"Eternity was in our lips and eyes,
Bliss in our brows bent"

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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
Downing College Gardens

Antony and Cleopatra

Shakespeare’s tale of the obsessive and passionate relationship between two rulers of the ancient world is staged in the formal splendour of the Downing College. Mark Antony rules the Roman Empire with Caesar and Lepidus, yet sacrifices all to be with Cleopatra, the Queen of the Nile. When the threat of civil war in Rome drives them apart their lives are plunged into political and personal chaos leading to a breath-taking climax. Don’t miss this vibrant and electrifying production!

a gripping, challenging and worthwhile production ...an enthralling and passionate performance... an excellent production —The Stage

Finished for 2024

Antony and Cleopatra has now finished for 2024 - please join us for the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival in 2025!

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy"

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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
King's College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)

Hamlet

Hamlet returns home from University in Wittenberg to discover that his father is dead and that his mother has married his uncle (Claudius). The ghost of Hamlet’s father appears and tells Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for his death and commands him to seek revenge. Shakespeare’s masterpiece of psychological torment and self-reflection is played out in the darkly atmospheric gardens of King’s College. A dynamic, energetic, must-see production.

A beautifully-paced, thoughtful and intelligent production, with plenty of action offsetting moments of real pathos and tragedy —The Times

Finished for 2024

Hamlet has now finished for 2024 - please join us for the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival in 2025!

"Having sworn too hard-a-keeping oath,
Study to break it and not break my troth"

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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
St John's College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)

Love's Labour's Lost

The King of Navarre and his three companions swear a very public oath to study together and to renounce women for three years. Their honour is immediately put to the test by the arrival of the Princess of France and her three lovely companions. It's love at first sight for all concerned followed by the men's highly entertaining but hopeless efforts to disguise their feelings. Shakespeare’s sparkling romantic comedy is set in the wonderful Scholars’ Garden at St John’s.

Polished performances all round… lively and inspired… a production well-worth seeing! —The Times

Finished for 2024

Love's Labour's Lost has now finished for 2024 - please join us for the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival in 2025!

"Is there not a double excellency in this? I know not which pleases me better, that my husband is deceived, or Sir John"

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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
St John's College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)

The Merry Wives of Windsor

Shakespeare’s brilliantly witty farce tells of a would-be seducer, a jealous husband and two resourceful housewives in a hilarious battle of wits and wiles. Sir John Falstaff gets more than he bargained for when he simultaneously pursues two wealthy married women. Upon receiving identical copies of Falstaff’s love letter, the spirited Mistresses Ford and Page cook up a scheme of their own to teach the fat knight a lesson, with uproariously funny results. Don’t miss this sparkling production!

…a larger-than-life and hilarious take on one of Shakespeare's most beloved figures —The Times

Finished for 2024

The Merry Wives of Windsor has now finished for 2024 - please join us for the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival in 2025!

"For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground
And tell sad stories of the death of kings"

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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
Trinity College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)

Richard II

Richard II is a regal and stately monarch. He believes he is ordained by God, yet he is a weak and ineffective king - wasteful in his spending habits, unwise in his choice of counsellors, and detached from his country and its people. When he seizes the land of his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, both the commoners and the barons decide that their king has gone too far... This production reflects the play’s intense psychological struggle as well as a taut political drama.

No knee-bending to trendy revisionism, but rather a tour-de-force of Elizabethan drama —The Times

Finished for 2024

Richard II has now finished for 2024 - please join us for the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival in 2025!

"I have had a dream, past the wit of man to say what dream it was"

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Every evening (except Sunday) at 7.30pm
King’s College Gardens
(entrance via Queen's Road only)

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The beautiful gardens of King’s College Fellows’ Garden form the perfect setting for Shakespeare's delightful fairy-tale world of love, jealousy and youthful exuberance. This captivating production brings to life all the magic and humour of Shakespeare's best-loved play. Why not invite your children to come along dressed as fairies to add to what promises to be a spectacular evening!

...as hilarious as anything you would see at the RSC —The Times

Finished for 2024

A Midsummer Night's Dream has now finished for 2024 - please join us for the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival in 2025!