The ADC Theatre is a theatre in Cambridge

Cambridge

The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and also a department of the University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

. It is located in Park Street, north off Jesus Lane

Jesus Lane

Jesus Lane is a historical street in central Cambridge, England. The street links with the junction of Bridge Street and Sidney Street to the west. To the east is a roundabout. To the south is King Street, running parallel with Jesus Lane and linking at the roundabout. The road continues east as...

. The theatre is owned by the Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club

Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club

Founded in 1855, the Amateur Dramatic Club is the oldest University dramatic society in England - and the largest dramatic society in Cambridge....

 (CUADC), but is currently run as the smallest department of the university, with four permanent staff. It is a producing theatre with the CUADC as its resident company.

The auditorium

Auditorium

An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...

 seats 228 audience members. The auditorium seating was replaced in summer 2008, and the rows are fairly evenly stepped from row A up to row P (with entrances at row A — step-free from the street, via a passenger lift — and row J). The theatre has a bar, which opens 45 minutes before shows, and often stays open until approximately 2am.

History

When the CUADC was formed in 1855, its performances took place in rented rooms in the Hoop Hotel on Jesus Lane

Jesus Lane

Jesus Lane is a historical street in central Cambridge, England. The street links with the junction of Bridge Street and Sidney Street to the west. To the east is a roundabout. To the south is King Street, running parallel with Jesus Lane and linking at the roundabout. The road continues east as...

. By 1882, the club members had raised sufficient funds to buy the freehold. This building was subsequently developed into the ADC Theatre over an extended period of time. In 1933, there was a disastrous fire, which gutted the building. The theatre was quickly rebuilt to a design by Harold Tomlinson

Harold Tomlinson

Harold Tomlinson was a 20th century British architect.Tomlinson was based at the University of Cambridge School of Architecture. There he supervised the Scottish architect Frank James Connell....

 and W.P. Dyson, reopening in 1935. The building was not changed again substantially until the redevelopment programme that started in 2002.

The theatre was run by the CUADC until the club ran into financial difficulties in 1974 when the University of Cambridge began to lease the premises from the CUADC and run the theatre, an arrangement that continues to this day.

Many famous actors acted in the theatre at the start of their careers, including Ian McKellen

Ian McKellen

Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...

, Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson is a British actress, comedian and screenwriter. Her first major film role was in the 1989 romantic comedy The Tall Guy. In 1992, Thompson won multiple acting awards, including an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress, for her performance in the British drama Howards End...

, and Hattie Morahan

Hattie Morahan

Harriet Jane Morahan is an award-winning English television, film, and stage actress.-Background:Hattie Morahan is the youngest daughter of television and film director Christopher Morahan and actress Anna Carteret...

 and Iain Moggach.

In 2011 the ADC Theatre took over the management of the Corpus Playroom, the theatre space of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge

Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...

Redevelopment

In 2002, a redevelopment appeal was launched to improve the building. The bar

Bar (establishment)

A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...

 had been refurbished in summer 2000, prior to the appeal being launched.

In summer 2003, the first phase of the redevelopment was undertaken. This phase resulted in no visible change to the theatre's facilities, as it consisted of necessary work to underpin the building and move services such as water and gas in preparation for the next phase.

In 2004, major modifications to the public areas of the theatre were undertaken. A new toilet block was constructed on an area that was part of the theatre's yard. A large amount of the ground floor was remodeled, resulting in an enlarged foyer and new box office

Box office

A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....

 for the public, and new management offices, clubroom, production office and backstage kitchen. The theatre's facade was also completely changed.

In summer 2005, a lift was installed to give disabled access to the bar and auditorium. In addition, a corridor was constructed to give audience access to both sides of the auditorium. A bar extension and bar roof terrace were constructed on top of the toilet block built in the previous phase. The installation of the lift meant that the previous ladder access to the lighting and sound boxes could no longer be used. The lighting and sound boxes were rebuilt to allow access to them from the lift.

The final phase, during the summer of 2008, concentrated on the backstage areas: new dressing rooms, a new set workshop, a soundproof rehearsal room, and a green room

Green room

In British English and American English show business lexicon, the green room is that space in a theatre, a studio, or a similar venue, which accommodates performers or speakers not yet required on stage...

. Offices for the Theatre's full-time staff and resources for those producing shows were rearranged and expanded. Additionally, the auditorium

Auditorium

An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...

 floor was rebuilt and new seating installed, increasing audience comfort and providing a better view of the stage from all seats.

The Theatre reopened after the final phase in October 2008 with a Gala Celebration event, at which a number of theatre alumni were present including Peter Hall and Trevor Nunn

Trevor Nunn

Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...

. Save minor work which will not affect the Theatre's annual programme, the redevelopment is complete and ensures that the ADC can continue to serve its purpose far into the 21st century.

Shows

During the term-time of Cambridge University, there are normally two shows per night: a Mainshow starting at 7:45pm and a Lateshow starting at 11pm. On Tuesdays, the late slot is normally filled by a one-night show that can range from comedy (such as Smokers produced by the Cambridge Footlights) to "fringe" drama such as original writing. This format is subject to change, and notably performances often take place in the theatre bar on Sunday evenings.

Outside term-time, the theatre often holds one show per week, and closes for periods during the Summer and to a lesser extent the Christmas and Easter holidays. These closures allow essential maintenance work to be undertaken in the theatre.

Groups that frequently use the theatre

During term-time, Cambridge University drama societies such as the CUADC and Footlights use the theatre, as well as College

Colleges of the University of Cambridge

This is a list of the colleges within the University of Cambridge. These colleges are the primary source of accommodation for undergraduates and graduates at the University and at the undergraduate level have responsibility for admitting students and organising their tuition. They also provide...

drama societies.

Outside term-time, the theatre is typically used by drama societies based in the city of Cambridge such as BAWDS and the Combined Actors of Cambridge.

External links

• ADC Theatre website
• CUADC site with information about the theatre's history