ADC in porn play shocker (February 1988)

"Climax" cut from dirty "Duchess" play

Headline news in 1988: a film created to be screened as part of the European Theatre Group’s (the ETG, now a family friendly Shakespeare touring group) production of The Duchess of Malfi was met with calls for censorship. Featuring a naked male, the Trading Standards Department stated that in order for the film’s certification to be reduced from an ‘18’ to a ‘15’, the actor’s penis would have to be removed, a demand that the Executive Committee of the ADC agreed with, fearful that the certificate would result in a loss of school parties attending the production to revise their A-level set text, and most importantly, a loss of revenue.

The ADC, at this point in time, was battling strong currents in regards to its financial situation, and had been struggling against them for the past decade: in November 1974, Varsity ran an article headlined “Theatre of the Insolvent”, and in January 1983, “Dramatic Changes”, the front page story, detailed the political and financial disturbances of the ailing theatre after three members of its management resigned, a staff member was bribed to resign, and a seven to ten per cent drop in takings was recorded.

Both the ADC and the university authorities received complaints from the student body for mismanagement and for “putting financial consideration above artistic ones”. A compromise was reached, however, with two stagings of the production specifically for A-level students with an edited, ‘15’ rated version of the film. Nicholas McLaughlin, then manager of the ADC theatre, commented: “It’s a bit of a shame that there’s been this much fuss over what does amount to about two seconds’ worth of film that in the end the audience aren’t going to be able to see very clearly anyway.” An anti-climax indeed.

Knock them at the ADC (June 1962)

A Varsity writer dispenses advice to Cambridge’s hopeful thespians on climbing the ADC career ladder:

1. Be Patient (“this is more important than talent and good looks put together”)
2. If you don’t receive a part, you will become a member of “the lower depths”, one of those who offers to stick up the posters despite the rejection: “If a production doesn’t want you, then it’s not worthy of you.”
3. Don’t get in with the wrong group of thespians: “Politics in the ADC are as widespread as and rather dirtier than the Union’s.” 
4. Get in with the right people: “One now-eminent Cambridge producer made it his practice, in his early days, to spend at least half-an-hour each day in the ADC clubroom, getting to know Them. He is now one of Them.”

BATS actress on fire (February 1953) 

During the last performance of Quiet in the Next Kingdom, actress Pamela Walker’s dress caught fire due to the “flashes” heralding the entrance of the wicked fairy. “Excuse me, I’m burning,” she calmly told the audience before she left; an audience member later remarked to Varsity that “she behaved as though catching fire was just something that happened to her everyday”. As an apology, the electrician who coordinated the “flashes” sent her a bowl of hyacinths. Who could possibly stay mad at him?