St Catharine’s is delighted that the College’s drama society, the Shirley Players, has been revived to support the dramatic aspirations of a new generation of students.
The Shirley Players share a namesake with the College’s Shirley Society, the oldest literary society in Cambridge: James Shirley (1596–1666) was a poet and playwright as well as a St Catharine’s alumnus. He went on to become the principal writer for Queen Henrietta’s Men (1625–36), John Ogilby in Dublin (1636–40) and the King’s Men (1640–42) prior to the English Civil War. He wrote nearly 40 plays before Parliament suppressed theatre in 1642 and the College Library includes a fine collection of early editions of these plays.
Programmes from student performances of Three Short Plays (1929), The Apple Cart (c. 1948), The Revenger's Tragedy (1975) and Twelve Angry Men (1959)
Previous incarnations of the Shirley Players will be remembered fondly by alumni of St Catharine’s. The College’s archives include an amazing array of programmes and photographs from productions staged over the last century either under the banner of the Shirley Society or the Shirley Players. At its peak, the Shirley Players were responsible for termly productions in Cambridge and even transfers to the Edinburgh Fridge. The most recent revival was in 2013 and lasted for several years.
The Revenger's Tragedy (1975)
The Revenger's Tragedy (1975)
Caitlin Devenport, a third-year History undergraduate and president of the Shirley Players, commented:
“We are excited for a new era of the Shirley Players. Anyone is welcome to get involved if you are interested in drama, writing, producing, directing or any other aspect of the entertainment industry. We have some exciting plans in store, including speaker events and theatre trips, so stay tuned for more!”
Events this term have already included a relaxed social in the Rushmore Room, an insightful Q&A session with Nigel Hess (1971, Music; Honorary Fellow 2016) about his career composing for film, TV and theatre, and a group trip to watch a student production of ‘Sister Act’ at the ADC Theatre in Cambridge.
