2__ The ADC Theatre A springboard to stardom
In 1855 the new Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club made its home in the old coaching inn off Jesus Lane that is now known simply as the ADC. The University disapproved; performances were often halted by the Proctors, and the number of productions was strictly limited. Today, things are very different. The theatre is now a department of the University, which runs it on behalf of the club. From the start, the club attracted high-profile undergraduates, among them the future King Edward VII. Finances were strained, the theatre was unheated, war and fire interrupted the club’s activities, but from 1935 plays were staged almost continuously. The club’s earliest productions were light comedies, but a serious interest in drama soon began to emerge among its members. The Marlowe Society was the first company to stage little-known works by Christopher Marlowe (after whom it was named) and neglected Jacobean playwrights. Later, the revues produced by the Cambridge Footlights kick-started the satire boom of the 1960s, making household names of those who took part. Two decades later, another generation of students, including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie and Rowan Atkinson, similarly revolutionised British comedy. The roll call of actors, directors, writers and comedians who cut their teeth at the ADC includes some of the best-known names in entertainment and public life, from theatrical knights and dames (Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Peter Hall, Trevor Nunn, Julian Fellowes, Emma Thompson) to Oscar winners, TV and radio stars, novelists and politicians. In 2011 the ADC took over the Corpus Playroom in St Edmund’s Passage, a smaller space. Between them, the venues stage two weekly main shows, late shows and one-off productions. Whatever you choose to go and see, make sure you hang on to your programme. The names inside could become award winners in the not-too-distant future. 12
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