ON STAGE
Star quality Nestled on Peas Hill close to King’s College, the Arts Theatre Cambridge is a cultural repository of history and personal memories – a time capsule of past performances and experiences going back generations. Located on the site of a former fish market and university lodgings, the theatre was opened in 1936 by economist John Maynard Keynes, bursting onto the scene with a gala night that featured ballet icon Margot Fonteyn. Since then, the playhouse has hosted many premiere performances, including works by Harold Pinter, and launched the careers of such notable thespians as Sir Ian McKellen, who made his debut at the venue in 1959. The Lord of the Rings actor later voiced the need for a refurbishment of the theatre during a tour of his one-man show, and with a wave of Gandalf’s staff, the Grade II listed building has been undergoing a magical
transformation, while respecting its historical character. Funded by a grant from charitable trust the Gatsby Foundation, the overhaul pays homage to its 1930s design roots, with crafted timber panelling, a curved balcony in the
One of the first people to donate to the Arts Theatre was E M Forster, giving the royalties from a stage adaptation of A Passage to India . Did you know?
auditorium and backstage wings and dressing rooms upgraded using materials and details drawn from the original building. Once vulnerable to theatre superstitions with its unlucky 666 seats,
TALE AS OLD AS TIME Programmes from the Arts Theatre highlight the theatre’s long-standing history, having been founded in 1936 by economist John Maynard Keynes (above and below)
there are now 664 new red ones! Still to come is a 200-seat rooftop studio theatre for smaller-scale productions, community events and activities, with a Name Your Seat campaign championed by McKellen. Always in the limelight, the Arts Theatre celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Its diverse programme continues to bring a stirring mix of comedy, dance, music and drama to the city, including its first in-house professional production in years (aside from its famous panto) – Noël Coward’s Easy Virtue , directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. With support for artists and future voices, the show does indeed go on. The Arts Theatre is a cultural repository of history and memories
12 MAY 2026 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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