The Tempest
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on,
and our little life is rounded with a sleep"
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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
Downing College Gardens
Magic, romance and a deserted island form the setting for Shakespeare’s final masterpiece – a balance between the desire for revenge and the demands of love captures the essence of the human condition with its compelling and timeless themes. Marooned with his daughter, Miranda, Prospero has perfected his magic. He learns that his old enemies are sailing near the island and raises a tempest which brings them within his grasp. Through an enchanted tale of humour, romance and adventure, The Tempest is ultimately a story of redemption and forgiveness.
a gripping, challenging and worthwhile production ...an enthralling and passionate performance... an excellent production
Much Ado About Nothing
"If it prove so, then loving goes by haps;
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps"
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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
St John’s College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)
This sharp and witty battle of the sexes, set in the stunning gardens of St John’s College, tells of the effervescent Beatrice – determined never to marry – and the confirmed bachelor, Benedick, and the efforts of their friends to bring them together in the most unlikely of unions. Will there be a happy ending, or will the dastardly Don John ruin all their plans? Don’t miss this scintillating production.
…breathtaking energy and talent... the CSF keep the comedy spinning like a top
Romeo and Juliet
"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet"
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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
St John's College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)
The tragic courtship of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers is played out once more in the exquisite setting of St John’s College Scholar’s Garden. Romeo and Juliet are caught between two worlds, as their families feud to the death. This spectacular and fast-paced production brings together the romance, passion and violence of the hot streets of Verona. Don’t leave Cambridge without seeing this dazzling production!
… a captivating and thoroughly entertaining production, sprinkled with stardust thanks to the hugely impressive cast
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
"I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was"
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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
Trinity College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)
The beautiful setting of Trinity College Fellows’ Garden forms the perfect setting for Shakespeare's delightful fairy-tale world of love, jealousy and youthful exuberance. This captivating production brings to life all the magic and humour of Shakespeare's best-loved play. Why not invite your children to come along dressed as fairies to add to what promises to be a spectacular evening!
...as hilarious as anything you would see at the RSC
The Merchant of Venice
"If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?"
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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
Downing College Gardens
In sixteenth-century Venice, Antonio borrows money from Shylock, the Jewish moneylender whom he has publicly humiliated in the past. The loan is to be paid when Antonio’s ships return to the city. But if they should fail, and the money cannot be repaid, then Antonio shall pay a terrible price. In some of his most highly-charged scenes, Shakespeare dramatizes the competing claims of tolerance and intolerance, justice and mercy, whilst in the character of Shylock created the most memorable and tormented of outsiders in all theatre.
No knee-bending to trendy revisionism, but rather a tour-de-force of Elizabethan drama