Not here.Simon Lock

Broadway, the West End, Cambridge. The latter may appear out of place, but hidden in between the gilded chapels and green pastures is a town brimming with struggling actors and jazz hands.

Cambridge has been a cradle for theatrical talent, nurturing the likes of Ian McKellen, Richard Ayoade and Trevor Nunn in an environment bursting with playhouses and drama societies. Yet, while being a town that embraces the fervour for theatre within it, it is unfortunately easy to narrow the scope of your vision to the realm of student theatre and become a slave to the two heavyweights of the student scene: the ADC and the Corpus Playroom. Cambridge has a bounty of venues and auditoriums staging a cacophony of productions this term, being performed by both amateur and professional actors, cast and crew. For a wider appreciation of the town’s zeal for bright lights and prop failures, book a red, soda stained, somewhat velvety seat in one of the many venues beyond Park Street and King’s Parade.

The Cambridge Junction

Housing three different performance venues by the town’s railway station, the Cambridge Junction hosts an eclectic range of live music, comedy, dance and theatre. Contemporary and urban, with a determination to provide a space for the up-and-coming, the Junction is an essential venue in Cambridge’s more established and traditional theatre scene, despite being better known by most students as a club venue for nights like Boomslang. Highly regarded for its stand-up comedy – the shows are incessant, with two usually on the calendar each week – this term will see Andy Parsons of Mock the Week fame and “professional grumpy old woman” Jenny Eclair gracing the stage. In terms of theatre, The Notebook, a tale of twin brothers during World War II, and the wonderfully titled Disco Pigs, featuring “trash TV, Disco beats, and a load of cheap booze” as two teenagers struggle between reality and fantasy, will be sure to extend the Junction’s reputation.

The Cambridge Arts Theatre

Founded in 1936 by John Maynard Keynes, the renowned economist with a penchant for the arts, this traditional theatre venue is located on the same small street as the Corpus Playroom, and yet has a capacity and style that can compete with the smaller theatres in the West End. Indeed, Michaelmas term opens with An Inspector Calls, the multi-award winning West End production directed by Oscar nominee Stephen Daldry, and is followed by further London-led plays: the Olivier-award-winning King Charles III and Bad Jews. In between is a night with David Starkey, who will discuss the Magna Carta, and The Odyssey Simon Armitage’s new foray into theatre. Of course, the conclusion of Michaelmas term brings forth the theatre’s annual pantomime, Cinderella, set to warm Cantabrigians despite the chill.

The Mumford Theatre

Anglia Ruskin’s flagship venue in the centre of the university’s campus was opened in 1970 and continues to host a range of productions by professionals as well as students and the local community. This term, the occupants of its 270 seats will be delighted by a schedule dominated by literary adaptations, including The Great Gatsby and a comedic spin on Dante, A Divine Comedy. Literary aficionados should pay heed to Moliere’s Tartuffe in early November, as well as Phoenix Rising, an original production reflecting upon the influence that drove D.H. Lawrence to pen his masterpiece, Sons & Lovers. Escape the bubble without travelling too far.