Reviewing the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival


Cambridge Shakespeare Festival actors out and about in town.

“All the world’s a stage – but this is especially so for Cambridge in the summer. Running for eight weeks throughout July and August, the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival brings the annual opportunity to attend Shakespeare plays set in various college gardens. It also offers the singular delight of seeing the city play host to Festival actors, replete with ruffs, tights, doublets, and gowns. There is something special about seeing a Venetian nobleman jogging down Sidney Street with a croissant…”

This summer, I attended all six of the plays performed as part of the 2021 Cambridge Shakespeare Festival. This meant the opportunity to see many violent delights and rare visions.

Indeed – something I touch upon in the article I wrote about the Festival for Varsity – it was particularly fun to see off-duty actors wandering around the town centre throughout the season. Seeing a jealous lover stab his opponent one day and then visit Caffè Nero with him the next will forever amuse me. I am already looking forward to the Festival’s return in 2022.

My full review of the Festival can be found here. Many thanks to Emma H. for commissioning it.