- March 2024
Every term, as part of its suite of new writing programmes, the Marlowe Society runs HATCH - a (sometimes) themed collage of the freshest new writing in Cambridge.
Apart from granting writers the opportunity to see their work put up on stage, it affords directors and actors the chance to easily hone their skills when interpreting scripts, and gives all three groups the chance to work together to create something special. HATCH is envisioned partly as a chance for people from the weekly Marlowe Writers’ Group to edit the writing exercises they have been working on and see them up on stage, but also for writers beyond Marlowe’s programmes to join the fold!
In line with the evening’s history as a low-stakes, relaxed opportunity to get involved with new writing - there will be no applications or auditions, and writers will be accepted on a rolling basis. What there will be are short pieces of new writing, and extracts from longer plays. And a lot of fun to be had by all, whether in the audience or on stage.
- February–March 2024
'The breaking of so great a thing should make a greater crack.' A love made public rarely lasts, and neither can the most powerful couple of all time. As Antony rules his empire, and Cleopatra her kingdom, the unbreakable lens of the public interest will obliterate them. True love loses itself in a world where love is love, and power is power. This well-known Shakespearean tragedy explores identity, duty and romance with an all-BME cast and crew. Antony & Cleopatra promises to be exciting and culturally diverse, bringing a fantastic energy to one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays.
- January–February 2024
The Marlowe Society, one of Cambridge University’s most prestigious drama societies, returns to the Cambridge Arts Theatre after its string of successful productions including Othello and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Marlowe has launched the careers of some of Britain’s greatest actors including Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson and Rachel Weisz, and continues its tradition of showcasing the best theatrical talent at the university.
This year’s production will be Romeo and Juliet, directed by Josh Seymour. A Cambridge alumn, Seymor won Best Director at the Off-West End Awards in 2016 and was Runner-Up for the RTST Peter Hall Director Award in 2018. From 2014-15 he was Resident Assistant Director at the Donmar Warehouse. His previous credits include That Face (Orange Tree Theatre), Suddenly Last Summer (English Theatre Frankfurt) and The Narcissist (Chichester Festival Theatre).
A tale of star-crossed lovers, family feuds and forbidden passion, Shakespeare’s story is stripped back to reveal a society where love and intimacy are dangerously prohibited...
- November 2023
Join The Marlowe Society for the termly Hatch Night for New Writing. Our writers have been hard at work developing their pieces in the weekly Marlowe Writers Group. Come and support the first staging of some of their work!
- November 2023
Join The Marlowe Society for the first Marlowe Scratch night of the year! A cabaret of song, dance, comedy and drama, it will be a relaxed way to showcase new performance and get involved with Marlowe. Tickets will be on the door and will be £5.
- November 2023
The Marlowe Showcase is an opportunity for 10 of Cambridge's graduating actors and 7 graduating creatives to create a dynamic piece for an audience of industry professionals, including agencies seeking new clients to represent, and casting directors for upcoming projects.
There will be 2 previews in Cambridge leading up to a final closed showcase in London. The Cambridge show will take place at the Howard Theatre in Downing College on the 6th and 7th of November and the London show will take place on Wednesday 22nd November.
Along with the experience and exposure of creating the showcase under a professional director, graduates will be equipped with a full kit of reels and headshots from a Spotlight approved photographer and exclusive workshops with industry professionals to help them as they continue to seek careers in the industry.
The showcase is a fantastic experience for those who are serious about entering the creative industry once they’ve graduated from Cambridge University. It is open to all who are entering their final year at Cambridge, regardless of past experience and engagement with the theatre scene.
- 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.
- February–March 2023
When twins Sebastian and Viola are separated in a shipwreck but equally unaware of the other’s survival, a comedic sequence of events follow. Viola disguises herself as a young man, leading to a series of love triangles unfolding. Meanwhile, Sebastian is rescued by a sea captain, Antonio, adding to the later confusion between characters and their attempts to find love. This well-known Shakespearean comedy explores identities, romance and friendship with an all-BME cast and crew. Twelfth Night promises to be exciting and culturally diverse, bringing a fantastic energy to one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays.
- November 2022
The Marlowe Showcase is an opportunity for 12-14 graduating actors to perform in front of industry professionals, including agencies and casting directors. This year our professional director is Imy Wyatt Corner and we are opening applications for two graduating student assistant directors to work alongside Imy and contribute to the final production.
The show consists of two performances, one in Cambridge and one in London. The Cambridge show will take place at the ADC on Thursday 10th November and the London show will take place on Wednesday 23rd November.
The showcase is a fantastic experience for those who are serious about entering the creative industry once they’ve graduated from Cambridge University. It is open to all who are entering their final year at Cambridge, regardless of past experience and engagement with the theatre scene.
- March 2022
The Marlowe Society's annual BME Shakespeare is Much Ado About Nothing, and will take place in Week 7 of Lent! This year's production will be a joyful celebration of BME talent, including acting, dance and music!
- February 2022
Have you ever wondered what a silent character might be thinking? One that is denied a voice, or pushed so strongly to fit a designed role that they lose most of their individuality? The new and exciting (Re)Present Monologue Night, in tandem with the Marlowe society, hopes to give voice to these previously underrepresented characters, with student-written monologues championing those not given the chance to fully speak. Either revising from what a Renaissance author has written, or completely re-characterising a figure with new contexts and ideas, the (Re)Present night will be a fascinating experiment in adaptation and re-configuration.
- January 2022
‘Lord, what fools these mortals be!’
An enchanted Athenian forest becomes home to fairies, lovers and players alike in Shakespeare’s greatest comedy, but magic, mischief and mayhem soon combine in a hilarious but dark tale of love triangles and mistaken identity.
The Marlowe Society, one of Cambridge University’s most prestigious drama societies, returns to Cambridge Arts Theatre after its string of successful productions including Othello and Much Ado About Nothing. The Marlowe Society has launched the careers of some of Britain’s greatest actors including Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson and Rachel Weisz, and continues its tradition of showcasing the best theatrical talent at the university.
- November 2021
The Marlowe Showcase is an opportunity for 12 to 14 graduating Cambridge actors to work with a professional director, Imy Wyatt Corner, and perform contemporary and classical monologues for agents, industry professionals, family and friends.
- November 2021
The Marlowe Hatch night is a one-night-only showcase for young student writing, as well as being a nice, relaxed way for people to get involved in acting and prod team shenanigans!
Being performed in the ADC bar, the event will be a showcase of short student plays, as well as extracts from longer student-written pieces.
Show off your writing! Show off your performing! Ultimately, get involved!
- April 2021
- March 2021
'The breaking of so great a thing should make a greater crack.'
A love made public rarely lasts, and neither can the most powerful couple of all time. As Antony rules his empire, and Cleopatra her kingdom, the unbreakable lens of the public interest will obliterate them.
True love loses itself in a world where love is love, and power is power.
- March 2021
Drag me, wanderer, down town quickly for Capital’s light show
The Marlowe Society is excited to present John Kinsella’s new verse play. Prometheus ReBound reimagines the story of Prometheus as a “non-violent antifacist play of environmentalism and social justice, against tyranny.”
- February 2021
The Marlowe Showcase is an opportunity for 12 graduating Cambridge actors to work with a professional director, Nicholas Barter (former Principal of RADA) and perform contemporary and classical monologues for agents, industry professionals, family and friends.
- November 2020
The Marlowe Society's seminal night of new student writing returns once more with eight seasonal scripts - just in time for Bridgemas...
- June 2020
The most iconic night for new writing in Cambridge Theatre returns for Easter Term - online!
- May 2020
The final Marlowe HATCH of the year is returning to the ADC Bar - get ready for a night of the most exciting new writing on the scene!
Applications for Writers, Directors and Actors open soon...
- March 2020
The very essence of family is called into question when fortunes are on the line.
Aging patriarch and CEO Lear divides his thriving business empire among his three daughters. Requiring only their professions of love as evidence of their proficiency, Cordelia fails the test and is ruthlessly disinherited, leaving Regan and Goneril to their own devices. In turn, the two sisters are forced to reckon with their father's inability to relinquish control, as they struggle against his ever-tightening grip. Meanwhile, Edmund, the illegitimate son of Gloucester, Lear’s business partner, chases what he believes to be his rightful inheritance. Deceiving his half-brother Edgar, and driving his father to the brink of madness, he seeks to right what nature has wronged.
When the two feuding families clash, and everyone's interests - and fortunes - are at stake, allegiances are broken and familial bonds betrayed.
- January–February 2020
This year the Marlowe Society will be staging Shakespeare's Othello at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in one of the year's biggest and most ambitious productions. Each year the society teams up with a professional director and a cast and crew compiled of some of Cambridge University's most talented actors and technicians, giving them a chance to learn and gain experience under the director, in a beautiful professional theatre.
This year's director is John Haidar, a Cambridge alumnus, who directed Richard III at the Cambridge Arts Theatre earlier this year. John has been an associate director to the likes of Howard Davies, Michael Grandage and James Macdonald at the Royal Court, the National Theatre and in the West End. He recently directed a twentieth anniversary revival of Enda Walsh's play, Disco Pigs, in London and New York.
- November 2019
The Marlowe Showcase is an opportunity for 12-14 graduating actors to perform in front of industry professionals, including agencies and castings directors, under professional direction.
This ninety-minute long showcase will be directed by Richard Williams, former Artistic Director of Contact Theatre Manchester, The Oxford Stage Company, Unicorn (Arts) Theatre London and Liverpool Playhouse.
There will be an opportunity to meet the students after the performance.
- October 2019
The infamous Marlowe Hatch night returns to the ADC for another exciting evening of new writing. The Hatch project offers an opportunity for students to showcase the theatre they’re working on in an unfussy and liberating atmosphere; featuring perfectly polished pieces performed alongside inspiring works in progress, no other student night offers a glimpse into the heart of the student theatre scene so uniquely. Expect an eclectic mix of genres, styles, and voices, in one of the most intimate and well-loved celebrations of creativity in the Cambridge theatre community.
- March 2019
“From ancient grudge break to new mutiny”
Juliet is deciding whether she wants to marry her parents’ idea of the ‘perfect Muslim husband’. Meanwhile, Romeo sits in the local chicken shop with his friends, who are trying to convince him to move on from the girl he thought was ‘the one’. Their summers pass in a blur of parties, violence and love, but they ultimately cannot avoid the roles they are expected to play.
Incorporating the experiences of its all-BME cast and production team, this contemporary adaptation updates Shakespeare’s classic tragedy to explore minority experiences.
- February 2019
The Marlowe Society's Hatch is an event for the theatre community providing space for short excerpts of student new writing of any genre to be staged at the ADC Theatre. This is a night particularly useful to those looking to test audience reaction to a piece in development. At a Hatch, we want you to feel like you can fail, succeed, slip up, try again, get it wrong, get it right... but most importantly, write.
'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better' – Samuel Beckett
- January 2019
The Arts Show is the Marlowe Society's biggest and most ambitious show every year. Performed at the beautiful Cambridge Arts Theatre, it is a tradition dating back to 1936. We hire a professional director and designers, each of whom takes on student assistants to teach and mentor. It is an unparalleled chance for students to perform on a professional stage and gain real-world experience for their future careers.
This year's director is Richard Beecham. The performances are each evening from Wednesday to Saturday, with additional matinee performances on Thursday and Saturday.
- November 2018
The Marlowe Society's Hatch is an event for the theatre community providing space for short excerpts of student new writing of any genre to be staged at the ADC Theatre. This is a night particularly useful to those looking to test audience reaction to a piece in development. At a Hatch, we want you to feel like you can fail, succeed, slip up, try again, get it wrong, get it right... but most importantly, write.
'Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better' – Samuel Beckett
- November 2018
The Marlowe Showcase is an opportunity for 12 - 14 graduating actors to perform in front of industry professionals including agencies and castings directors. Returning as our professional director this year is Nicholas Barter, former principle of RADA and former Artistic Director of the Arts Theatre.
The Showcase is a fantastic experience for those who are serious about entering the creative industry once they've graduated from Cambridge.
- November 2018
Two boys caught between their dreams of becoming famous football players and their need to join the resistance.
Two doctors who cannot reconcile with their political ideologies and personal tragedies.
A young girl unable to decipher reality.
Unfolding in the violence and confusion of occupied Kashmir, the djinns are many and appear to disrupt friendships and talks of peace.
Only stories remain to be told. And retold.
*
The Djinns of Eidgah set in occupied Kashmir is a haunting, heartfelt and political play written by Abhishek Majumdar and combines multiple storylines. Two friends Bilal and Khaled are caught between their dreams of becoming famous footballers and their political need to join the resistance. Bilal’s traumatised sister Ashrafi struggles to cope mentally and regularly visits Dr.Baig and Dr.Wani’s clinic for therapy. The two doctors cannot reconcile with their individual political ideologies, the duty to their clinic and the way they should accept their children’s futures, either as dead militants or dead children killed by the standing army. As the drama unfolds, two soldiers stationed in the occupied state are unable to read the complex chain of events and must choose between the misery of the people they encounter and what they have been trained to believe. The djinns are many and appear to terrorise and derail tales of friendship and talks of peace. The play depicts the confusion and violence in occupied regions and at the same time redeems it through the use of folklore, friendly banters about football and sincere political dialogue.
- October 2018
SAMSON:
I praise the poetry of ‘stony wastes’,
I praise the poetry of lush spaces,
I praise the poetry of difference,
I praise poetry of co-existence.
Samson Agonistes is a complex verse play which touches on themes of modern warfare, identity, and the knotty tragedies of global international politics. As a content notice, it touches specifically on the political situation of Israel and Palestine, and contains discussion of gender. Kinsella dedicates the play "for Israel and Palestine and lasting peace and equality in all things".
- October 2018
Tennessee Williams’ intimate masterpiece journeys back through the hazy memories of Tom Wingfield to his time spent living in a stifling St Louis apartment with his mother Amanda, a faded Southern belle, and older sister Laura, whose crippling shyness and limp prevent her from leaving the house. Instead, she focuses her energies on a menagerie of small glass animals.
When Tom brings his popular colleague Jim home to dinner in the hopes of finding Laura a husband, the outgoing newcomer threatens to dismantle the precarious emotional ties holding the family together. During the evening, disillusionment takes precedent over fantasy, and the characters’ lives and dreams begin to look as fragile as the glass animals themselves.
- February 2018
"Such a mad marriage never was before." (III.ii)
This Lent Term for TWO NIGHTS ONLY we will be returning with a BME production of The Taming Of The Shrew! Think fiery, fusion, and full of life as we attempt to traverse one of Shakespeare's most problematic comedies. This will be a diverse and interactive BME production truly built around its cast, crew, and communities. Join us, as we present the play as it has never been seen before!
CN: This play explores themes of domestic abuse which some may find upsetting.
- February 2018
H A T C H is The Marlowe Society's night for students to showcase their prose, poetry and drama in development.
- January–February 2018
Bromley Bedlam Bethlehem is drama exploring the effects of mental illness on three
generations of an immigrant family, in a society that is unforgiving of those who do not
‘fit’. The story is told over three timelines, with the weight of each generation bearing on
the next: Eamonn, an Irish immigrant, struggling with dementia and alcoholism and
trying to make amends with his estranged daughter Sara; Ben, Sara’s son, suffering
from undiagnosed paranoid schizophrenia and his mother’s unrealistic expectations for
him; and finally Sara, as she copes with the suicides of both her father and son.
