There are two kinds of people in Cambridge theatre: those who stalk everyone’s Camdram, and those who pretend they don’t.

If you fall into either category, you will have seen one production amassing over the past year or so in various people’s profiles, shifting status between ‘has been involved with’ and ‘is preparing for’ as it swells with more and more credits. I’m talking about The Golden God, a short film by Sameera Bhalotra Bowers that fictionalises a run for the Footlights presidency between the titular character, played by Rob Monteiro, and his hapless foil Ed Brookes (James Allen).

When I meet with writer-director Sameera, a land economist at Pembroke, she breaks down the narrative in more detail. She and her assistant director Mia Urwin insert themselves into the story; the film begins with the pair (playing themselves) discovering that they’ve been selected to cover Monteiro on his presidential campaign, in what seems to me like something out of All the King’s Men or Almost Famous. What follows is a whirlwind tour through news alerts, campaign stops, and ‘interviews’ with people on the streets of Cambridge, portrayed by multiple ADC BNOCs (or as I call them: ADCNOCs).

“A scandalous trailer promises much but reveals little”

A scandalous trailer promises much but reveals little. There is Dom Andrew playing a TV presenter, for the umpteenth time. We see Miles Hitchens furrow his brows and gaze menacingly into the camera – as only Miles Hitchens can. Rhys Griffiths yells something; Margaret Saunderson stares away from the camera, scowling; Diya Shah looks visibly unimpressed; Jules Coyle purses her lips. I’ve even been promised a short-lived cameo from none other than Joe Orrell, tantalisingly credited as ‘Game Show Host’. The Golden God appears to have them all in thrall. “Go for gold! God for gold!” shouts Daisy Shaw at one point, jumping up and down in vibrant fanatical devotion to… what exactly?

That’s just the point; the reasons behind the Golden God’s popularity are never explained. Sameera tells me this is inspired by several performers she watched when she first came to Cambridge, who had a bizarre amount of hype despite being… not particularly good. I know the type; Sameera knows the type; reader, you know the type. For the sake of politeness, neither Sameera or I trade names when we discuss this, but we both admit there’s an odd culture in Cambridge theatre where several people are met with a level of adoration that is unexplained, to put it mildly. The Golden God takes this phenomenon and wrings it to the max; there’s no discussion of Monteiro’s policies, or his aims for Footlights. Instead, we’re treated to multiple scenes of the actor romping around shirtless before his adoring fans – while his opponent Ed fumbles handing out flyers and selling lemonade, sometimes for several minutes straight.

At the time she first envisioned The Golden God, Sameera was in her first year and still getting into theatre, looking at Camdram from the outside in. Having known about Footlights before applying here, she tells me (and I can relate to her here), “I thought these people were quite scary” when she first arrived. The world of The Golden God, where the presidential contest makes major headlines and is a talking point across news broadcasts, speaks to people’s initial assumptions about the group’s name recognition, but also functions as a parody of those who “think they’re the most important people in the world.”

“Part of what makes the film special is that it speaks to such a Cambridge-specific slice of life”

Sameera has several Camdram credits to her name, and is a resident Footlight, but how did she get into film? Bit by bit, she tells me. During the pandemic she won a filmmaking competition with a home video about life during Covid. A previous short film she made at Cambridge introduced her to Monteiro, whom she envisioned for the Golden God as his skillset made him a perfect fit for someone with an inflated “reputational persona”. This film is much bigger than her previous projects, having taken the best part of a year to put together. “It’s a lot more work than people can imagine,” she confides in me – the editing process especially. But due to the film’s mockumentary nature, “You can be forgiven for it not looking professional”. In other words, it’s an accessible genre of filmmaking, something she says with an eye to other budding Cambridge filmmakers.

Sameera has aspirations to write, direct and perform after Cambridge, especially in film, and we briefly discuss the idea of floating The Golden God to film competitions. Part of what makes the film special, though, is that it speaks to such a Cambridge-specific slice of life. Featuring a whopping 40 cast members (at least), many of them close friends and collaborations, “It’s a nice way to end Cambridge”. With its satirical message too, the film isn’t just a send-off but also, hopefully, a bit of a send-up of Camdram and all its fascinating idiosyncrasies.

Like its titular candidate, The Golden God has something to offer to all – those fascinated by theatre here, those desperate to see themselves on screen, those who take themselves too seriously and need to get over it. Let’s hope by watching the big picture they come to understand, well… the ‘big picture’ of Camdram.

‘The Golden God: A Short Film’ is showing on Sunday 9 March at the Howard Theatre, Downing, at 7pm, and then again on Monday 17 March at Pembroke New Cellars, at 9:30pm.