Whether it be an impressively detailed set or the innovative use of stage space, Cambridge student-theatre is uniquely rich in its breadth of performance spaces, and this year has certainly bore witness to that. Student directors and technical teams have increasingly been treating performance environments as not only the backdrop, but a part of their dramaturgy. This is evident in the rising use of unconventional spaces, such as the chapel; staging Macbeth, Hamlet and Measure for Measure, these reverent spaces are perfectly suited to tackling the ambitious themes of religion and power deep-set within these iconic Shakespearean plays. Performance spaces look set to only continue in their variety – with the advent of Easter term and (hopefully) better weather, May Week will showcase a host of different plays staged outside. One thing is for sure, this year’s Cambridge productions have certainly seen technical boundaries pushed to their limit.

“The Great Gatsby appreciated the importance of this quintessential prop”

Even the use of the stage at one of the most renowned performance spaces for student-theatre in Cambridge, the ADC, has become increasingly ambitious and technically evolving.The Great Gatsby comes to mind here, with its life-sized pool fastened to the edge of the stage. The pool is arguably one of the most iconic symbols and settings in the novel – a marker of artificial wealth and the pivotal location of Gatsby’s tragic demise – so the incoming audience might have been left wondering just how the production would pull this off. Yet, as the stage became covered in an aquamarine wash and we saw Eddie Luchmun’s Gatsby roll off into this prop pool (in what seemed like a risky stunt), it was clear that the ADC’s The Great Gatsby appreciated the importance of this quintessential prop. Also featured in Gatsby, the rising use of a live band in theatre brings with it new technical challenges and endeavours.

Some productions ensure that music greets the audience’s ears through a live recording from an offstage studio, such as in the Footlights’ 2025 pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk. In other productions, musical accompaniment has quite literally taken centre stage, as in the ADC’s most recent offering Medea, positioning the band upstage amidst the dramatic action.

“The ADC remains an unparalleled space to accommodate the elaborate creativity of student theatre”

The ADC’s stage has been frequently refashioned and moulded to suit different productions on an even larger-scale, demonstrating the brilliance of this adaptable space and the creative support of the staff. Little Women saw the introduction of a double tiered platform, which was used to support the March house structure created on stage. Symbolising a creative safe space for Jo, cascading backdrops of parchment and suspended book pages helped cultivate the play’s sphere of female literary creation. Boundaries were equally created on stage in Private Lives, recreating a swanky hotel suite with 1930s inspired checkerboard flooring. Patio door structures were rolled on stage, with a rope and two identically mirrored balcony spaces set up, all building up to the comic, inevitable reveal of Amanda and Elyot’s twinned honeymoons. Housing a wide variety of technically ambitious plays, the ADC remains an unparalleled space to accommodate the elaborate creativity of student theatre.

Even so, the ADC represents just one drop in a vast ocean of performance spaces available in Cambridge. The Corpus playroom has become a vibrant host of productions, ranging from emotive pieces such as A Breakfast of Eels, to candid comedies such as Stags and Hens. Its intimate audience proximity allows for confrontational yet poignant dramatic effect, which has been masterfully capitalised on by many directors and technical teams this year. The use of the aisle as an entrance point was well mastered by my own fresher’s play DNA, adding to the suspenseful murder narrative at the production’s core. Having a door onstage as an exit/entrance vessel can prove clumsy and problematic in the playroom, however, when executed well, it can add to the surprise and chaos of certain plays.

“Intimate audience proximity allows for confrontational yet poignant dramatic effect”

This was especially well done in Stags and Hens, with the use of the door for a toilet cubicle, concealing the drunken pursuits of characters. Pembroke New Cellars likewise proves an adaptable and intimate space, staging plays such as Ringing which was able to split the performance area into four quadrants to create the illusion of differing locations connected by the smartphone.

With technical ambition this year proving boundless, it is clear that student creativity has thrived in adapting different environments for the stage. Here’s to the next year of bold technical decisions and transformative spatial adaptation!