Footlights
Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England founded in 1883[1], run by the students of Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University.
The club grew in prominence in the 1960s, as a hotbed of comedy and satire, and continues to produce the regular and very popular Smokers at the ADC Theatre - an informal mixture of sketches and stand-up. Footlights also produces regular plays and sketch shows.
Famous members
The careers of many prominent figures in the world of entertainment began in Footlights — while prominent figures in other careers also took part in Footlights. They include:
| Name | Birth | Death | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Adams | Writer | ||
| Clive Anderson | Comedian, television presenter, Barrister | ||
| David Armand | Comedian, actor | ||
| Alexander Armstrong | Comedian | ||
| Pete Atkin | Singer-songwriter | ||
| Richard Ayoade | Comedian, actor, director | ||
| David Baddiel | Comedian, novelist, television presenter | ||
| Morwenna Banks | Comedian, actor | ||
| Humphrey Barclay | Comedy executive, producer | ||
| Tom Basden | Actor, writer, singer-songwriter | ||
| Cecil Beaton | Photographer | ||
| Simon Bird | Actor, Comedian | ||
| Leslie Bricusse | Lyricist, composer, playwright | ||
| Eleanor Bron | Actress, writer | ||
| Tim Brooke-Taylor | Comedy writer and performer, lawyer | ||
| Robert Buckman | Comedian, writer, physician, television presenter, columnist | ||
| Tony Buffery | Psychologist | ||
| Jon Canter | Script-writer | ||
| Graham Chapman | Comedian, actor, writer, physician | ||
| John Cleese | Comedian, actor, lawyer, writer | ||
| Olivia Colman | Comedian, actor | ||
| Peter Cook | Comedian, writer, satirist | ||
| Joe Craig | Novelist, musician | ||
| Hugh Dennis | Comedian, actor, writer, voice-over artist | ||
| Jimmy Edwards | Radio and television comedy actor | ||
| Mark Evans | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| David Frost | Television presenter | ||
| Stephen Fry | Comedian, writer, actor, novelist | ||
| Graeme Garden | Comedy writer and performer, physician, illustrator | ||
| Mel Giedroyc | Actor, writer, television presenter | ||
| Germaine Greer | Writer, broadcaster, academic | ||
| Nick Hancock | Actor, television presenter | ||
| Norman Hartnell | Fashion designer | ||
| David Hatch | Involved in management and production at the BBC | ||
| Natalie Haynes | Comedian, writer | ||
| Tony Hendra | Satirist, writer | ||
| Kit Hesketh-Harvey | Comic performer, scriptwriter | ||
| Tom Hollander | Actor | ||
| Matthew Holness | Comedian | ||
| Claude Hulbert | Comic actor | ||
| Jack Hulbert | Actor | ||
| Eric Idle | Comedian, actor, writer, songwriter | ||
| Clive James | Writer, poet, critic | ||
| Simon Jones | Actor | ||
| Jo Kendall | Actor | ||
| Tim Key | Comedian, actor, poet | ||
| Ian Lang | Former politician, British peer | ||
| Hugh Laurie | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Jonathan Lynn | Comedy writer, actor, director | ||
| Miriam Margolyes | Actor | ||
| Dan Mazer | Comedian, producer, screenwriter | ||
| Kevin McCloud | Writer, designer, television presenter | ||
| Rory McGrath | Comedian | ||
| Ben Miller | Comedian, director, actor | ||
| Jonathan Miller | Neurologist, theatre and opera director, humorist, sculptor | ||
| David Mitchell | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Lucy Montgomery | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Neil Mullarkey | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Jimmy Mulville | Comedian, comedy writer, television presenter and producer | ||
| Simon Munnery | Comedian | ||
| Richard Murdoch | Radio, film and television performer | ||
| Bill Oddie | Comedy writer and performer, composer, musician, ornithologist, television presenter | ||
| John Oliver | Comedian, comedy writer, television personality of Daily Show fame | ||
| Sue Perkins | Actress, writer, television presenter | ||
| Steve Punt | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Jan Ravens | Actor, impressionist | ||
| Griff Rhys Jones | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Blake Ritson | Actor, director, writer | ||
| Alastair Ross Goobey | Pension fund manager and corporate governance reformer | ||
| Charles Shaughnessy | Television and film actor | ||
| John Shrapnel | Actor | ||
| Julian Slade | Writer | ||
| Tony Slattery | Comedian, actor | ||
| Sarah Solemani | Writer, actress | ||
| Dan Stevens | Actor | ||
| William Sutcliffe | Novelist | ||
| Joe Thomas | Comedian, actor, writer | ||
| Emma Thompson | Comedian, actress, screenwriter | ||
| Sandi Toksvig | Comedian, writer, radio presenter | ||
| Ian Wallace | Opera singer, radio panellist | ||
| Mark Watson | Comedian, novelist | ||
| Robert Webb | Comedian, actor, writer |
Footlights President
The elected leader of Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club is known as the Footlights President. There is also a Vice President.
Past presidents have included Peter Cook, as well as The Goodies members Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden. Also included were Hugh Laurie, David Mitchell, Tony Slattery.
Monty Python member Eric Idle was the first president to allow women to join the Footlights.
The current Footlights President is Mark Fiddaman.
- List of presidents
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See also
Sources
Information about the Footlights Revues during the first one hundred years of the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club (1883–1983), and the people who appeared in them — with a foreword by Eric Idle.[2]
References
- ^ Footlights history
- ^ Hewison, Robert (1983). Footlights! — a hundred years of Cambridge comedy. Methuen London Ltd. ISBN 0-413-51150-2.