Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883[1] and run by the students of Cambridge University.
The club grew in prominence in the 1960s as a hotbed of comedy and satire. Having established a tradition of performing at the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the club entered the mainstream when its members formed half of Beyond the Fringe, the hugely popular stage revue which toured Britain and America in 1960. The 1963 revue then followed in the footsteps of Beyond the Fringe, appearing in Edinburgh and London's West End, before travelling to New Zealand and the United States, where it made appearances on Broadway and The Ed Sullivan Show and received a full-page review in Time Magazine. Over the next decade, Footlights and its members came to dominate British comedy, creating and starring in shows such as I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again, At Last the 1948 Show and That Was The Week That Was, forming comedy groups such as Monty Python and The Goodies, and generally fuelling the Satire boom.[2][3][4]
Footlights has since reinforced its position at the heart of British comedy. The 1981 revue won the inaugural Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, featured in Peter's Friends, a movie about a group of middle-aged friends who performed with Footlights during their student days, and spawned Fry and Laurie, the first in a long line of popular double acts formed at the club.[5]
Today, Footlights is recognised as a finishing school for many of Britain's most well-known comic entertainers. During term, Footlights produce the regular and very popular Smokers - an informal mixture of sketches and stand-up - at the ADC Theatre. The club also performs plays, pantomimes and sketch shows. Outside of term, Footlights often go on tour, performing their best new material in the West End and abroad.
For information about individual Footlights revues, see Cambridge Footlights Revue.
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The careers of many prominent figures in the world of entertainment began in Footlights — while prominent figures in other industries also took part in Footlights. They include:
Name | Birth | Death | Career |
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Douglas Adams |
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Comedy writer, known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
Clive Anderson |
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Comedian, television presenter, barrister |
David Armand |
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Comedian, actor, member of The Hollow Men |
Alexander Armstrong |
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Comedian, television presenter, half of Armstrong and Miller |
Pete Atkin |
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Singer-songwriter, radio producer, known for This Sceptred Isle |
Richard Ayoade |
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Comedian, actor, director |
James Bachman |
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Comedian, actor, writer |
David Baddiel |
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Comedian, novelist, television presenter, half of Newman and Baddiel |
Morwenna Banks |
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Comedian, actor |
Humphrey Barclay |
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Comedy executive, producer of I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again |
Sir Brian Barder |
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Diplomat, popular blogger |
Sacha Baron Cohen |
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Comedy writer and performer, a.k.a. Ali G, Borat and Brüno |
Tom Basden |
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Comedy writer and performer, singer-songwriter, member of Cowards |
Robert Bathurst |
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Actor |
Sir Cecil Beaton |
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Photographer, interior designer, stage and costume designer |
Peter Bennett-Jones |
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Television producer and agent, co-founder of Tiger Aspect and Comic Relief |
Martin Bergman |
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Producer, writer, director |
John Bird |
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Comedian, actor, satirist, member of Bremner, Bird and Fortune |
Simon Bird |
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Comedian, actor |
Timothy Birdsall |
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Cartoonist |
Christopher Booker |
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Journalist, author, founding editor of Private Eye |
Leslie Bricusse |
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Lyricist, composer, playwright, known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory |
Eleanor Bron |
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Actress, writer |
Tim Brooke-Taylor |
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Comedy writer and performer, member of The Goodies |
Gus Brown |
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Comedian, actor, half of Laurence and Gus |
Spencer Brown |
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Comedian |
Robert Buckman |
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Comedian, writer, television presenter, columnist, physician |
Tony Buffery |
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Psychologist, actor, comedian, writer, known for Twice a Fortnight |
John Cameron |
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Composer, arranger, conductor, musician |
Jon Canter |
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Comedy scriptwriter, principal writer for Lenny Henry |
Graham Chapman |
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Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python |
John Cleese |
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Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python |
Olivia Colman |
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Comedian, actor |
Peter Cook |
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Comedy writer and performer, editor of Private Eye, member of Beyond the Fringe |
Joe Craig |
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Novelist, musician, known for the Jimmy Coates series |
Thurston Dart |
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Keyboard player, conductor, musicologist |
Russell Davies |
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Journalist, broadcaster, presenter of Brain of Britain |
Hugh Dennis |
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Comedian, actor, writer, voice-over artist, half of Punt and Dennis |
Penny Dwyer |
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Comedian, actor, writer, metallurgist |
Jimmy Edwards |
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Comedy actor, writer, star of Take It From Here and Whack-O! |
Mark Evans |
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Comedian, actor, writer |
Julian Fellowes |
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Screenwriter, director, actor, novelist, known for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey |
Peter Fincham |
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Television producer and executive, Director of Television at ITV |
John Finnemore |
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Comedy writer and performer |
John Fortune |
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Comedian, actor, satirist, member of Bremner, Bird and Fortune |
Michael Frayn |
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Playwright, novelist, known for Noises Off and Copenhagen |
Robin French |
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Playwright, scriptwriter, songwriter |
Sir David Frost |
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Television presenter, interviewer, satirist, star of The Frost Report |
Stephen Fry |
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Comedian, writer, actor, novelist, half of Fry and Laurie |
Graeme Garden |
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Comedy writer and performer, illustrator, member of The Goodies |
Bamber Gascoigne |
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Television presenter, author, known for University Challenge |
Mel Giedroyc |
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Actor, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue |
Stefan Golaszewski |
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Comedian, writer, director, member of Cowards |
Matt Green |
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Comedian, writer, actor |
Germaine Greer |
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Writer, broadcaster, academic |
John Grillo |
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Actor, playwright |
Lawrence Grossmith |
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Actor |
Nick Hancock |
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Comedian, actor, television presenter, known for Room 101 |
Norman Hartnell |
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Fashion designer |
Sir David Hatch |
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Broadcasting manager, producer of Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue |
Natalie Haynes |
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Comedian, writer |
Tony Hendra |
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Satirist, writer, creator of Spitting Image |
Kit Hesketh-Harvey |
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Comedy writer and performer, half of Kit and The Widow |
Tom Hollander |
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Actor, co-creator and star of Rev. |
Matthew Holness |
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Comedian |
Alex Horne |
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Comedian |
Kenneth Horne |
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Comedian, businessman, star of Round the Horne |
Claude Hulbert |
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Comic actor |
Jack Hulbert |
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Actor |
Tristram Hunt |
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Politician, historian, broadcaster, newspaper columnist |
Sir Nicholas Hytner |
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Film and theatre producer, Director of the National Theatre |
Eric Idle |
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Comedian, actor, writer, songwriter, member of Monty Python |
Clive James |
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Writer, poet, critic |
Jonathan James-Moore |
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Comedy producer, theatre manager |
Peter Jeffrey |
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Actor |
Simon Jones |
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Actor |
Rufus Jones |
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Comedy writer and performer, member of Dutch Elm Conservatoire |
Jo Kendall |
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Actor |
Tim Key |
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Comedian, actor, poet, member of Cowards |
Paul King |
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Comedy director, known for The Mighty Boosh |
Matt Kirshen |
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Comedian |
Ian Lang |
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Politician, business executive |
Hugh Latimer |
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Actor, toymaker |
Hugh Laurie |
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Comedian, actor, writer, musician, half of Fry and Laurie |
John Lloyd |
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Comedy writer and producer, creator of Have I Got News for You and QI |
Nicholas Luard |
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Satirist, travel writer, owner of Private Eye, co-founder of The Establishment |
Jonathan Lynn |
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Comedy writer, actor, director, creator of Yes, Minister |
Miriam Margolyes |
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Actor |
Dan Mazer |
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Comedian, producer, screenwriter, known for work with Sacha Baron Cohen |
Simon McBurney |
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Actor, writer, director, founder of Complicite |
Kevin McCloud |
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Writer, designer, television presenter |
Geoffrey McGivern |
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Comedy actor |
Rory McGrath |
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Comedian, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions |
Ben Miller |
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Comedian, director, actor, half of Armstrong and Miller |
Sir Jonathan Miller |
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Theatre and opera director, humorist, sculptor, member of Beyond the Fringe |
David Mitchell |
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Comedian, actor, writer, half of Mitchell and Webb |
Nick Mohammed |
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Comedian, actor, writer |
Lucy Montgomery |
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Comedian, actor, writer |
Neil Mullarkey |
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Comedian, actor, writer, founding member of The Comedy Store Players |
Jimmy Mulville |
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Comedian, writer, television presenter, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions |
Simon Munnery |
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Comedian |
Richard Murdoch |
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Comic actor |
Jon Naismith |
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Comedy producer, creator of The Unbelievable Truth |
Henry Naylor |
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Comedy writer and performer, half of Parsons and Naylor |
David Nobbs |
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Comedy writer, creator of the Reggie Perrin series |
Sir Trevor Nunn |
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Theatre and film producer, Director of the National Theatre |
Des O'Connor |
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Television presenter, burlesque performer, musician, lyricist |
Michael O'Donnell |
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Journalist, author, broadcaster, physician |
Bill Oddie |
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Comedian, actor, musician, naturalist, television presenter, member of The Goodies |
John Oliver |
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Comedian, writer, television personality of Daily Show fame |
Andy Parsons |
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Comedian, comedy writer, half of Parsons and Naylor |
Sue Perkins |
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Comedian, actor, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue |
Steve Punt |
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Comedian, actor, writer, half of Punt and Dennis |
Jan Ravens |
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Actor, impressionist |
Griff Rhys Jones |
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Comedian, actor, writer, co-founder of Talkback, half of Alas Smith and Jones |
Blake Ritson |
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Actor, director, writer |
John-Luke Roberts |
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Comedy writer and performer, known for Spats |
William Seaward |
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Actor, director, founder of The Strolling Theatricals |
Tanya Seghatchian |
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Film producer, Head of the Development Fund at the UK Film Council |
Sir Peter Shaffer |
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Playwright, known for Equus and Amadeus |
Charles Shaughnessy |
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Actor |
Paul Shearer |
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Comedy writer and performer, known for The Fast Show |
John Shrapnel |
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Actor |
Ben Silburn |
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Comedy writer, television presenter, member of El Moustachios |
Richard Sisson |
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Pianist, composer, half of Kit and The Widow |
Julian Slade |
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Musical theatre composer, known for Salad Days |
Tony Slattery |
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Comedian, actor |
Ali Smith |
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Novelist, short story writer, journalist, known for Hotel World |
Michael Marshall Smith |
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Novelist, screenwriter, short story writer |
Gregory Snegoff |
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Voice-over artist, writer, director |
Sarah Solemani |
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Writer, actress |
Dan Stevens |
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Actor |
Richard Stilgoe |
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Songwriter, lyricist, musician |
William Sutcliffe |
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Novelist |
Jonny Sweet |
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Comedian, writer |
Edward Taylor |
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Comedy writer, radio producer, creator of The Men from the Ministry |
Joe Thomas |
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Comedian, actor, writer |
Emma Thompson |
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Comedian, actress, screenwriter |
Sandi Toksvig |
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Comedian, writer, presenter of The News Quiz |
Richard Vranch |
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Comedian, actor, musician, founding member of The Comedy Store Players |
Nicola Walker |
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Actress, known for Spooks |
Ian Wallace |
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Opera singer, actor, broadcaster |
Mark Watson |
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Comedian, novelist, radio presenter |
Robert Webb |
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Comedian, actor, writer, half of Mitchell and Webb |
Mark Wing-Davey |
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Actor, director |
Sophie Winkleman |
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Actress |
David Wolstencroft |
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Scriptwriter, creator of Spooks |
Richard Wordsworth |
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Character actor |
Maury Yeston |
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Film composer, lyricist, musicologist |
Martin Young |
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Television reporter, interviewer, co-creator of Rough Justice |
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 the following:
The current Footlights President is Phil Wang, and the current Vice President is Pierre Novellie.
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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.[6]