- November 2013
Enter the courtroom and witness first-hand the gripping action of the landmark trial in the fight for marriage equality in America. Pembroke Players, in association with Broadway Impact and AFER, present a staged reading of ‘8’, a documentary play about the ‘Perry vs. Schwarzenegger’ trial, written by Academy Award-Winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk, J. Edgar). Following the performance, stick around for a discussion about ongoing developments in this debate at home and abroad.
‘8’ is based on the actual words of the court transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families. Performed as a documentary play, it sits at the intersection of art and politics and uses pre-existing documentary material as source material for the script. Breaking down the perceived barriers between the personal and the political, ‘8’ attempts to bring the audience into the real-life courtroom of the landmark trial that changed American history.
This event is being run as a fundraiser for PACE, a LGBT+ mental health charity.
- March 2013
Fifteen years ago Una and Ray had a relationship. They haven't set eyes on each other since. Now she's found him again.
An evocative presentation of an award winning modern play dealing with the darker sides of familial and sexual relationships and the deeds that lie underneath. Presented in frank proximity to an intimate audience in the closeted space of Pembroke New Cellars, the productions promise an intense, raw experience focusing on honest and open presentations by actors of the delicate subjects of sex and abuse.
David Harrower's Olivier award winning play dealing with the emotional trauma and experiences in pedophilia. Trapped in a single room, the two actor piece deals intimately and frankly with the experiences of those concerned.
- March 2013
Four Cambridge comics come together for an hour of sketches to give you an insight into the dark recesses of their minds, all in the intimate setting of the Pembroke New Cellars.
No costumes. Few props. Some mercy.
It's about to get tough, but not especially crowded.
- March 2013
Mental health issues: myth or fact? Based on interviews and correspondence we bring together verbatim, immersive and physical theatre in a bid to hand the stage back to those at the heart of the matter.
- February 2013
Inspired by the song by Regina Spektor
"Don't make frowns, you silly clown..." Invisible waves whispering. Something hidden. Slippers, sand-filling. An old man sits. "Come and open up your folding chair next to me..."
- February 2013
A play of language, translated and translated again. A non sequitur made in passing by the Local fire Chief sends the Smith's and Martin's dinner party out of control.
"We've eaten well this evening. That's because we live in the suburbs of London and because our name is Smith.''
An absurd and hilarious parody of life.
- February 2013
Two half hour long dark comedies, to be played by the same small cast, about how often we mistake what is said for what is true.
No Comment by Guy Clark - "an impressive piece about a very current issue" Nick Hytner
Overworked and underpaid, young journalist Sam Taylor is desperate for a break. But when a scandal breaks that Sam finds himself in a unique position to exploit, it's sell the the story first and ask questions later.
A Civilised Society by Ellen Robertson
In a desolate, Beckett-esque, environment four homeless people attempt to brainstorm a solution to the problem of homelessness by imagining themselves into the corridors of power of a range of potential regimes. A theatrical and experimental piece.
- November 2012
THE CLASS / EIGHTH QUARTER / PAPERCLIP MAXIMISER
Three experimental short plays from New Word Order
Oh! What a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive! Take note, you innocent, you naïve, The price that freedom will aggrieve.
A teacher struggles to define freedom to a class that does not care. A man with a plastic straw and a sore arm exists for another day in a dimly lit room. An anxious surveillance robot wonders what to do with itself now that it is alone.
Three new plays about liberty from the experimental drama group New Word Order in the modes of naturalism, surrealism and theatre of the absurd, and German expressionism. Written and directed by Jess Moor (Arthur Cotterell prize winner 2010), David Rattigan ("Extremely funny," Varsity; "Terrific energy," TCS), and Scott Aandrasden-Banach ("real talent ... moving and thought-provoking," TCS; "Punchy and succinct," Varsity).
- November 2012
'Luck of the Draw'. Five friends, three lottery tickets, one fortune. As cut-throat as it sounds.
- November 2012
The comfortable Berkshire home of the Bliss family is playing host to a tragedy this summer. Unbeknownst to the rest, all four members have invited separate guests to stay for the same quiet weekend! The calm atmosphere had better brace itself, for the Bliss family may not be as peaceful by nature as by name...
Watch as the unfortunate callers suffer humiliation and ridicule at the hands of their eccentric hosts, whose self-dramatising and outlandish behaviour turns a quiet weekend into a raucous menagerie of squabbling, rudeness and the outright ridiculous.
A comedy with the greatest taste in bad manners, catching Hay Fever in the heart of winter is sure to have you spluttering in your seat long after the final curtain.
- November 2012
INDELIBLE ACTS is three short plays by Tom Powell, Jack Gamble and Stephen Bermingham.
A pair of tired traders unravel in a desolate bar. / 3.47 AM. Twitching hour. Three mellow revellers are being followed back from an unspeakable party. / You’re told not to speak ill of the dead, but some acts are far worse.
Previous work: ‘One to watch’ (Varsity), ‘Funny and fascinating’ (TCS), ‘Truly great’ (CTR), Winner (National Radio Drama Award). See http://slippersandrum.com/.
- November 2012
Pembroke Players presents an interpretative and immersive production based off of Tennessee Williams' Tony Award winning comedy "The Rose Tattoo". Music, puppetry, audience interaction and movement combine to create an original take on Williams comic love story set in an Italian-American village in Louisiana.
Telling the story of a lost love, sexual repression and expression, social conventions and the trials of faith, the play centers around Serafina Delle Rose's loss of her husband and the interplay with the curious characters of the other residents in her insular community.
A talented cast leaps between various roles both comic and tragic using audience interaction, physicality and laughter to spin a magical tale.
“Everybody is nothing until you love them.”
- November 2012
The Pembroke Sticky Floor Smoker is a great showcase for the most exciting new comedy talent in Cambridge. Taking place in the intimate setting of the Pembroke New Cellars, this is not a smoker to be missed. Whether you snigger, Howl with laughter or are merely slightly disgusted at how sticky the floor is, this is a Smoker not to miss
- October 2012
A daring and innovative production of Fay Weldon's adaptation of Gustave Flaubert's groundbreaking masterpiece Madame Bovary - the story of a woman, constrained by boredom and suffocating social etiquette, who follows her desires and passions to a tragic conclusion.
Pembroke Players invite you to join Emma Bovary on her last day alive as she sits down for breakfast with her trusting and talentless husband Charles and reminisces about a marriage spent trying desperately to escape from everything he represents, calling to mind a lifetime of forbidden lusts, unfulfilled dreams and ill-fated love affairs.
- October 2012
A fast paced and witty new tragicomedy from the team behind "It's Complicated", "Guido!", and the Graduate Smokers.
The year is 2080 AD. The Oblivion Virus has brought civilization to its arthritic knees. All but the youngest in society are infected with dementia. Below the city, an aging couple, young scientist and priest hide in the basement morgue of London Bridge Hospital from the virus and youths, looking for something (anything!) to save off the boredom... The year is 2080 AD. Wait, did I already say that?!
- May 2012
- March 2012
Have you? No, neither have I. But he has. Yes, he has. He so has. Look at him. Having it.
Phil Liebman and Jamie Mathieson, as seen at the Edinburgh Fringe, Footlights Smokers and the County Arms, present a brand spanking new sketch show like no other that takes the rulebook for student comedy and does such bad things to it that our mothers would be ashamed.
Praise for the writers:
Phil: ‘Delightful’ (The Tab), ‘Vigorous’ (New Current), ‘His essays aren’t perfect but there are no major issues.’ (Dr. Jonathan Birch)
Jamie: ‘Marvellous’ (Varsity), ‘Lovely’ (The Tab), ‘The lateness of many of his essays have precluded me from writing detailed feedback on his work.’ (Dr. Isabel DiVanna)
- March 2012
The French classical tragedy par excellence: passion, jealousy, revenge, politics and gallantry ending in bloodshed.
Oreste loves Hermione who loves Pyrrhus who loves Andromaque, who is torn between her fidelity to her late husband Hector, killed by Pyrrhus’ father, and her attempt to save their son. Disappointed love turns into hatred as the frantic quadrangle dissolves. Each of the protagonists either kill, or die; the survivor descends into madness.
Racine’s Andromaque, as transcendent as Shakespeare’s tragedies, blooms some of the most beautiful verses ever heard on stage. As every translation would betray this intimate union of poetry and drama, the text will be performed in French; but the bodies carried away by violence and desire will speak a language everybody can understand.
- February–March 2012
A stranger has come to the city of Thebes, claiming to be Dionysus, god of wine, and the women of the city have begun flocking to join him in his wild rites on the hillsides. Pentheus, the newly crowned king, thinks the man a charlatan and will do anything in his power to crush this new cult. But he is about to learn that gods - especially drunk ones - rarely take criticism well. This production will be a powerful, physically demanding interpretation of Euripides' masterpiece: the horrific majesty and sublime cruelty of the god of wine will be fully explored, and the audience will be immersed in a world of sex, alcohol and violence.
- February–March 2012
‘You are tricking a little girl into loving you.’
As a married couple prepare for a rare night alone, a simple mistake provokes a confession that threatens to devastate their family. Forced to face up to an uncomfortable reality, accusations and apologies are exchanged as the pair find themselves desperate to both understand and hide the truth. Innovatively staged in an intimate setting, Unconditional is a by turns moving and unnerving play that considers what happens when our most fundamental expectations go unfulfilled.
‘This is the point where it gets better.’
‘Only for you.’
Tickets available here: http://www.adcticketing.com/shows/show/1224
- February 2012
'You take your eyes off a show for two minutes, and the next thing you know the theatre's half empty and all the laughs have gone.'
Keith is at the theatre watching his play. So is everyone else. Allegedly. But what with upholstery, understudies and unwelcome birthday treats, is it any surprise no one's paying attention?
From Michael Frayn, two times winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy and writer of ‘Noises Off’ comes ‘Audience’, a one-act comedy about how the real spectacle can be found in the stalls, even if the drama is on stage.
- November 2011
- November 2011
You've Burnt The Parsnips is an original 45 minute one-act comedy, telling the story of an ill-fated dinner party.
Susan, a positively obnoxious snob, is fretting over the last-minute preparations for the dinner party she is holding for her brother’s twenty-fifth birthday. While she panics and perfects every minute detail, all her husband, Simon, does is dance along to his only remaining record, after the mysterious disappearance of his collection. Simon - a long-suffering and downtrodden man - yearns to escape his marriage but is too weak to oppose his tyrannical wife.
As the guests arrive, the underlying tensions surface all too easily: Susan’s bitter competition with her “common” sister, Brenda; a not-so-subtle affair between Susan and Brenda’s husband; and Susan’s overbearing mollycoddling of her wimp of a younger brother.
Served with a generous helping of snide gibes and a hearty dollop of awkwardness thanks to an unworn Christmas present and a total disregard for the Estonian champagne industry, "Parsnips" follows every member of the family reaching breaking point and setting out to exact revenge in increasingly inventive ways.
Will the evening’s events finally set Simon free?
- November 2011
Freshers' Week: we've all been there. This time with songs...
Follow the lives of five freshers as they attempt to navigate the highs and lows of that first week of university life. Nervous Hayley is finding it difficult being away from home but there is hope that cheeky chappy Tuc will help her overcome her fears. Posh boy Rupert enjoys playing croquet, but his female counterpart Ally seems less than impressed by his advances. And shy Basil is struggling to find out who he really is... Will rapping about your cat really win you friends? Is Frankenstein or Flo Rida a more appropriate costume for the fancy-dress party? And why are all romantic encounters fraught with complications? With the ‘best years of our lives’- and some of the worst mornings after - re-imagined in musical form, FRESHER! will take you back to those first days of university you wish you could forget.
- November 2011
- October 2011
Serge has bought a painting. A very expensive, totally white painting. Marc hates it. Yvan is caught in the middle.
Marc is a cynical know-it-all. Serge is a proud name-dropping showoff. Yvan is just trying to be a good friend and mediator.
If your friendship is based on tacit mutual agreement, what happens when one person does something completely different and unexpected? The question is: Are you who you think you are, or who your friends think you are?
Multiple Comedy Awards. The Tony Award for Best Play. Who'd have thought it was all about a "white piece of shit"?
- May 2011
- February 2011
How hard could a wedding amongst friends be? Plenty of booze, plenty of food, plenty of room to sit. Just make sure you choose your guests wisely.
A newly-wed couple’s reception seems destined for merriment. In the intimacy of their new house with their respective families and friends, surrounded by home-made furniture, and the prospect of their life together, the party seems well on its way. Except no one’s got anything to talk about. As conversation drags around such party-friendly topics as choking and wood-glue, the tension rises, and the guests’ attempts to liven the atmosphere pushes nerves and furniture to breaking-point. Newly-weds with a shameful secret. Family members without scruples. Parents with terrible stories. And couples full of resentment. All thrown onto a stage literally on the verge of collapse. One of Brecht’s first outings on the stage, this unlikely, uncomfortable comedy is one of his lesser-known works, and will be a one-off event performed IN THE ORIGINAL GERMAN for all to experience the play as it was written.
- February 2011
From the "hilarious" (Varsity) Dannish Babar comes a brand-new, "hilarious" (TCS) evening of stand-up comedy and mentalism that promises to be "hilarious" (The Tab).
What the press pack says: "Dannish Babar has got to be one of the most strangely endearing people free to roam the streets" - The Tab "Stunning character, originality and confidence" - Varsity "An unattractive man [...] who did a slow stand-up set" - Oxford Cherwell
- February 2011
From the "hilarious" (Varsity) Dannish Babar comes a brand-new, "hilarious" (TCS) evening of stand-up comedy that promises to be "hilarious" (The Tab).
Previous praise: "Dannish Babar has got to be one of the most strangely endearing people free to roam the streets" - The Tab "Stunning character, originality and confidence" - Varsity "An unattractive man [...] who did a slow stand-up set" - Oxford Cherwell
- November 2010
Three comic sketches and one short play; all by the late, great Harold Pinter.
'Trouble in the Works', a farce, takes a hilarious look at the trials and tribulations suffered by a factory owner whose workers have 'taken a turn against the products'.
'Request Stop' sees a young woman reveal surprising motives, as she berates a stranger at a bus stop.
'That's Your Trouble' charts the course of bickering between friends as a sandwich board starts an innocent discussion that quickly becomes heated.
'Party Time' is a darkly comic short play. The play, which takes the form of a political allegory, explores the multiple underlying tensions at an upper class party: what is this mysterious club that everyone is raving about? Why has there been a disturbance outside? And where, we wonder, is Jimmy?
- November 2010
A table, some chairs, and some lockers... Watch as you are drawn into the hyper-realistic setting of The Scientifically Minded. In this student's hangout, a group of under- and post-graduates discuss their lives, their loves and their futures as we are afforded a tantalising glimpse into their complex lives. Through their everyday, nonsensical conversations, we see moral and scientific issues taking root in the hearts of the students undertaking this research, as topics such as genetic manipulation and animal testing arise.
This translation of Oriza Hirata's acclaimed play is a modern theatre experience that brings the audience into its starkly realistic world, blurring the boundaries between the stage and actuality. And as these students discuss their everyday situations and the problems of their work, they tackle fundamental ideas of what it means to live, from both a scientific and an immensely personal perspective.
- November 2010
Ava is gone, events must take their course, though not everybody - past or present - knows why.
"Joseph - What's done is done, I suppose, so if we could put the events of Kristallnacht behind us, I'd like you to come for dinner, following the meeting tomorrow. I've a speech I'd like you to take a look at it . Your help would be appreciated - public speaking is not, after all, what I am remembered for - I couldn't bear to put on a poor show. Regards, Hermann."
Germany, the 12th of November, 1938 - possibly - Dieter is hiding in the kitchens, Helga is drunk again, and Frederick flits between above and below, in denial. History is and is not what we make of it. Pembroke New Cellars, Week 5: 9th-13th November, 7:45pm. An immersive, intimate new piece of theatre by Niall Wilson, previously shortlisted for the Marlowe Society 'Other Prize' for both 'Notes on Another Life' and 'A Lesson in Morbidity', and writer of the "Best Overall Play for the Judges and Audience" at the 2009 ADC '24 Hour Plays'.
- October 2010
At the dawn of human civilisation, only the big, muscular men and women able to defend their families and tribes survived. As these groups grew in number, and the tall, strong farmers could provide food surpluses, an evolutionary niche was filled by the 'comedy writer'. This weak-willed yet mindful fool used wit to disarm opponents, self deprecation to lull them into a false sense of security, and then, finally, irony to deliver the fatal blow. Laughter evolved as a defense mechanism, and is as popular today as ever. This sketch show is its next test.
- March 2010
‘Quality Street’: the glittering Restoration-revival comedy that inspired a family favourite box of chocolates. Phoebe Throssel and Valentine Brown are the lovers parted by war in Napoleon’s Europe; when Brown returns home, it seems old passions have been laid to rest. But with the aid of her stalwart sister, Phoebe sets out to captivate Brown once again in the guise of her own coquettish ‘niece’. The light-hearted deception mounts to a crisis, with hilarious complications, and a heart-warming conclusion. Auditions: Sunday 24th January, Pembroke College, N7, 14:00-18:00 Contact: Alexander Whiscombe aw413 with any questions.
- February 2010
‘Loving Leticia’ is a lighthearted, newly-written melodrama, which is full of fun, comedy and laughter. Leticia is in love with Augustus, but her mother is desperately trying to marry her off to Lord Leighton who is certainly not all he seems... Is poor Leticia doomed or will love conquer all?
