Grace Glevey in Dido, Queen of Carthage (2018); photograph by Anna Gawedzka.
Who We Are
A student-run theatre company based in Cambridge
Director-Producer team Madeleine Trépanier and Benjamin Kybett began working together in 2018. Notable past collaborations include Dido, Queen of Carthage for Downing Dramatic Society (Howard Theatre, June 2018); Northanger Abbey for The Mighty Players (Sewlyn College Chapel, November 2018; produced by Lucy Tiller, Kybett as Associate Producer); Wild Honey for Brickhouse Theatre Company (ADC Theatre, January/February 2019); and La Cenerentola for Cambridge University Opera Society (Westroad Concert Hall, February 2020).
Fireside Theatre was founded for the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe revival of Northanger Abbey. More recently, Fireside staged their five-star production of Schiller's Mary Stuart in Cambridge's historic Round Church, and this year look forward to presenting an original, all-female adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Fireside's aim is always to create bold and entertaining theatre, both in and outside Cambridge.
Jesper Eriksson and Emily Beck in Wild Honey (2019); photograph by Emily Brailsford.
Mary Stuart
The Round Church, Cambridge
21 - 23 November
by Frederich Schiller
translated by Peter Oswald
Poster design by Lucy Tiller
‘If right was honoured, you would be sprawling in the dust before me. Because I am your Queen’
Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, is rotting in prison. Charged with treason against her cousin Elizabeth, her life lies in her rival's hands. But Elizabeth, trapped amongst scheming courtiers, feels torn by the choice. To let her cousin live is to risk rebellion, to destroy her is to make her a martyr. And, as Mary once again begins to plot her escape, Elizabeth can't afford to hesitate any longer.
Friedrich Schiller’s great historical tragedy in Oswald’s epic modern translation will be brought to life in Cambridge’s historic Round Church, and accompanied by live period choral music.
Varsity - "Mary Stuart is a royal triumph [...] staging mesmerising theatre in unique settings [...] Fireside Theatre are undoubtedly a company worth noting". ★★★★★
The Cambridge Student - "I found myself unwilling to step out of the captivating world of the play [...] not be missed." ★★★★ 1/2
Northanger Abbey
Edinburgh Fringe 2019
12th - 24th August, French Institute (Venue No.168)
by Jane Austen, adapted by Madeleine Trépanier
"But when a young lady is to be a heroine, something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way."
Seventeen year old Catherine lives a quiet life in the country with only her beloved Gothic novels for excitement. That is, until she is brought to Bath, where her inexperience leaves her in awe of bustle of city life and the glamour of her new friends. But before long Catherine finds herself tiring of the gossip and games of courtship, and can't resist an invitation from the Tilney family to accompany them to their family seat, Northanger Abbey. Enchanted by the estate's Gothic grandeur, Catherine finally feels as though she has fallen into one of her favourite novels, but soon discovers the pitfalls of confusing fact and fiction.
Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is a heartwarming exploration of the delights of youth, love, and above all, a good novel. Full of Austin's distinctive humour and larger than life characters, this new and unconventional adaptation captures the wit and originality of the 19th century classic.
Varsity - "This is something completely new, something which you won’t have seen at Cambridge and probably never will again. The script has obviously been scrupulously thought-through, the acting clear and beautifully light... It is impossible not to be charmed, gripped and thrilled." ★★★★★
EdFringe Review - "An innovative production which breathes life into Austen’s classic novel " ★★★★
The Cambridge Student - "The spirit and vivacity of... Jane Austen's endearing satire of the Gothic novel, translates beautifully across to this production" ★★★★