CULTURE CLUB
GABRIELLE: 30 YEARS OF DREAMING 23 OCTOBER 2023, 7.30PM, CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE, FROM £31.50 A key contributor to the soundtrack of the noughties, Gabrielle comes to Cambridge next autumn.
ALEX FICE FINDS OUT WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR’S LUCKY DIP OF AMATEUR THEATRE AT THE ADC CAMBRIDGE FESTIVAL OF DRAMA POT-LUCK PERFORMANCES
the festival adjudicator will provide some constructive feedback, sharing what they thought went well, and what could be improved. This year’s eagle-eyed assessor is Nancy Heath, who has worked in theatre as a director and as a secondary school drama teacher. She’ll be keeping the score, following a meticulous marking system. On the final night of the festival, after the second of the two Saturday sessions, awards will be given to the plays that have landed first, second and third place. Prizes will also be handed out for best individual performance, best supporting performance, best technical achievement, best new play and the adjudicator’s award. Anything goes, with the potential for just one of the plays to scoop all eight prizes. What makes the festival so engaging for the audience is that you’re never quite sure what you’re going to watch on any given night. This year’s programme is already available to peruse on the ADC website, but gives very little indication as to what each play is about. “It’s a bit like pot luck; you never quite know what you’re going to get!” says Trish. “We read the plays beforehand, but it’s very much like a fringe festival in the sense that you don’t know how they’re going to be performed or which ones will stand out. “We hope that audiences will be inspired to go and do something new. It’s great if you get somebody who performs a play in a really innovative way. Of course, sometimes it doesn’t work, but most of the time it does.” For more information, visit camdramfest.org.uk , and get your tickets from adctheatre.com
An annual celebration of amateur theatre, Cambridge Festival of Drama has been on the scene for over half a century. The Cambridge Drama Festival, as it was officially known then, was founded in 1969 and took place at the ADC Theatre for its first five years, before moving to the Mumford Theatre at Anglia Ruskin University. Now back at the ADC – a venue that helped launch the careers of Emma Thompson, Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston and other famous faces – the festival runs from 15 to 17 September, spotlighting eight plays performed by actors and drama groups from Cambridgeshire and its surrounding counties. Spread over three days, each set of performances will feature two to three plays composed of just one act. Some are taken from full-length works, while the majority were designed for this compact format. “Over the years, we’ve had some amazing experimental theatre, which you probably wouldn’t be able to see locally as a full-length play – the budget just wouldn’t allow it,” says Trish Peroni, chair of Cambridge Festival of Drama. “I think it’s a real eye-opener for groups if they take advantage; it offers the opportunity to do something they wouldn’t normally, on the main stage, for a commercial audience. “The single-act format is interesting, as it means there’s less time to get the message across,” she notes. “You have to make sure every detail is pertinent, and that the characters develop very quickly – they have to come on stage with all guns blazing.” Each play is interspersed with a 15-minute interval, allowing for a quick set change. At the end of the evening,
17 Sep
GARETH MALONE: SING-ALONG- A-GARETH 8 DECEMBER, 7.30PM, CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE, FROM £28 This charismatic choir conductor leads a group singalong in an uplifting and collaborative concert.
ADAM KAY: THIS IS GOING TO HURT… MORE 6 NOVEMBER, 7.30PM, CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE, FROM £28 Comedian and author Adam Kay shares NHS horror stories, with spoof songs and a dose of lethal humour.
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2022 11
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