Get Involved
Getting involved in comedy at Cambridge is really easy – there's so much going on that you'll always be able to find something to be a part of! Here's a handy guide so that you know what's what:
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Mailing List
This is our weekly newsletter containing information on the week's upcoming comedy performances, auditions, open mics, workshops, and other comedy-related events such as Q&A sessions. If you'd like something added to the mailing list, email our secretary, Matthew, at secretary@cambridgefootlights.org
This is available for students only!
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Facebook Groups
The two main Facebook groups where comedy opportunities get posted are Cambridge Theatre and Footlights. Cambridge Theatre contains opportunities for all kinds of theatre shows (drama, musicals, comedy, dance, and just about anything else you can think of!). Footlights is for comedy-specific opportunities.
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Camdram
Camdram is a website that can be used to advertise vacancies for any amateur theatre show happening in Cambridge, both for student productions and non-student productions. Camdram is also used to list the cast and crew of shows, provide information on venues, theatre societies, or funding opportunities, and view the event diary of which shows are on each week.
To keep up to date with general shows and opportunities you can also follow our instagram @cambridgefootlights , and @footlights_smokers for lineups for smokers!
Shows
Smokers
Smokers are one-night comedy variety shows featuring students performing anything from sketches to stand-up to song to whatever else they can come up with - as long as it's meant to make people laugh! If you have any questions, feel free to contact our smokers officers!
Pantomime
Every December, the Footlights team up with CUADC to present a brand new pantomime! It is always the highlight of Michaelmas term, with a script and music written by students. Last year we enjoyed the sell out success: Snow White!
Tour Show
Each summer, the Footlights presents a tour across the UK and Europe, with two runs in Cambridge (in June and October). You can find out more about the tour at www.footlightstourshow.co.uk.
Spring Revue
In the biggest sketch show of the year, graduating members of the society present their best sketch and character comedy from the year in the Spring Revue, a week-long main show at the ADC Theatre.
Footlights and Friends
After the Spring Revue run, the Footlights host some of the finest student comedy troupes from around the country in two fun-filled evenings at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. Previous groups include Leeds Tealights, Durham Revue, Oxford Revue, and Bristol Revunions.
Footlights Presents
An opportunity for Footlights hopefuls, the society funds a sketch show put together by a team of second-years. This is a very popular late show at the ADC Theatre and not one to miss!
Stand-up Showcase
The Showcase is an evening which allows for the Footlights to perform their very best stand-up. This is separate to Spring Revue and allows for multiple generations of Footlights to perform together.
Free Footlights (Edinburgh Fringe)
'Free Footlights' runs every night throughout the Edinburgh Fringe in August, presenting a mixed bill of material from Footlights old and new. The line-up is different every day, and it's completely free!
Workshops
As well as shows, the Footlights organise comedy workshops to help people develop skills for writing and performing comedy, as well as directing and incorporating tech.
We run workshops throughout the year open to everyone, although we do run a few targeted specifically towards freshers and people who want to try comedy for the first time. We also run workshops for underrepresented groups at Cambridge such as BME students, Class Act students, disabled students, and female or non-binary students. These are usually arranged to take place a couple of weeks before Smokers specifically for comedians from those backgrounds.
We also run informal weekly drop-in writing session called Writers' Room, usually held on a Friday at 5pm in Café Nero on Market Passage. This is a low-commitment, low-pressure way to get help with any material you've been working on, to come up with ideas for standup sets, sketches, songs, or character monologues, or to just meet other comics!