Following an 18-month stage hiatus, Cambridge Footlights have once again flung themselves back into a jam-packed season of shows. We caught up with a few members to get the lowdown
As one of the country’s most renowned comedy troupes, Cambridge Footlights are a busy bunch. Along with international tours and a much-anticipated Christmas show, the Footlights’ classic Smokers are back in town this season, so you can get a taste of new material – much of which was concocted during lockdowns. “It’s been so long since we’ve been able to do proper comedy in front of real-life audiences that we’re all just itching to get back to regular stage time,” says performer Isaac Kean.
“Smokers are a staple in the Footlights calendar, and it’s so exciting to have them back in person again,” adds member Maria Pointer. “The Corpus Playroom in particular is a really fun venue – it’s such a unique space, which works especially well for sketch and stand-up material.”
“I’m currently sitting on a big backlog of untested jokes and routines, so one of those might see the light of day!” Andy Bucks affirms. “I’ll run them past my long-suffering housemates first, to see if they’re worth unleashing on the public…”
Despite not having access to stage space, the troupe kept up appearances through online shows – a move which proved more appealing to some members than others. Ultimately, though, it led to an unexpected period of growth.
“The pandemic forced me to try my hand at different things,” Andy continues. “After a period of resistance, I actually grew to like online gigs! One of my favourites regularly attracted acts from the US, UK, Canada, Italy, Israel…there was even a guy who would log in from Malaysia at 7am local time, and perform while eating breakfast. It was a great opportunity to try and write jokes for a much more diverse audience than usual.”
Creativity comes when you love what you do
“I really enjoyed the process,” says Robbie Boyd. “For me, the opportunity to create filmed comedy allowed for an entirely new and more broad approach. While I love big stage performances with a live audience, you aren’t able to introduce nuance and subtle moments in the same manner. Having had to learn by trial and error online, I now feel more comfortable trying new acting and production techniques in my performances, rather than sticking to what I know.”
“I gave stand-up a go for the first time during the pandemic, on a Zoom open-mic of all places!” adds Maria. “But I found something new I loved, and came back with things I wouldn’t have learned if the comedy scene had carried on as normal.”
As for highlights from the upcoming season, there’s quite frankly not enough space on this page to list them. “For me, it’s the Footlights Harry Porter Prize-winner, Salmonella, which I wrote and am directing this term,” Maria enthuses. “It’s so fantastic transferred from page to stage, and I can’t wait for audiences to see it.”
Robbie adds, “I’m trying my hand at directing for the first time, for the upcoming sketch show A Comprehensive Understanding, from 10 to 13 November. It is aiming to widen participation in Cambridge theatre; all the cast, production team and backstage crew are from disadvantaged backgrounds. I would urge people to come and watch the show, as a hilarious, but important step forward for the Cambridge world of comedy.”
“Creativity comes when you love what you do. So, when that gets taken away, you have to find new outlets,” Isaac concludes. “For me, that has been writing with friends. And we can’t wait to finally show what we’ve come up with.”
Catch the next Footlights Smoker at the ADC Theatre on 9 November, and look out for this year’s panto, Rapunzel, opening on 24 November at the same venue. adctheatre.com
