Michaelmas 2024 is upon us – so for those such as myself with an unhealthy attachment to Camdram, this means there’s a new theatre season in which to get invested. It also means that there are indications of how this new year will pan out. The matriculation of hundreds of new freshers, but also the developed ideas of second and third years, means that we can expect the Cambridge theatre lineup to be very different to the previous year. As someone who’s got many fingers in the ADC pie, I’ve noticed that theatre lovers and detractors alike have one word to describe the Cambridge scene – cultish. While primarily being an affectionate joke, it isn’t entirely untrue. I think a lot of us are getting somewhat sick of ourselves and our entrenched sense of being a clique. For this reason, it seems that the direction for Cambridge theatre this coming year is outwards.

I fell into the Cambridge scene seemingly out of nowhere – I can’t even remember how I found the person to email for my first producer gig, so I never know how to tell people they could get involved. That’s why it’s positive that the CUADC are moving beyond some flyers advertising a tour of the ADC and are instead actually talking to freshers in their colleges – where they’ll be based for the first few weeks. Advertising theatre as a society that is just as accessible as any other is more encouraging – and also ensures that older years who feel that they’ve missed the boat know that there is space for them on the stage.

“Advertising theatre as a society that is just as accessible as any other is more encouraging”

Productions such as Our Town Needs a Nando’s (ADC Theatre, Week 3) specifically ensuring that their cast and production teams are made up of those with little to no experience in theatre is a breath of fresh air. Based on Michaelmas’ lineup alone, it seems that productions are more focused on finding the best people available, not the most familiar – so it’d be good to see this extend to Lent and Easter term too. The Fletcher Players’ biannual Smörgåsbord (Corpus Playroom, Week 1) being extended to two nights rather than the standard one suggests an investment in student writing and new talent that goes beyond a token.

On the topic of Cambridge stages, it also seems that production teams are moving away from pedestalizing the ADC Theatre and the Corpus Playroom and are instead investing more into collegiate theatre groups – which is really exciting. Societies like the Downing Dramatic Society are offering many slots in their own theatres, and the opening up of different venues makes Cambridge seem more like the bustling arts hub it was sold to me as. Questions about staging and what venues work for what shows become much more considered when there are more options. While perhaps these collegiate societies struggled to gain the same traction as the CUADC, for example, it does seem that committees are really trying to change this.

“It seems that shows are especially committed to more distinct, purposeful ideas that don’t exist solely for an aesthetic”

The Pembroke Players promising rebrands and BATS committing to a night of new, wacky writing signals that theatre-lovers are aiming to provide diversity of experience and opportunity. I can confirm as an anxious writer tentatively trying to see what ideas stick that having these wider opportunities that don’t feel overshadowed by their own reputations are definitely more encouraging than showing up in Cambridge and immediately aiming for an ADC Mainshow slot.

It also seems that many production teams are aiming to have more distinct visions that test the boundaries of what a low-budget student show can be. Last year, we saw that shows that had bold production choices and powerful scripts like The Normal Heart drew in masses of viewers. If directors take a step back to really consider what to pitch, there should hopefully be more polished shows that feel that they are doing more than just occupy a slot. The Marlowe Society opening up pitches beyond just Shakespeare for their BME Lent Term performance for the first time is an indicator of this desire to carefully consider what audiences actually want to see and what people want to be a part of, and therefore creates a genuinely heartfelt product. Even when working with pre-existing texts, it seems that shows are especially committed to more distinct, purposeful ideas that don’t exist solely for an aesthetic. As You Like It (Corpus Playroom, Week 5) choosing to use puppets is an example of a unique USP that feels considered, rather than trying to be different for the sake of it.

An overview of this term as an early signifier for the rest of the year suggests that we don’t want Cambridge Theatre to feel cliquey anymore. From talking to friends who never performed in their first year but were encouraged to audition, I know the issue isn’t persuading people that they can act, sing, write or stage manage (Cambridge students do tend to be just a little bit attention-seeking). Instead, this year in Cambridge Theatre should be about ensuring that newcomers are, in fact, encouraged.