FOLLIES Application Pack October 20 - 24 2026 Robinson College, Brickhouse Theatre About the Show Synopsis New York, 1971. There's a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow, the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves. Featuring the classic songs "Broadway Baby," "Losing My Mind" and "I'm Still Here" the New York Times describes Follies as "among our musical theater's very finest achievements." Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Tony-award winning musical re-opens the Robinson Brickhouse Theatre ahead of the college's 50th anniversary celebrations. With an incredibly large cast, a full orchestra and stunning design, this will mark the first Cambridge production of the musical masterpiece since 2008. This is the chance of a lifetime to get involved in an ambitious production, explore Sondheim and Goldman's web of love, loss and theatre, and be part of college theatre history. Meet the Team Hi! We're Dhyan (Director) and Joseph (Producer), a duo that you may know from recently putting on Spider's Web and Medea at the ADC Theatre, as well as sitting on the current CUADC committee. Dhyan (he/him) is a second-year English student at Robinson College. He is a writer and director, with previous writing experience at the National Theatre in London, as well as directing experience at the ADC and beyond. Joseph (he/him) is a second-year HSPS student at Downing College. Joseph has broad experience in leading technical and production roles in and out of theatre. Outside of shows at the ADC, he is driven to address global problems like climate change. We are also delighted to be joined by a production team including assistant directors Kaya and Sophia, as well as our incredible musical directors Rich and Collier! Concept, Vision and Production History To watch Follies is to stare at the present while haunted by the past; in other words, to watch Follies is a powerful and emotional summation of what it means to create art, fall in love and be alive. This is one of the great American musicals, featuring an outstanding, moving score by Sondheim and sharp dialogue by Goldman. There are several opportunities presented by performing Follies, including a very large number of brilliant roles, with an extremely large cast and a wonderful blend of figures that are comedic, tragic and somewhere in-between. I'm keen to lean into a naturalistic reading of these characters, uncovering Goldman's dark sub-texts and ever-pertinent commentary on the American Dream. Follies is a cynical, moving, all-too-real insight into what it means to love, lose, collaborate and make art. A note on the history of Follies. As Ted Chapin recalls in his excellent book Everything was Possible, Follies opened at the Winter Garden on Broadway in 1971; since then, it has enjoyed critical debate and constant reinvention, marked as one of Sondheim's greatest masterpieces and arguably one of the best works of musical theatre ever written. Most significant is Dominic Cooke's recent 2017 revival at the National Theatre, which featured Imelda Staunton and redefined the musical as a sincere - though often hilarious - exploration of show business and society. 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the musical - and almost a decade since Cooke's iconic revival. Now, this production seeks to re-introduce the musical to Cambridge, allowing audiences to experience its iconic songs, characters and stories through fresh and radical direction. About the Brickhouse Theatre Brickhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1998 as the resident student theatre group at Robinson College, Cambridge. Brickhouse enjoys two very fine spaces at Robinson College - the 240-seat indoor theatre, and the outdoor Maria Bjornson Theatre - as well as supporting shows elsewhere. In recent times, much like the Weissman Theatre in Follies, Brickhouse has fallen into a quieter period in its history. This production is set to make history, reviving Brickhouse and - for the first time ever - opening the Robinson College Auditorium up as our very own "Brickhouse Theatre." If you're not convinced by the brilliance of Follies alone, this is the chance to be involved in the biggest production in Robinson College history, making a real impact in the vibrant college theatre scene in Cambridge. ________________ Production Roles Assistant Stage Manager Follies is looking for Assistant Stage Managers! Want to learn stage management skills on an ambitious production or take a break from your first weeks back? Or simply experience an ambitious take on a Sondheim classic for free? Come help out between the 20th and 24th October! ASMs will be involved in a range of tasks including maintaining communications between the dressing rooms, backstage and tech teams, facilitating auditorium entrances and assisting in regular SM duties. Whether you're looking to build your stage management skills or simply want to be part of one of the biggest shows of the term, we'd love to hear from you. To apply, please email Joseph, jh2626@cam.ac.uk and Savaira, sas273@cam.ac.uk expressing your interest! Welfare Officer Welfare is a priority for this team, and we’re looking for someone who can take overall responsibility for monitoring and maintaining the wellbeing of our large company in a new performance space. This role is flexible, not too time-consuming and can be shaped around you - all of which makes it great for someone who is new to theatre and wants to get a foot into the door! Responsibilities * Monitoring wellbeing of company by checking into rehearsals, workshops and shows * Managing the welfare budget for the show and purchasing snacks and other welfare-related expenses * Organising social events with the core production team * Alerting the production team to welfare issues and dealing with them in an appropriate manner To apply, please email Dhyan (dr647@cam.ac.uk) and Joseph (jh2626@cam.ac.uk), answering these questions * Why would you like to be a Welfare Officer on this project? * What are the biggest challenges you anticipate on a large musical like this? * What theatre/non-theatre experience do you have related to welfare/support? Assistant Producer We’re looking for an Assistant Producer to support Follies in a manner that grows with your interests and experience. This role can be an opportunity to be trained on the job, whatever your theatre experience, while getting involved in an ambitious production in a new venue in a way that suits your availability. The role is flexible so we’d love to discuss your interests and skills - you could be involved in the technical running, the administration or even the rehearsals. Successful applicants might get involved supporting the social media and print campaigns or the operations of the theatre. Responsibilities could grow to include… * Managing show publicity * Coordinating relationships with societies, freshers and colleges * Managing and supporting rehearsals * Operations and Management of Front of House * Building supportive relationships with the creative, technical and/or dramatic teams To apply, please email Joseph (jh2626@cam.ac.uk), answering these questions * Why would you like to be Assistant Producer for this project? * What makes you excited about theatre? * What theatre/non-theatre experience do you have related to production/leadership? Intimacy Coordinator Follies involves moments of emotional and physical intimacy, especially in moments between Sally and Ben as they realise their long-held affections for each other. We are looking for an Intimacy Coordinator to ensure the comfort, safety, and well-being of our cast. This role involves attending intimacy rehearsals, collaborating closely with the actors and director, and running pre-show intimacy calls. Experience is ideal but not strictly necessary—we are happy to provide guidance and training! Responsibilities include: * Directing moments of intimacy in rehearsals * Creating and sharing intimacy consent forms with relevant actors before rehearsals * Running intimacy calls before each performance * Managing overall cast comfort and safety regarding physical intimacy To apply, please email Dhyan (dr647@cam.ac.uk) and Joseph (jh2626@cam.ac.uk) answering these questions * Why would you like to be Intimacy Coordinator for this project? * What theatre/non-theatre experience do you have related to intimacy coordination? * How will you approach intimacy coordination in the rehearsal room? Photographer/Videographer We're looking for photographers and videographers to take and edit photos or video for Follies between the 5th - 24th October! To apply please fill in the application form: https://forms.gle/SymJ4p7Dde6gWpAu6 This role can involve taking photo or video during… * Rehearsals (5th-16th October) * Set Building (4th-11th October) * First Production Photographs @ Tech Rehearsal (17th-18th October) * Second Production Photographs @ Dress Rehearsal (19th October) * Productions (20th-24th October) * Backstage (17th-24th October) …For social media promotion What are we looking for? * Someone who wants to take creative and professional photos with our cast and crew * Some experience is helpful but not required * Someone committed to participating some of the dates above * A camera can be provided Tech Roles Technical Director Follies offers new opportunities at challenges for technical directors and carpenters. You'll be responsible for scheduling and organising the designer and constructors. You'll need to work dynamically to meet the standards and requirements of the college, and coordinate with the designer, producer and set constructors to construct the set in the robinson workshop with access to the ADC workshop depending on availability. Responsibilities * Working with the set designer to create a practical design * Navigating and filling out risk assessments and paperwork * Assisting and overseeing set construction * Planning the Get-In and Get-Out and acting as a Technical Representative Questions * Why would you like to be Technical Director for this project? * What experience do you have in technical, carpentry or design work, in or out of theatre? * What uncertainties and obstacles do you anticipate with the set and get-in at Robinson and how would you mitigate these? Assistant Lighting Designer Lighting is a key feature and focus of this version of Follies, working with, rather than just complementing, the set. Experience is not required, just an eye for how lighting can be used in abstract and intriguing ways to dazzle the audience. Responsibilities include: * Assisting the Lighting Designers with the design and rig plan * Assisting with rigging, focusing and plotting the lighting during * Being the lighting operator if necessary To apply, please email Joseph, jh2626@cam.ac.uk, Ellis, eo432@cam.ac.uk, and Yusaf, yh628@cam.ac.uk, expressing your interest! Set Constructor Want to help build the Weissman Theatre? No experience needed - just passion and willingness to learn! In workshop every day this week - come for one day, or all of them! Follies is looking to add to its technical team! This production has a technically ambitious and ornate set design that we're finishing off this week! Fancy yourself in the Workshop? Want to learn some skills, or do some meditative decorating when you're not revising? You need no experience for these roles, and anyone is welcome. DATES: 4th - 11th October Come to the Robinson Workshop any day you like, and timings are flexible! https://chat.whatsapp.com/GBryxsr0vDJ9OT5k2EQR61?mode=gi_t Sound Designer To transform the Robinson Auditorium into the Weissman Theatre, we’re looking for a sound designer to work with the existing sound engineers and the director to design the soundscape and cue sound effects into a QLab file. Responsibilities * Sourcing and creating sound effects * Creating a QLab file for the DSM (or you) to run on the night To apply, please email Joseph (jh2626@cam.ac.uk) and Dhyan (dr647@cam.ac.uk) answering these questions * Why would you like to be a Sound Designer for this project? * What makes you passionate about Sound Design? * What theatre/non-theatre experience do you have related to sound/music, design or/and sound design? Front of House Roles Steward Team Follies at the Robinson Auditorium is unique in bringing the chance for students to manage front of house operations to turn Robinson College into the Brickhouse theatre this Michaelmas. This steward role has no experience required. We’re looking for a Front of House team to be trained as fire stewards, run concession stands and assist audiences as usual, with the opportunity to sell tickets at the box office. Responsibilities * Preparing the Theatre for performances * Assisting audiences as they make their way to their seats * Selling tickets on the door * Selling programmes and possibly ice cream at the concession stand * Helping with evacuation procedures as a fire steward in the unlikely event of a fire Perks * Free refreshments from concessions when confirmed * Get to watch the show for free when stewarding To apply, head to https://follies.cam/stewarding