Student Writing

There are many opportunities to produce your own writing in Cambridge, with many Corpus shows, both mains and lates, being student written. In Lent 2022, there were 27 student written shows, from comedies and satires to dramas and musicals.

New writing is often programmed in the Corpus or the Larkum Studio, though there have been some fantastic ADC Late Shows too. Whilst there isn't any rule against student writing in a Mainshow slot, they tend to give it to more established shows. There are also opportunities to stage new writing outside of the ADC, including Downing's Howard Theatre, Queens' Fitzpatrick Theatre, and Robinson's Brickhouse Theatre and outdoor Auditorium.

There is also the opportunity for development of writing, with rehearsed read-throughs staged a couple of times a term. This is an opportunity for writing to be put in front of an audience for the first time and gather feedback.

There are a number of writing competitions throughout the year, including the Marlowe Other Prize, and the Harry Porter Prize for comedic writing. There are also a number of showcases for shortform new writing, such as the Downing Festival of New Writing, the Marlowe Hatch Night, and the Fletcher Players' Smörgåsbord.

The Marlowe society also run a weekly writers group for writers to discuss their work, workshop it and develop it further - a number of successful shows have been born out of this group.

There are also opportunities to take your writing to the Edinburgh Fringe, with CUADC and CUMTS both funding at least one new show to go up a year. Some students also self- or crowd-fund to stage a show in Edinburgh. Recently, there has also been an increase in shows going to other festivals, such as the Camden Fringe, the National Student Drama Festival, and some student shows have gone on to do runs in London, however these are largely self funded rather than being supported by any theatre society.