of the black feminine experience to so many.
The play enables a glimpse at experiences that are often lived quietly and redirects attention towards the struggles that are ignored. Whilst doing this, tension is alleviated by comedy and a beautiful friendship that lightens the mood of the play, showing how essential these relationships are to these communities.
- November 2023
I resented you deeply. I trusted you beyond reason.
Dominic is a talented neurosurgeon, a devout Catholic, and a devoted husband to his wife Cathy, with whom he is expecting his first child. But his idealism is tested when he reunites with Emily, an old medical school colleague whose daughter Felicity has recently been diagnosed with cancer. As he oversees Felicity's case, Dom feels the carefully drawn lines between his personal and professional identities begin to dissolve. Doctor, parent, sceptic, patient – an operating theatre becomes a Church becomes a home. Where is that faith owed to a God and to a girl; to his family and to his patients — and where is that faith owed to himself?
- October 2023
Smörgåsbord is the Corpus Playroom's own eclectic bi-annual showcase of new student-written theatre.
For over a decade, this evening has been a rite of passage for emerging student playwrights in Cambridge, and it’s the event at the heart of the Corpus playroom’s calendar.
We particularly seek to give a spotlight to those who haven’t previously had their work audienced, and to anyone who feels that they have an underrepresented narrative or cultural lineage to bring to the fore.
Come and sample a platter of the most exciting new theater in town!
- October 2023
"You are going to die in an hour and a half. You are going to die at the end of the play."
A King only has until the end of the play to live. How will he spend this final evening of existence?
From the walls of the palace to the workings of the solar system, the universe is falling apart. His kingdom has crumbled; his room is cold. His first wife remains unflinching; his second wife is obstinately optimistic. King Berenger’s 400 years of life are coming to an end, whether he accepts it or not. Who could have seen this coming?
Ionesco's darkly comedic play takes an absurdist look at a once-powerful King grappling with the futility of life and the inevitability of death.
- October 2023
How can everything just stop like this? What is coming next? Will the world ever be safe again? Locked down in her room, these questions swirling in her head like snow on the mountaintop, she reminisces on the years before the pandemic, grappling with these ‘unprecedented times’ in the face of the world as she knows it coming to a halt. Memories of the Brexit vote and first boyfriends, Trump and Chemistry homework all blur into one chaotic recollection, as she tries to come to terms with the new state of the world, and whether she can make peace with it and finally come out of isolation.
- October 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘Gray’s production of Summer and Smoke portrayed these unstable modes of breathing with a serene sense of dignity fully realised by the complex and compelling characters of Williams’ underrated play.’ Varsity
‘The acting shines in an excellent production of Tennessee Williams’ complex and tender work.’ The Cambridge Student
“The girl who said 'no' — she doesn't exist anymore, she died last summer — suffocated in smoke from something on fire inside her.”
In a rural town, in the heat of the summer, Alma Winemiller meets Dr. John Buchanan. Set against the backdrop of a conservative society that values propriety and conformity, Alma and John are forced to confront their deepest fears and desires as they navigate their relationship. Summer and Smoke is a timeless masterpiece that showcases Tennessee Williams' unparalleled skill at crafting complex and compelling characters.
- October 2023
Blank Canvas is a brand new creative writing venture by the Fletcher Players!
In Michaelmas Week 0, the Fletcher Players are organising a table read for new and untested scripts by emerging Cambridge student writers. The idea is to create a low-key, welcoming space for scripts to be performed in front on an audience, who can then offer their responses. The focus is very much on providing a positive and nurturing environment where feedback can be sourced and given constructively. Pleased to announce that the programme is as follows:
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TUESDAY 3RD OCTOBER:
6:30pm - "One and a Part" by Toby Collins (approx. 50 mins)
7:40pm - "I miss SOPHIE" by Evie Chandler (approx. 55 mins)
WEDNESDAY 4TH OCTOBER:
6:30pm - "Angelus" by Jacinta Ngeh (approx. 120 mins)
THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER:
6:30pm - "Oranges, Cut into Six" by Yen Min Ting (approx. 80-85 mins)
8:15pm - "Skylines" by Isabella Bottle (> 40 mins)
FRIDAY 6TH OCTOBER:
6:30pm - "302" by Theo Chen (approx. 45 mins)
7:35pm - "Turpitude" by Catherine McLean (< 90 mins)
SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER:
6:25pm - “The Lover’s Choice” by Irisa Kwok (approx. 5 minutes)
6:30pm - “Soul Surprise, Some Advice” by Jacob Tucker (approx. 30 mins)
7:20pm - “Mages & Misadventures” by Bear Stephenson (approx. 50-60 mins)
8:30pm - “Untitled (A Trans Magdalene Play)” by Evie Chandler (approx. 50 mins)
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- June 2023
Once upon a time...
Join us for an evening of storytelling in the relaxed setting of our Blanket Fort as we adventure into the depths of human imagination!
- June 2023
- February 2023
Don’t miss out on the return of the Fletcher Players’ freshers play as they join the Greek God of wine Dionysus on his journey to the underworld to save theatre. First performed in Athens in 405 BC this surviving Aristophanes comedy follows a colourful cast and has jokes galore ranging from the subtle and politically critical to the ever-classic toilet humour.
- November 2022
‘If music be the food of love, play on;’
To put it simply: Viola thinks her brother is dead. He thinks that she is dead. Everyone
thinks that she is her brother. Everyone thinks that her brother is her. Chaos ensues.
If there are any questions you would like to ask about the production, please don't hesitate to email us at mj587@cam.ac.uk
- November 2022
SMÖRGÅSBORD is the Corpus Playroom's own eclectic bi-annual showcase of new student-written theatre.
For over a decade, this evening has been a rite of passage for emerging student playwrights in Cambridge, and it’s the event at the heart of the Corpus playroom’s calendar.
We particularly seek to give a spotlight to those who haven’t previously had their work audienced, and to anyone who feels that they have an underrepresented narrative or cultural lineage to bring to the fore.
Come and sample a platter of the most exciting new theater in town!
- October 2022
“Do you see it? You see the bug? It’s feeding. It’s feeding off my blood.”
In a motel room in Oklahoma, Agnes is looking for comfort beyond her next fix. She finds it in local drifter Peter, who brings with him an unexpected guest in the form of a live egg sack underneath his skin. What follows is a feverish tale of twisted love, conspiracy and the contagion of paranoia.
- June 2022
I want this to be a validating experience for you. Can I suck your cock?
52 Monologues for Young Transsexuals will not be a validating experience for you. In this devised two-woman comedy show, we will take you on a journey from Germaine Greer to Jouissance, from Barbara Streisand to BDSM. Documenting our experiences of love, sex and intimacy as trans women, 52 Monologues promises to be outrageous, confronting and honest.
- June 2022
Now and Then is a show about illness, and the feeling of being ‘other’ whilst navigating modern life.
- June 2022
The Fletcher Players are proud to present a fresh new comedy scratch night for Cambridge, held multiple times a term in the McCrum Theatre. Presenting a variety of hilarious acts and showcasing some of the most up-and-coming talent, Steamers prove to be a laid-back, friendly, and side-splitting way to spend a Saturday night.
- May 2022
1 and 2 have been inside so long that they can’t remember their own names. It’s only when 3 appears that they recall there might be something beyond their living room. Over the years they have created their own world and named it Ballyturk, a place merging mythology and memory.
- May 2022
“What if I said you could go back in time. For just one hour. And change the course of your life, forever...”
Mild-mannered Ned Burger is 57 years old, happily married and runs a sandwich shop in San Francisco. However, he’s still got a chip on his shoulder from his high school rivalry with world-famous baseball player Garry Bonds. Following a visit from the ghost of baseball legend Lou Gehrig, Ned is given a unique opportunity: to go back in time to his high school days and show Garry who he is, once and for all…
This original comedy-drama by Rishi Sharma asks a fundamental question: what will you sacrifice to be the best? The play is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, and, most importantly, requires no knowledge of baseball, its rules or its history.
- March 2022
‘This is not the story of how they died. This is the story of how they lived.’
It’s time to tell a story that you’ve never heard before. A story that is not only culturally significant for Jews but also important for all of us as human beings. It is a story about resilience, about the best and worst we as people have the potential to be and, most importantly, it is a story about stories.
The story we want to tell takes place in Warsaw during the Second World war, more specifically the brutal Warsaw Ghetto, where the Jews of that great city were forced to live during the Nazi occupation. Our protagonist is Emmanuel Ringelblum. Through his creation of the Oyneg Shabes, a secret group of archivists, he would fight the Nazis by collecting and burying thousands of essays, articles, poems, payslips, photographs, songs- testimony to Jewish life and living- so that if indeed the Jews were wiped out of history by their oppressors, their true voices would survive in some capacity.
This devised piece of theatre celebrates life in the face of certain death. It celebrates Jewish culture as beautiful, wonderful and full of stories. Ringelblum understood and celebrated this more than anyone.
We intend to honour his legacy.
- March 2022
...it’s such a relief to have love again and to lie in bed and be held and touched and kissed and adored and your heart...
From a desolate and unnamed city, four voices emerge. A, C, B and M desperately seek out love and light, in the process finding life’s many ecstasies, horrors and heartbreaks. Sarah Kane’s Crave is a beautiful and unnerving one-act play, meditating on desire, belonging and obsession.
- March 2022
A hard thing has come under the people of Briggsley village: the soil they have ploughed for generations now rejects their tools impenetrably. It won't be shovelled, scraped, swept, moistened or wormed into! Every crumb of the earth refuses to budge.
Nina is a tyke or an oracle (depending on who you ask) and tries fervently to advise her folk. But who will listen? None! Except for Orla, of course.
As farce becomes famine and horizons prove tough, frustrations become frenzies and enough becomes enough becomes enough!
'Unsoiled' is an original drama, but will it break ground?
- February 2022
Smörgåsbord is a night of new writing, hosted by the Fletcher Players in the Corpus Playroom. We are committed to bringing you a taste the freshest writing in Cambridge, ranging from 5 to 15 minutes.
This term, as LGBT+ History month is around the corner, we are particularly interested in putting on pieces of writing with LGBT+ characters and themes, but we really want to work from people from all marginalised backgrounds, including BAME , working class and disabled people. There is no experience barrier - I really want the perspectives which we haven’t seen enough of on Cambridge stages.
- February 2022
Alex DiMaggio has made the most important discovery of their career. The identity of the Blue Lagoon statuette, one of the 21st century’s greatest archaeological mysteries, has finally been revealed. Tomorrow, Alex will unveil their discovery at an exclusive event within the prestigious Blast Museum to a select entourage of VIPs, reporters, and historical experts. Years of diligent work are finally paying off. That is, until Alex’ old friend, Susan, comes to call. Now the famed Blue Lagoon is shattered to pieces, and it’s up to Alex and Susan to try and replace it. And all the while they’ll have to dodge overbearing bosses, psychotic security guards, and a litany of ridiculously demanding VIPs. Will they get away with it? Or be strung up as yet another one of the museum’s artifacts, caught in the spotlight and judged by the world.
Based on farcical British comedies like Fawlty Towers, Blue Lagoon is a homage to the creative style of playwrights like Peter Schaffer, showcasing two character’s descent as they dig deeper and deeper into their own lies in the attempt to save their skin.
- February 2022
A witch coven consisting of three friends, Margaret, Emily and Lawrence, are highly unsuccessful in their activities. Margaret, the leader of the coven, takes her magic seriously, while Lawrence can’t tell the difference between magic and life hacks, and Emily just wants to keep their friendship alive. But when they summon a demon called Graham, master of banal evil, with grand, but underwhelming plans, their friendship is tested in ways they previously hadn’t thought possible.
This fantastic new comedy by Barnaby M. Evans draws on themes of friendship, witchcraft and Shrek 2 to weave a tale of magic and mirth.
- February 2022
Who are The Landsmen? Working-class heroes or satirical figures of fun?
Haz is a young research student who thinks he has uncovered some uncomfortable truths about Graydon Brookfield, the author of a 1920s novel about a workers’ commune that has a cult following. But David, an eminent expert in the field, seemingly isn’t ready to entertain new perspectives on the matter.
Ruth is close to Emma, her supervisor, but wants to ditch the study of literature altogether. Can they renegotiate the terms of their relationship without straying into ethical trouble and without alienating themselves from their peers?
A play about idealism, power dynamics, bruising compromises – and a mysterious fiction-within-a-fiction about a secret society of brooding, violent rebels.
- November 2021
Somewhere in the freezing wastes of the tundra, two weary researchers have been left at the edge of the world for... how long now? A year? A decade? A lifetime?
As cabin fever begins to set in and the walls of their reality start to crumble, Mov and Ramsey are forced to confront the nature of their stay at the Arctic Research Centre, and whether or not it, or they, have meant anything at all.
- November 2021
The Fletcher Players Present: Smorgasbord! An evening of new writing from the brightest, freshest writers in all of Cambridge!
- November 2021
The Nature of a Curve is a brand new play exploring the fractious and often ignored world of Welsh politics.
It’s election night in Wales, and Vicky Evans MS is seeking re-election to the Senedd. She is gunning for promotion in the government and will do anything to make sure she consolidates power.
Accompanied by her team of advisors, they progress through the evening, grappling with all the excitement and tension of the count. However, when her aide, Carys, discovers a shocking truth, all of Vicky’s ambitions are threatened to be derailed…
- November 2021
In the late 1960s, towards the end of the Biafran War in Nigeria, Agnes, a novitiate nun, experiences a complete nervous breakdown. Her path crosses with Taiwo, a photojournalist reporting on the brutality of the conflict, who quickly forms an attachment to her. After Agnes is largely shut away from human contact, he becomes her confidant, uncovering the malevolent reasons behind her mental deterioration, and the secrets of the convent she belongs to.
This is a play on turmoil, both internal and external, and the difficult choices people are forced to make for survival.
- October 2021
Stuck in a house, surrounded by death, strangers fight to hold off the undead and hold on to sanity. Tensions rise as society crumbles and the argument turns from survival to power.
Adapted from Romero's immortal Night of the Living Dead (1968), this immersive play re-examines what makes us afraid, how society falls apart and the power of solidarity in the face of the inevitable.
- October 2021
How do you take a photo of a ghost? Rose must find out to take revenge on her sister, but what lengths will she go to? Join four friends as they tell you a story spanning seven centuries and four generations, from the stealing of a child, to a tragedy at a subway station. Ghost Quartet in an intoxicating song-cycle with live music and strange tales of love, revenge, and spirits - alcoholic or otherwise…
- October 2021
Gerald Nest, kleptomaniac and erstwhile owner of the inimitable Historical Hotel. You haven’t heard of it? I don’t blame you. Nobody has.
Today it lies in wrack and ruin, a burning woman stalks its halls, and an endless war is waging over the mountains of memorabilia. As clearance officer Martha crosses the threshold, extinct birds whirling overhead, she becomes the first guest in over thirty years.
But in Gerald's shifting kingdom, walls have ears, and as Martha tries desperately to trim the family tree, she learns what happens when the roots fight back…
From the writer of The Man in the Air Balloon and The Backwards People comes Bricks and Mortality, a brand-new, surrealist play about loss, legacy, impossible decisions, and a world teetering on the brink of destruction.
- March 2021
Join Smorgasbord as we present our first ever audio broadcast!
Smorgasbord is a biannual event celebrating the best of new student writing at Cambridge University. We provide a space for emerging writers to test out their new material, and we are particularly interested in writing that features a distinct voice, an interesting cast of characters, and a unique perspective.
Smorgasbord is a fun and captivating event highlighting writing, directorial and acting talent in the Cambridge theatre scene. The night usually features 5-6 short pieces, and is often followed up by a Q&A with the director and writer, which in this case will be done on Zoom.
