I love Christmas. One of my fondest childhood memories is going to the pantomime each year with my cousins. It was always my granny’s treat and it was so exciting, putting on my best dress and heading out to the theatre. The festive season is just around the corner now so if your thoughts are turning to booking a Christmas show, here’s a run-down of what’s going on in the city this year.
Image credit: CUADC/Footlights
27 Nov – 7 December Red Riding Hood. The annual CUADC/Footlights panto at the ADC Theatre http://www.adctheatre.com
What they say: “Join Red and her friends on an epic adventure of self discovery, brought to life by Cambridge’s finest comedic and musical talent.”
What we say: This panto is always very funny indeed with a talented cast and orchestra who give it their all every year. Book quickly as tickets are already getting scarce.
British Sign Language interpreted performance 2.30pm 22 December
Relaxed performance 11am 29 December
What they say: “An all singing, all dancing, anarchic extravaganza … perfect for anyone who loves, hates or feels ambivalent about Christmas.”
What we say: This is a family Christmas show from Figs in Wigs, a female led performance company who promise puns, bad jokes and pop culture references. We loved last year’s show from NIE, Snow White, and we’re looking forward to this.
What they say: “Ballet Central will showcase their dazzling 45 minute version of the time-honoured Nutcracker, introducing children of all ages to a new version of the iconic Tchaikovsky score.”
What we say: A shortened version of The Nutcracker is a perfect way to introduce children to ballet. These final year students from the Central School of Ballet are on the cusp of their professional careers and dance their hearts out in a really magical performance. The costumes, the music …. we were captivated by this last year. Book quickly as there aren’t many tickets left.
29 Dec – 4 Jan A Tchaikovsky Trilogy of The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet. Cambridge Corn Exchange http://www.cambridgelive.org.uk
What they say: “This acclaimed company combines classical training and technique with outstanding soloists to entertain audiences in breath-taking style.”
What we say: We didn’t catch this in Cambridge last Christmas but we have seen St Petersburg Classic Ballet perform elsewhere and they are excellent. A full length ballet to enjoy without going all the way to London!
It’s set to be another busy month here in Cambridge with so much going on from steampunk to poetry, comedy to ceilidh and everything in between! Read on for more and please do get in touch through my Contact page if you know of an event I could add in to the listing. 1st … Continue reading “What’s on in Cambridge – May”
It’s set to be another busy month here in Cambridge with so much going on from steampunk to poetry, comedy to ceilidh and everything in between! Read on for more and please do get in touch through my Contact page if you know of an event I could add in to the listing.
It’s wisteria hysteria season here in Cambridge!
1st 4 – 8pm Student Discount Event, 25% off at Tindalls Art and Graphics, King Street
2nd 8pm St Matthew Passion, J S Bach. Singers from Trinity, St. John’s and King’s. Cambridge University Bach Ensemble. Trinity College Chapel. Tickets on the door.
5th 10.30am – 4pm Cambridge Vegan Market. Food stalls, lifestyle brands, cosmetics, ethical clothing, charities and more. Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.veganmarkets.co.uk/cambridge Read more about Cambridge Vegan Market here
5th 10.30am – 11pm Steampunk in Cambridge V11: May the 5th be with you! The seventh annual Steampunk in Cambridge event. Museum of Technology, Cheddars Lane. http://www.museumoftechnology.com
6th 9am meet for 10am departure. The Reach Ride, a bike ride to the 800 year old Reach Fair. Free. Organised by Camcycle. Assemble in front of the Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.camcycle.org.uk/reachride
7th 8pm Rhapsody in Blue. Cambridge University Wind Orchestra and Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
8th 3 – 8pm Spring Student Night, Grand Arcade. Discounts, DJ, freebies, drinks. www. grandarcade.co.uk
11th 10.30am – 4pm Eat Cambridge. Annual food and drink festival celebrating Cambridgeshire’s independent food scene. Followed by two weeks of fringe events. Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.eat-cambridge.co.uk
11th 11am – 5pm Open Gardens, Christ’s Pieces Residents’ Association. 8 gardens open in Parker Street, Victoria Street, Clarendon Street, Orchard Street and New Square. In aid of Jimmy’s Homeless Project East Road and the Cambridge Children’s Charity. £10 ticket on the day for all gardens (children are free) from the Unitarian Church, Emmanuel Road. Tea provided.
11th 4pm A Spring Concert with Rolling Thunder. CSD Brass. Free, retiring collection. St Luke’s Church, Victoria Road
11th 7.30pm Symphony 3, Mahler. City of Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, St Catherine’s College Girls’ Choir and St John’s College School Senior House Chamber Choir. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
12th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
15th 8 week course Learn Improv. Improvised theatre and comedy classes for beginners. Facebook: RedCapeImprov
15th 5 – 9pm Late at the Fitzwilliam. An after hours evening at the Museum, including talks, the Long Road Sixth Form College 2019 Graduate Art Foundation Show, late night shopping, wine and tapas. Free. Fitzwilliam Museum, Trumpington Street. http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/calendar/whatson/late-fitzwilliam-2
15th 6 – 9pm Museum at Night. Explore the Museum of Zoology after hours and experience the natural world after dark. Age 18+ Free, no need to book. Museum of Zoology, Downing Street. http://www.museum.zoo.cam.ac.uk
16th David Parr House reopens. A terraced house and arts and craft movement treasure which was home to Victorian decorative artist David Parr. 186 Gwydir Street, CB1. http://www.davidparrhouse.org Read more about David Parr House here
16th 7.30pm Poetry at the Pub. Readings from two poets, open mic floor spots and books for sale. Blue Moon, Norfolk Street. http://www.cb1poetry.org.uk Read more about Poetry at the Pub here
17th 2pm and 4pm Puss In Boots. A ballet for children. 2pm is a Relaxed Performance. Northern Ballet. Cambridge Corn Exchange. http://www.cornex.co.uk
17th 6 – 9pm Drink and Draw. After hours sketching in the Cast Gallery with a glass of wine. Adults only, free, drop in. Materials provided, all abilities welcome. Museum of Classical Archeology, Sidgwick Avenue, CB3. http://www.museums.cam.ac.uk/events/drink-and-draw
17th 6.30 – 9.30pm LATE guest curator: Oscar Murillo. Creative workshops, pop up talks, music, a performance by Oscar Murillo, cocktails and refreshments. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/events/late-oscar-murillo/
18th 10am – 5pm Festival of Plants, with live music and pop up food trucks. Botanic Garden, Brookside. http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
18th 7.30pm Mass in B Minor, J S Bach. Cambridge Chorale and Academy of Ancient Music with soloists from Amici Voices. Trinity College Chapel. Tickets on the door or from http://www.cambridgechorale.org.uk
18th 7.30pm From London to Venice: Fusing Poetry and Music. Monteverdi, Grandi, Strozzi, Caccini, Ferrari and Merula. Clare Hall, Herschel Road. Tickets from Porters’ Lodge or music@clarehall.cam.ac.uk
19th 5.30pm and 7.30pm The Pelicantata, narrated by Sir Tony Robinson. Come dressed as your favourite Roald Dahl character! Cambridge Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and Chorus. Choirs from Chesterton Community College and Sawston Village College. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.cambridgephilharmonic.com
19th 6pm The Time of Gifts. Spring themed Medieval and Renaissance songs, traditional Spanish pieces with classical and contemporary works. The Lucy Cavendish Singers. Storey’s Field Centre, Eddington. http://www.lucycavendishsingers.org.uk
20 – 22nd Pint of Science. A worldwide science festival which brings researchers to your local pub to present their scientific discoveries. Various venues around the city. http://www.pintofscience.co.uk/events/cambridge
20 – 25th Cambridge Beer Festival. Cider, perry, mead and English wine also available at this CAMRA festival. Opening times vary. Jesus Green. http://www.cambridgebeerfestival.com Read more about Cambridge Beer Festival here
25th 10.30am – 4.30pm Affordable Vintage Fair. Over 30 traders selling shop quality vintage, handmade, reworked and retro with fashion, accessories and collectables from 1940s – 1990s. Guildhall, Market Square. Facebook: @JudysAffordableCambridgeVintageFair
25th 7pm until late. Ceilidh. A charity evening in aid of the World Land Trust. St. Paul’s Church, Hills Road Tickets from becky.lockyer21@gmail.com
26th 12 – 4pm Studio Sunday. Artist led workshop for families. Free, drop in. Kettle’s Yard, Castle Street. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk
26th Cambridge Fringe Festival. A community oriented comedy festival focusing on stand up and improv. Free entry to shows. Various venues around Mitcham’s Corner, CB4. Facebook: @FringeCambridge
I love this time of year. Cambridge looks more beautiful than ever with the Christmas lights twinkling as dusk falls and I still get that child-like rush of excitement in the run up to the big day. And I firmly believe that you’re never too old for a pantomime. One of my fondest childhood memories is my granny treating us to the panto each year … putting on my best dress, meeting up with my cousins, munching a choc ice in the interval.
Image credit: Claire Haigh/WeThreeClub
I’m sure the ice cream selection, if not the jokes, will be a bit more sophisticated at the two pantomimes running in the city this year. Cambridge Junction brings us Snow White, an original take on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, with magic, music and a very shiny red apple. Over at Cambridge Arts Theatre, Aladdin is a classic panto with dazzling costumes and spectacular dance routines. Both productions offer a British Sign Language interpreted performance and a Relaxed performance.
Ballet Central are bringing their adaptation of The Nutcracker to the ADC Theatre from 13 – 15 December with performances at 2.30pm, 4.30pm and 6.30pm. At 45 minutes long, it’s the perfect way to introduce children to this Christmas ballet with its iconic Tchaikovsky score. Enjoy the fantasy and sparkle as Clara’s dreams come alive and she journeys to the Kingdom of Sweets, meeting her Nutcracker Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy along the way.
The North Pole Ice Rink returns to Parker’s Piece for the festive season, with food and drinks available at the cosy undercover Alpine Bar. I hung up my skates long ago after an unfortunate ice rink incident which resulted in a very bruised coccyx but you’ll find me nursing a hot chocolate, maybe a mulled wine, as I watch my family twirl on the ice. Or perhaps I’ll sneak off to have a go on the fairground rides!
For me, it wouldn’t be Christmas without some yuletide singing. Carol services in the city include Carols at Michaelhouse at 3pm and 4pm on 15 December and a traditional Carols by Candlelight at Great St Mary’s on 23 December at 6.30pm. Possibly the most famous Christmas service of all, The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Chapel, is broadcast to millions around the world on Christmas Eve. To get your hands on a ticket, go to the College early on Christmas Eve morning with photo ID. Ticket distribution starts at 7am. Or grab a mince pie, put your feet up and tune in to BBC Radio 4 for the live transmission at 3pm.
There’s so much wonderful stuff going on in the city this month. On this listing, you’ll find carol concerts, Christmas music, ballet, pantomime, Dickens and more! Please get in touch if you know of other events that I can include here.
1 – 9th 10 – 4pm Anglian Pottery Christmas Selling Exhibition. All Saints’ Church, Jesus Lane. Free entry. http://www.anglianpotters.org.uk
1st 10.30 – 4.30pm Mill Road Winter Fair. Facebook: Mill Road Winter Fair 2018 Read more about last year’s Mill Road Winter Fair here
1st Cambridge Made Christmas Fair. St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, CB2. Facebook: Cambridge Made Christmas Fair 2018 Read more about Cambridge Made and last year’s Christmas Fair here
1st 7.30pm Christmas Oratorio, JS Bach. Clare College Choir and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com
1st 7.30pm Messiah. Handel. St John’s Voices and Cambridge Baroque Camerata. St John’s College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com
2nd 5.30pm Candlelit Service of music and readings for Advent. Great St Mary’s Church http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk
4th 7.30pm “The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance.” Cambridge ghost stories for Christmas with Robert Lloyd Parry of Nunkie Productions. Cambridge Museum of Technology, Cheddars Lane, CB5. http://www.museumoftechnology.com http://www.nunkie.co.uk
5th 5 – 8pm Rowan Winter Warmer. http://www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk Read more about Rowan, their Winter Warmer and the upcoming “Cambridge Seen” art exhibition here
7 – 8th 7.30pm A Christmas Carol. Adapted and performed by Martin Prest. The Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road, CB5. http://www.adcticketing.com
8th 3pm In Dulci Jubilo. Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble. Bach, Buxtehude and Bellis. Choral preludes, motets and carols for Advent and Christmas. St Columba’s Church, Downing Street. Free entry.
8th 7pm Messiah by candlelight. Handel. Eboracum Baroque. Great St Mary’s Church. In aid of Cancer Research. http://www.eboracumbaroque.co.uk
8th 8pm Music for Advent and Christmas. Music by Parsons, Darke and Dove and carols for audience participation. Fairhaven Singers. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.fairhavensingers.org.uk
11th 7.30pm O Holy Night. Seasonal music, festive favourites and Christmas carols. Choir of Jesus College. Jesus College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com
11th 7.45pm The Soldier by Rachel Wagstaff. A play based on the life of Rupert Brooke. In support of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester. http://www.meshtheatre.com/tickets.html
12th 5 – 8pm Fairtrade Christmas gift shopping evening. Cafe Abantu, Hobson Street. Ethical shopping with complimentary mulled wine and mince pies. Read more about Cafe Abantu here
12th 8pm A Ceremony of Carols. Seasonal music for choir and harp. Britten, Rutter, Warlock and others. Traditional carols and contemporary settings. Granta Chorale. Corpus Christi College Chapel. Raising money for Jimmy’s Night Shelter. http://www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
13 – 15th The Nutcracker. Ballet Central. Adapted 45 minute performance. ADC Theatre http://www.adctheatre.com Read more about this production of The Nutcracker here
15th 11am – 12 noon Jingle All The Way. Christmas carols, songs and fun for all the family. Cambridge Chorale. Great St Mary’s Church. Tickets from http://www.adcticketing.com or on the door.
15th 5pm Welcome All Wonders. Cantata for choir, organ and trumpet, celebrating the Christmas story. Cambridge Chorale. Great St Mary’s Church. Tickets from http://www.adcticketing.com or on the door.
15th 7.30pm Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti) and A Ceremony of Carols (Britten). New Cambridge Singers. Church of St John the Evangelist, Hills Road. http://www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
16th 3.30pm and 5.30pm Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Prime Brass with Junior Prime Brass and choirs. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com
18 – 23rd 3pm Nine Lessons and Images. A Christmas Tour of the Fitzwilliam Museum. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk (tickets at 9 Images) or email roblloydparry@hotmail.com. 50% of all ticket sales goes to Wintercomfort.
20th 6.30pm Chesterton Community Carols. Carols with brass band, refreshments and High Wired Circus performing a festive show. St Andrew’s Church, Chesterton. Free entry, collection for Wintercomfort.
February is drawing to a close and although there are signs of Spring here in Cambridge, the outdoor temperature is still extremely bracing! But there’s plenty going on in the city to get us through to the warmer Spring days, so here’s the what’s on listing for March. It’s an eclectic mix of events that come to my attention so if you know about an event that could be included, please get in touch through my Contact page. I’ll update this listing through the month, so do check back when you can.
3rd 8.15pm The Kilgour Consort. Bach Mass in B Minor. Trinity College Chapel http://www.tcms.org.uk
4th 9.30am Cambridge Half Marathon. Starting and finishing on Midsummer Common
5/12/19th 7pm Meditation and Emotional Intelligence. Michaelhouse. cambridge.cea@gmail.com
5th 7.30pm Mozart and Mendelssohn. The St Margaret’s Society of Queens’ with MagSoc Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. West Road Concert Hall magsoc.soc.srcf.net/tickets
11th 10.30am Cambridge Vegan Market. The Guildhall, Market Square. http://www.veganmarkets.co.uk and see my blog post
11th 7.30pm CU Chinese Orchestra Society 11th Anniversary Concert. West Road Concert Hall http://www.adcticketing.com
17th 5.30pm Foundation Concert. Howells and Brahms. Choir of King’s College with Cambridge University Orchestra. King’s College Chapel. shop@kings.cam.ac.uk
17th 7.30pm French Connections. Cambridge Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus. Varese, Stravinsky, Poulenc and Ravel. West Road Concert Hall. Free pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. http://www.cam-phil.org.uk
23rd 6pm Choir of Clare College. Buxtehude Membra Jesu Nostri, interspersed with readings of poetry from 1918 and extracts from Birdsong. Clare College Chapel. Tickets from Old Court Porters’ Lodge
24th 2.30pm NCT Nearly New Sale. Preloved parent and baby goods. Sports Centre, Cambridge Regional College http://www.nctcambridge.org
24th 8pm New Cambridge Singers. Scarlatti, MacMillan, Lotti, Bax and Casals. Trinity College Chapel. Tickets on the door or from http://www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk
24/25th Arts and Crafts Show. Grantchester Village Hall. Facebook: Grantchester Arts and Craft Show
26-31st Arts Fest 2018. Festival of art, performance and creativity. St Paul’s Cambridge http://www.stpaulsartsfest.org and see my blog post
New in Cambridge 