- March 2022
The Mighty Players' Freshers Play.
- February 2022
Henry has a dream to study Classics at Cambridge, so his mum finds Maurice, a Latin tutor in his 40s who is more than a little eccentric. Set in the heart of Swaledale, ‘Antinous in the Swale’ explores a young man’s relationship to his home and his family.
Slowly, as the year goes on, Henry and Maurice find themselves growing ever closer, but piece by piece an image of Maurice’s past comes to light and Henry finds himself unsure of who it is he has fallen in love with. The lines between fact and myth become increasingly blurred until Henry must turn to his mum, his rock, for help.
A tender, queer coming of age story, reflecting on the isolating nature of a rural hometown where options are few and good queer role-models fewer, the play brings to light a queer experience so rarely seen on stage or film.
This performance is recommended for audiences aged 18+
- November 2021
‘FERRET’ is an upcoming original student short film set in Cambridge, about the boundary between friendship, obsession and ultimately, on the desire to be accepted.
This film aims to be an intoxicating and psychologically wrenching black comedic thriller, taking inspirations from films such as ‘Heathers’ (1988), ‘Black Swan’ (2010), 'Gone Girl' (2014) and ‘The Favourite’ (2018).
After post-production, it will be premiered and entered into a number of film festivals.
Funded in part by Other Brother Studios, winner of the 2021 Film Fund.
- October 2021
A collection of talent from around Cambridge is brought to Selwyn's brand-spanking-new auditorium, with performances ranging from comedy, to slam poetry, to musical numbers! Free to attend for all Cambridge University members!
- October 2021
A student-written sketch comedy dell art(gallery)! Follow us through the evening happenings of an art gallery quite unlike any other! From snobby artists to bewildered school guides, from chatty Picasso's to truly moving art (wait a darn second, that's not supposed to move!!!) from the worst possible art heist to the inner thoughts of the paintings on the walls: Did Leonardo Di Caprio truly paint the Mona Lisa? Is modern art a whole bunch of tosh? Was Van GHOghST always this attention seeking?Just how pretentious is TOO pretentious?? Put on your nicest berets, pick up your stencils, and come and see this mosaic of comedy.
Oh, and before I forget,
DON'T TOUCH THE ART!!!
- March 2020
THE MIGHTY PLAYERS BAR NIGHT IS LOOKING FOR ACTS
Can you sing? Do stand-up? Do you have a monologue or sketch you've always wanted to perform? Are you ventriloquist? A contortionist? A magician? The Mighty Players Bar Night needs you!!!!
The idea is to put together a fun, low-commitment night of performances on Friday 13th March in the Selwyn bar. New writing and people new to Cambridge Theatre very much encouraged but old hands equally welcome! Feel free to give us a snippet of something you've been in this term 😀Extra rehearsals or direction can be arranged if you would like.
For a chance to perform in a really relaxed, supportive environment drop me (Jenny - jrl65) or Sarah (sat64) an email with a short description of your act by 6pm on Friday 6th March and we'll be in touch about an informal rehearsal/preview at a time that suits you!
- November 2019
Sidney Bruhl, an academic and struggling playwright, has writer's block. That is until he reads Deathtrap, a tour-de-force murder mystery laden with plot twists, psychological horror and emotional intensity. It’s just a shame that an unproven upstart wrote the masterpiece – but what if there was a way Sidney could make it his own? Time to invite the playwright round for tea…
Deathtrap, arguably Ira Levin's greatest play, still holds the record for the longest-running comedy-thriller on Broadway, consistently staggering audiences for decades. Now, brought to life at the ADC Theatre, Deathtrap promises an all-too-real comedy-thriller that hits like no other.
"I'd like to beat the wretch over the head with the mace there, bury him in a four-hundred-pound hole somewhere, and send the thing off under my own name."
- August 2019
Ritual madness has descended upon Thebes. Dionysius is demanding obedience at all costs - but is his chaos less liberating than it first appears? With Pentheus’ own mother lost to Bacchic celebration, the King is determined to shame and punish the new God. Civilisation declares war on instinct as the divine tears up the mortal.
This visceral new production provokes uneasy questions and demands uneasy answers. Explore the fear of the unknown as this divine tragedy exposes the cracks in our own moral codes. Our fundamental values are broken down in this horrifyingly compelling examination of society and the self.
- March 2019
"Six fictional characters, abandoned by their creator, invade a rehearsal in progress and demand to be brought to life by a new author. But the characters' existential agenda collides with the more lighthearted ambitions of these theatre artists, whose open rehearsal "audience engagement event" becomes darkly entangled with the characters' tragic story. This intimate adaptation of Luigi Pirandello's absurdist classic foregrounds the comedic contrast between melodrama and the contemporary sensibilities of the acting company -- all the while asking us to consider just what we believe to be real."
- November 2018
"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way."
Seventeen year old Catherine lives a quiet life in the country with only her beloved Gothic novels for excitement. That is, until she is brought to Bath, where her inexperience leaves her in awe of bustle of city life and the glamour of her new friends. But before long Catherine finds herself tiring of the gossip and games of courtship, and can't resist an invitation from the Tilney family to accompany them to their family seat, Northanger Abbey. Enchanted by the estate's Gothic grandeur, Catherine finally feels as though she has fallen into one of her favourite novels, but soon discovers the pitfalls of confusing fact and fiction.
Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is a heartwarming exploration of the delights of youth, love, and above all, a good novel. Full of Austin's distinctive humour and larger than life characters, this new and unconventional adaptation captures the wit and originality of the 19th century classic.
- October 2018
'I am reduced to a thing that wants Virginia.'
Virginia Woolf meets Vita Sackville-West, the socialite wife of an eminent politician and 'pronounced Sapphist', one evening in the 1920s and before long they embark upon one of the most high profile of love-affairs in the literary world. Vita finds Virginia admirable and enigmatic. Virginia finds Vita intimidating but alluring. Both members of the Bloomsbury set, they share a love of language, of letter-writing, and of each other.
'Vita & Virginia' documents the notorious relationship between these extraordinary women as they experienced it over the course of twenty years. Adapted from the correspondence of Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West, Eileen Atkins' careful composition of the blossoming romance is witty, tender, and utterly charming.
- June 2018
'The fault is not in our stars, Brutus, but in ourselves.'
Caesar rules Rome, and the people adore him, but Caius Cassius is concerned that he has becomes too powerful. Cassius convinces the honourable Marcus Brutus and others to conspire against Caesar, but the ruler's assassination leads to unrest; stirred up by Mark Anthony, the people erupt into civil war. As Cassius and Brutus grapple with the effects of their actions, Capitol and city is consumed by chaos.
Shakespeare's visceral thriller captures a state in crisis and examines the consequences of assassination. 'Julius Caesar' is a play which continues to encourage political engagement, and to reflect the power of the people, and it remains one of Shakespeare's most powerful and relevant works.
- April 2018
Watch Cambridge's finest comedians blend stand up and improv, as they are given a never-before seen “set list” of bizarre, outrageous, and ridiculous topics which they must deliver stand up comedy about.
- April 2018
‘Abby From Primeval Made Me Gay’ is an hour of stories. A group of people will each share a true story about a person who had a real impact on their lives. This could be a relative, a friend, a celebrity, or even a fictional character. Interspersed among these personal insights will be extracts from teenage diaries, photographs, home videos, poems, and songs. A scrapbook of very human snapshots, this show promises to be warm, funny, and uplifting.
‘Abby From Primeval Made Me Gay’ will explore how we become the people we are today, and who helps us along the way.
- March 2018
What happens when you take posh couples, an even posher dinner party, and an unexpected gunshot wound to the ear? In the real world, probably criminal charges. In the theatre world, you get the backdrop for a classic farce!
The Mighty Players presents RUMOURS, its Freshers' Play for 2017/8.
- March 2018
The friendlist and most chilled out bar night returns!
Come along for sweet drinks and many laughs... Who doesn't love FREE COMEDY!!
- November 2017
England, 1170. Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, has returned after seven years of exile. In the company of his clergy he presses on homeward, met by a multitude of voices telling him to turn back. But Becket will not be stopped, and religion and politics are about to collide in a shocking act of violence.
See T.S. Eliot’s astounding drama brought to life amidst the Gothic splendour of Selwyn College Chapel.
- October–November 2017
Blimey! It’s 1958 and the Cold War is in full swing, Britain’s ladies are neatly tucked away in the kitchen, and Her Majesty’s finest assassins have gathered to celebrate topping off their prime target. There’s just a small spot of bother: she’s not actually dead.
“I may not have killed her,” says Kenneth, “but I got jolly close.” Et voila! You are served a scrumptious platter of messed-up murders, accompanied by oodles of intrigue and lashings of lols.
All based on genuinely fictional events; it’s going to be absolutely capital.
A comedy from the writers of 'Bad Habits' (formerly 'Love in a Maze’) - EdFringe Review, Varsity, CTR and ‘How to lie and get away with it - The Tab
- March 2017
Rejected from his home in the wolf pack, The Jungle Book follows Mowgli on his journey through the jungle. Monkeys and mayhem, vultures and wolves are only a handful of the dangers he faces along the way before his final battle against his arch-enemy, Shere Khan. Bitterly dubbed by Tom Wang as this year’s “abysmal production” and entirely written, acted and directed by freshers, The Jungle Book is a classic with a twist that you can’t afford to miss.
Get your tickets here!
selwynmightyplayers.tessera.info
- November 2016
Join the festivities with the Mighty Players' sketch/standup/musical/etc Bridgemas-themed extravaganza!
There will be a variety show in the bar starting at 8pm and a bop in The Diamond starting at 9pm.
- October 2016
Come along to Selwyn Bar for an evening of comedy and music, all in aid of RAG!
- June 2016
“Love is your master, for he masters you;
And he that is so yoked by a fool,
Methinks, should not be chronicled for wise.”
Proteus loves Julia. Valentine loves Sylvia. Proteus falls in love with Sylvia.
Proteus and Valentine are best friends, resulting in a complex love triangle. Promises are made and broken, as Julia disguises herself as a boy and Proteus elopes with Sylvia, amid general confusion and the comic interludes of clowns. Can this comedy reach a happy resolution?
Continuing the tradition of the Selwyn May Week show, this summer the beautiful college gardens will be filled with laughter and music as we bring to life this rarely-performed Shakespeare play.
- March 2016
The Mighty Players of Selwyn College present a night of highly-banterous comedy and fabulous musical theatre, all in that great temple of booze and happiness - Selwyn College bar!
All are welcome to performs songs, sketches, stand up or anything entertaining, regardless of experience. Meanwhile the audience will chill back with a cheeky drink or two. Or fourteen.
- February 2016
Peas.
Torture.
S Club 7.
Murder.
Attenborough.
Prostitution.
Science.
Widely considered the first modern drama, Woyzeck follows a downtrodden soldier's descent into murderous madness after undergoing a medical experiment. In a new, original version, this classic is taken into the not so distant future of hyperreal violence, class oppression and sexual exploitation all viewed through the windows of Woyzeck's home. Every significant moment of his breakdown is presented in close up and uncompromising detail. Punctuated with music by S Club 7, Steps and Greig, this brutal and unremitting production rips modern western society to pieces in a truly immersive experience.
- February 2016
When her dead brother is decreed a traitor, his body left unburied beyond the city walls, Antigone refuses to accept this most severe of punishments. Defying her uncle who governs, she dares to say 'No'. Forging ahead with a funeral, she places personal allegiance before politics, a tenacious act that will trigger a cycle of destruction.
'Antigone' is the Mighty Players' Freshers' play for 2015/6 and will take place in Week 4 of Lent term. With the combination of Anne Carson's visceral modern translation, and the wonderfully atmospheric and eerie setting of Selwyn's beautiful Chapel, this promises to be a truly unique and thoroughly engaging piece of theatre.
We hope to see you there!
- November 2015
How do you make a perfect panto? Take a fairy tale (or two), add a spoonful of anachronisms, a sprinkle of cross-dressing, a dash of meta, (and no singing, because that’s way too cheesey and we didn’t have the time or talent to write music), mix it all together in a cauldron and hope for the best.
In a land far, far away, the King wants to retire. All he has to do first is find a wife for his son (the incorrigible Prince Charming), and he thinks a Ball is the perfect way to do that. What could possibly go wrong? It’s not like there’s an internet entrepreneur with a three point plan to take over the world, right?
Featuring social media, an anxious Prince Charming and a mysterious incorporation of stepmothers, ‘Poison Apple’ is guaranteed to be at least the second best student panto in Cambridge this Michaelmas!
- October 2015
‘What if our aloneness isn’t a tragedy? What if our aloneness is what allows us to speak the truth without being afraid? What if our aloneness is what allows us to adventure – to experience the world as a dynamic presence – as a changeable interactive thing?’
Why did a 23-year-old woman leave her comfortable American life to stand between a bulldozer and a Palestinian home? This one-person, verbatim play tells the story of Rachel Corrie’s short life and sudden death, from the words she left behind.
The play is by arrangement with Nick Hern Books.
- June 2015
When forbidden love drives Hermia and Lysander into the forest, and unrequited love forces Demetrius and Helena to follow, little do they know what awaits them. And when four lovers, a troupe of actors and a fairy kingdom collide, magic and mayhem ensue – because after all, the course of true love never did run smooth…
Immerse yourself in a world of fantasy in the gardens of Selwyn, as the Mighty Players bring the dream to reality this Midsummer.
“Are you sure that we are awake? It seems to me that yet we sleep, we dream…”
- June 2015
In the hilariously tragic confines of one small room in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, four people are waiting for the end to come. Hamm presides over all, blind and chair-bound, while his degenerating servant Clov tends to the pointless tasks that make up their routine and define their existence.Within two dustbins live the cripples Nagg and Nell, Hamm’s parents, completing one of the most bizarre quartets in theatre.
Bleak monotony, cutting wit, physical comedy and profound insights into human life merge together in this fantastic picture of the ending process. Tears and laughter are mutually dependent, a combination best summarised, as is the play itself, by Nell: ‘Nothing is funnier than unhappiness’. Probing the darkest depths of what it means to be human, Beckett’s Endgame is a comic exposition of all our hopes and fears in the face of death.
- May 2015
‘Would you string me up? Would you tie me down?’
Join us for an unrepentantly RUMBUSTIOUS, RIOTOUS and altogether RIVETING puppet show for adults! From shadow puppetry in Plato’s cave, child care arrangements with Punch and Judy, to War Ass (the critically panned sequel to War Horse), we’ll pulling your strings all night.
Featuring song, stand-up, improv, sketches, video, and a whole lot of socks – we’re here to remind you, puppets aren’t just for children.
- April–May 2015
When her son comes back home after months of wandering, Sprout tells him to leave again. In order to persuade him, she tells him a story that she has never told anyone before...
This is the story of a hen named Sprout. No longer content to lay eggs on command only to have them carted off to the market, she glimpses her future every morning through the barn doors, where the other animals roam free, and an acacia tree blooms. She comes up with a plan to escape into the wild—and to hatch an egg of her own.
An anthem for freedom, individuality and motherhood featuring a plucky, spirited heroine who rebels against the dogmatised world of the barnyard and embraces her perils with love, ‘the hen comes out of the yard’ is a story of universal resonance that is a reflection on society, nature and the world at large.
- February 2015
Based on the true story of the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, Les Justes is a tense drama unveiling the experience of the group of assassins responsible. Camus’ little known existentialist play weaves an intricate picture of the people behind the plot, stripping back the layers of revolutionaries and socialists to reveal their desperate humanity. A philosophical and thoughtful work, the play raises questions about the morality of assassination and its human impact, whilst retaining a story that has both heart and passion. It will be performed in English.
- November 2014
- November 2014
"How bizarre, curious, strange. Then, Madam, we live in the same room and we sleep in the same bed. It is perhaps there that we met!"
--
Performed in a mixture of French and English with English surtitles, this production embraces the humour of Ionesco's absurdist masterpiece.
The Martins are invited to dinner chez the Smiths, and the evening gets more and more peculiar… Mr and Mrs Martin no longer recognise each other, the maid thinks she’s Sherlock Holmes and thanks to the arrival of the local fire chief, the evening descends into chaos and mindless gibberish.
"La Cantatrice Chauve", or "The Bald Prima Donna", explores the breakdown of communication and satirises social conventions. Expect an extravaganza of language, physical comedy, music, mime and endless silliness.
- November–December 2013
The Mighty Players and The Shirley Players (Selwyn and St Catharine's) combine to bring you their 2013 Freshers' Show, Coward's hilarious semi-autobiographical farce about the mid-life crisis of a comic actor.
This gloriously witty farce is the sort of play that earned Noel Coward his reputation as one of the country's finest comedy writers. Razor sharp; full of crossed wires and sticky situations - join us for an evening of quick-witted fast-paced comedy.
- October 2013
