ADC Theatre
Britain's oldest university playhouse, run almost entirely by students, on Park Street.
The ADC Theatre on Park Street, just off Jesus Lane, calls itself Britain's oldest university playhouse. It is the base of CUADC, the student club that gave the theatre its initials, and it is also a department of the University, run, in the theatre's words, almost entirely by students with no faculty involvement.
A short history
Plays have been presented on the site since 1855, when the club first hired rooms in the Hoop Inn, which stood almost exactly where the theatre is today. The members bought the freehold in 1882, and the building developed over time. A fire in 1933 gutted it; Harold Tomlinson and W. P. Dyson designed the replacement, which opened in 1935. The University has leased the theatre since 1974, with a trust owning the building on behalf of the club. A redevelopment ran from 2002 to 2008, adding a lift, a bigger foyer and new backstage areas, and the auditorium was re-roofed and re-seated in 2018. Since 2011 the ADC has also managed the Corpus Playroom.
What to expect
- The auditorium. It seats up to 228 and has an unusual safety curtain that rises from the floor.
- Shows. In university term time there is normally a main show at 7:45pm and a late show at 11pm. Outside term, expect roughly one show per week.
- Who performs. Student societies such as the Footlights and CUMTS use it in term, and city groups such as the Pied Pipers and Festival Players appear outside term.
- The bar. It opens 45 minutes before performances and is known for show-themed cocktails.
Practical notes
Book through the box office on 01223 300085. The front row is step-free from the street via a lift. The programme is on the theatre's website; the theatre also closes for maintenance in parts of the summer.
Nearby
Within a few minutes' walk
