Does the weight of the Footlights’ legacy affect our current comedians? Is there a place for women in comedy? And how do you actually become a Footlight? On a particularly windy day outside that famous revision hub, Café Nero, I delved into the crazy world of comedy with comedian Helen Brookes. With 61 CamDram credits to her name (one of the most in the entire university), Helen is one of the leading comedians at Cambridge, specialising in sketch comedy with a focus on illuminating female voices. If you’ve ever wanted to get into comedy at Cambridge, read on, and maybe you too could become a Footlight just like King Charles III…

“Picking up comedy at university can be daunting, especially when the likes of Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, and Mel Giedroyc have come before you”

Picking up comedy at university, Brookes comments, can be daunting, especially when the likes of Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, and Mel Giedroyc have come before you. Her main advice to budding comedians is to try out everything and “see what sticks” – although this may seem intimidating to an 18-year-old fresher! Many of Brookes’ favourite characters are often her wackiest and most outlandish. A particular favourite is a character called ‘Pigs’ whom she lovingly refers to as a “somewhat psychotic rom-com protagonist who loses her true love to an evil tangerine”. Quirky, individual and spirited – that seems to be the comedy which goes down well at Cambridge.

The best environment for a comedy newbie to try out their material is the ‘Footlight Smokers,’ the informal comedy cabaret evenings where anyone can audition to perform a short comedy set. When I first came to Cambridge, I was confused about what these mysterious events were – are they places where you do a stand-up set? (which, in my book, sounds frankly petrifying). Do you have to be a regular ‘Footlighter’ to perform? Helen assures me that this is not always the case. A smoker is simply a five minute performance to showcase a piece of comedy you have written – whether that be a sketch, stand up set, or anything that you think will make people laugh! At Helen’s first smoker, which she accidentally fell into as a fresher, she performed a character sketch of a psychic woman who saw spirits in the cheese aisle. It received a good reaction and she was inspired to develop her comedic writing further.

“A smoker audience is always enthusiastic and encouraging and the perfect way to dip your toes into comedy waters”

For Brookes, a smoker audience is always enthusiastic and encouraging and the perfect way to dip your toes into comedy waters. Of course, finding that initial idea can be tough, and worrying whether people will laugh can plague the mind, but Brookes says that you have to push past this and take the leap. Comedy inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere – it is “spontaneous”. The key to finding your initial ideas is being aware of your surroundings and looking out for anything that you find vaguely amusing to develop in your sketch or set.

From here, Brookes outlines that the way to being a Footlight is just to take part in as much comedy as you can, from script editing to performing in sketch shows. Becoming a member of Footlights usually happens in your final year, and in the application, you outline the amount of comedy you have done at Cambridge and perform a short audition alongside some of your previous comedy material. So, if you want to follow in the footsteps of David Mitchell, just throw yourself into the Cambridge comedy world!

“Being a woman, just living, you see so many ridiculous things happen”

A pressing question is whether women will ever truly be accepted in comedy. As highlighted by Ellie Tomsett, a media and comedy researcher, gender stereotypes greatly affect the “unconscious bias of audience members” which inhibits women’s “freedom to be funny”. Brookes acknowledges that the Cambridge theatre scene has historically been somewhat of “an all-boys club”. However, although she feels that in the wider comedy industry a “female comedian has to try much harder to get an audience to laugh than a male comedian,” this is not the case at Cambridge in 2025. I believe this is down to comedians like Helen herself. She runs female-only smokers and writers’ rooms which allow women to feel comfortable and encourages them to develop their comedic skills, creating a safe place to try out material and take those first risks. As Tomsett also comments, representation of women in comedy is key to changing the perception that “women aren’t funny”. Thus, by giving women a comedic platform, Brookes is helping to change this unfounded yet harmful perception. She believes femininity is an asset to comedy – “being a woman, just living, you see so many ridiculous things happen”. So, perhaps, all those foolish assertions of the patriarchy can actually benefit our female comedians!

It seems, therefore, that the celebrated reputation of comedy at Cambridge does not inhibit current comedians and, despite a poster of famous Footlighters hanging in our hallowed Wetherspoon’s entrance, the pressure of success does not overshadow the fun the Footlights have. Rather, as Brookes comments, it simply motivates them to strive to create the funniest things that they can, something they immensely enjoy. Helen ends by saying how comedy can “really raise you up,” so if you are feeling in two minds about stepping into the comedy world, take that leap and give it a go!