A standout Term for drama at Downing
The Lent Term has been a busy one for the Downing Dramatic Society, with a jam-packed programme at the Howard Theatre.
The first production of the term was Send in the Clowns, a concert celebrating the life and works of musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim to mark the anniversary of his 95th birthday.
Beginning with an homage to Sondheim’s leading ladies and men, a collection of ensemble numbers, trios and reimagined favourites followed, with songs from Sondheim musicals such as Sweeney Todd, Company and Into the Woods.
Following on Sondheim’s coattails was the annual Freshers’ Play – this year a production of Sharman MacDonald’s After Juliet. Directed by Zaria Jankelovitz-Gelvan, it follows on from the deaths of Shakespeare’s famous lovers as the Capulets and Montagues hold a tense truce. While set in the aftermath of Shakespeare's original, the play serves as a contemporary take on youthful anxiety, sexual tension and gender bias. It also focuses on the perennial issue of the frustrating lack of engagement between parents and children.
The final act of the term was the 2026 Festival of New Writing, a collection of one-act plays submitted by students from across the University, showcasing the very best of the writing talent Cambridge has to offer.
One play followed a doctor and student as they attempted to help a man recognise that he’s part of a cult, another presented a story of queer adolescence and relationships between mothers and daughters in 2014 Caracas.
One of the standout moments of this year’s festival was a monologue by Downing student Sapphy Welch-Dunn, who presented The Cambridge Plough Jag, a piece inspired by the ‘jags’ that were performed by farm labourers on Epiphany, centred on allegorical themes of life, death and resurrection. The unique piece received an incredibly enthusiastic response from the Festival audience.
The Festival performances were accompanied by a professional panel discussion and Q&A, with panellists this year including the former head of Channel 4 and a writer from the current hit series Young Sherlock.
Stephen Bennett, Director of Drama and Bye-Fellow, said: “DDS just seems to go from strength to strength. This year, we have an incredibly talented group of Freshers ready to take us to new heights and at 13, our (teenage!) Festival of New Writing has become the model - and standard - for similar events throughout Cambridge. Every year, more Downing students are going into the theatre and film industry. We're on a bit of a roll.”
Published 1 April 2026