It’s summer, so that means the fab feast of Shakespeare at the colleges is just around the corner
Taking place each summer in the magical setting of Cambridge University’s beautiful college gardens, the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival offers an evening’s entertainment unlike any other. The audience are invited to bring along a picnic and relax as they take in the Bard’s works, performed by a talented cast of actors in full Elizabethan costume. Here’s what’s in store for 2016.
Act I
Coriolanus
11-30 July, Robinson College Gardens
Ancient Rome is in mutiny as an epic power struggle between the ruling class, the rioting plebeians and the embittered General Coriolanus comes to a head. Performed by an impressive cast, this depiction of class conflict, art of politics and, ultimately, the human condition remains as fascinating and relevant as ever.
Twelfth Night
11-30 July, Downing College Gardens
Twins Viola and Sebastian find themselves shipwrecked and separated, both believing the other to be dead, in this classic Shakespearian comedy set in the mythical Illyria. Expect cross-dressing, misdirected desire, wooing aplenty and one hell of a confusing love triangle.
The Tempest
11-30 July, St John’s College Gardens
A storm wreaks havoc in this, Shakespeare’s final masterpiece, where he treats audiences to a lush, magic-infused story of romance, revenge, power and adventure.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
11-30 July King’s College Gardens
In the perfect setting of King’s College’s beautiful gardens, immerse yourself in the bucolic fairytale world of Shakespeare’s best-loved play. An exuberant comedy in which four different worlds collide, it boasts witty wordplay, runaway lovers, mischievous elves and a fair bit of confusion concerning a misplaced donkey’s head…
Act II
The Comedy of Errors
1-20 August, Trinity College Gardens
Slapstick and wild mishaps abound in this farcical tale of twins, separated at birth. Fast-paced and fabulously frivolous, this was one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and remains a solid favourite for its plot twists and pun-peppered dialogue.
Henry V
1-20 August, St John’s College Gardens
“Once more unto the breach” we go with Henry V and his hardy band of brothers in Shakespeare’s historical masterpiece set during the Hundred Years’ War. Recounting the events taking place before and after Agincourt, there’s civil unrest, rabid patriotism, bloody battles and rousing speeches galore.
As You Like It
1-27 August, King’s College Gardens
For their second production in the festival, King’s idyllic gardens will host the ultimate romcom. Join Rosalind, disguised as a young squire, who’s seeking refuge in the Forest of Arden after being banished by her uncle. Instructing her secret crush Orlando in the ways to a woman’s heart, she unexpectedly acquires a new admirer in this witty romantic tale.
The Winter’s Tale
1-27 August, Robinson College Gardens
Convinced she’s pregnant with another man’s baby (her beloved’s childhood friend Polixenes, to be precise), King Leontes demands his wife abandons the infant on a desert shore. It’s assumed that the child has perished, until 16 years later when the truth is dramatically revealed. Expect a masterful study in suspicion and obsession with a few comic twists. And a bear.
All performances start at 7.30pm and tickets are £16 (£12 concessions).
