This is a list of former Footlights sketch comedy troupe members who have achieved notability after graduating from the University of Cambridge. The careers of many prominent figures in the world of entertainment began in Footlights, while prominent figures in other industries also took part in the troupe. They include:
Name [1] | Birth | Career |
---|---|---|
Douglas Adams | 1952 | Comedy writer, known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
Ken Cheng | 1988 | Poker player, comedian |
Ania Magliano | 1998 | Comedian, writer |
Sam Grabiner | 1994 | Writer, playwright |
Alex Mackeith | 1991 | Comedian, writer, playwright and musical comedian |
Ellen Robertson | 1992 | Actress, comedian, member of Britney comedy-duo |
Clive Anderson | 1952 | Comedian, television presenter, barrister |
David Armand | 1977 | Comedian, actor, member of The Hollow Men |
Alexander Armstrong | 1970 | Comedian, television presenter, singer, half of Armstrong and Miller |
Pete Atkin | 1945 | Singer-songwriter, radio producer, known for This Sceptred Isle |
Richard Ayoade | 1977 | Comedian, actor, director, co-creator of Garth Marenghi |
Emma Sidi | 1991 | Comedian, actress, writer |
Adrian Gray | 1993 | Comedian, writer, creator of the Forgotten History series on Youtube |
Harry Michell | 1991 | Writer, director |
Ahir Shah | 1990 | Comedian |
James Bachman | 1972 | Comedian, actor, writer |
David Baddiel | 1964 | Comedian, novelist, television presenter, half of Newman and Baddiel |
Morwenna Banks | 1961 | Comedian, actress |
Humphrey Barclay | 1941 | Comedy executive, producer of I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again |
Brian Barder | 1934 | Diplomat, popular blogger |
Tom Basden | 1981 | Comedy writer and performer, singer-songwriter, member of Cowards |
Robert Bathurst | 1957 | Actor |
Cecil Beaton | 1904 | Photographer, interior designer, stage and costume designer |
Tom Bell | 1981 | Actor, comedian, writer |
Peter Bennett-Jones | 1956 | Television producer and agent, co-founder of Tiger Aspect and Comic Relief |
Martin Bergman | 1957 | Producer, writer, director |
John Bird | 1936 | Comedian, actor, satirist, member of Bremner, Bird and Fortune |
Simon Bird | 1984 | Comedian, actor, known for The Inbetweeners |
Timothy Birdsall | 1936 | Cartoonist |
Mark Bittlestone | 1993 | Comedian |
Christopher Booker | 1937 | Journalist, author, founding editor of Private Eye |
Leslie Bricusse | 1931 | Lyricist, composer, playwright, known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory |
Eleanor Bron | 1938 | Actress, writer |
Tim Brooke-Taylor | 1940 | Comedy writer and performer, member of The Goodies |
Gus Brown | 1974 | Comedian, actor, half of Laurence and Gus |
Spencer Brown | 1978 | Comedian |
Robert Buckman | 1948 | Comedian, writer, television presenter, columnist, physician |
Tony Buffery | 1939 | Psychologist, actor, comedian, writer, known for Twice a Fortnight |
John Cameron | 1944 | Composer, arranger, conductor, musician |
Jon Canter | 1953 | Comedy scriptwriter, principal writer for Lenny Henry |
Graham Chapman | 1941 | Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python |
Charles III [2] | 1948 | King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms |
John Cleese | 1939 | Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python |
Olivia Colman | 1974 | Actress, comedian |
Peter Cook | 1937 | Comedy writer and performer, proprietor of Private Eye , member of Beyond the Fringe |
Joe Craig | 1980 | Novelist, musician, known for the Jimmy Coates series |
Russell Davies | 1946 | Journalist, broadcaster, presenter of Brain of Britain |
Hugh Dennis | 1962 | Comedian, actor, writer, satirist, voice-over artist, half of Punt and Dennis |
Penny Dwyer | 1953 | Comedian, actor, writer, metallurgist |
Jimmy Edwards | 1920 | Comedy actor, writer, star of Take It from Here and Whack-O! |
Milo Edwards | 1993 | Comedian, podcaster, writer |
Mark Evans | 1970 | Comedian, actor, writer |
Julian Fellowes | 1949 | Screenwriter, director, actor, novelist, known for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey |
Paul Fincham | 1959 | Composer |
Peter Fincham | 1956 | Television producer and executive, Director of Television at ITV |
John Finnemore | 1977 | Comedy writer and performer |
Jason Forbes | 1990 | Actor, comedian |
John Fortune | 1939 | Comedian, actor, satirist, member of Bremner, Bird and Fortune |
Michael Frayn | 1933 | Playwright, novelist, known for Noises Off and Copenhagen |
Robin French | 1978 | Playwright, scriptwriter, songwriter |
David Frost | 1939 | Television presenter, interviewer, satirist, star of The Frost Report |
Stephen Fry | 1957 | Comedian, writer, actor, novelist, half of Fry and Laurie, Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster and presenter of QI |
Graeme Garden | 1943 | Comedy writer and performer, illustrator, member of The Goodies |
Bamber Gascoigne | 1935 | Television presenter, author, known for hosting University Challenge |
Mel Giedroyc | 1968 | Actress, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue |
Stefan Golaszewski | 1980 | Comedian, writer, director, member of Cowards |
Murray Gold | 1969 | Composer for stage, film and television, known for Doctor Who |
Lizbeth Goodman | 1964 | Chair of Creative Technology Innovation/Full Professor/Director SMARTlab/author, broadcaster-television & virtual reality |
Matt Green | 1979 | Comedian, writer, actor |
Germaine Greer | 1939 | Writer, broadcaster, academic |
John Grillo | 1942 | Actor, playwright |
Lawrence Grossmith | 1877 | Actor |
Nick Hancock | 1962 | Comedian, actor, television presenter, known for Room 101 |
Norman Hartnell | 1901 | Fashion designer |
David Hatch | 1939 | Broadcasting manager, producer of Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue |
Natalie Haynes | 1974 | Comedian, writer |
Archie Henderson | 1994 | Comedian, musician [3] known as Jazz Emu |
Tony Hendra | 1941 | Satirist, writer, creator of Spitting Image |
Kit Hesketh-Harvey | 1957 | Comedy writer and performer, half of Kit and The Widow |
Tom Hollander | 1967 | Actor, co-creator and star of Rev. |
Matthew Holness | 1975 | Comedian, co-creator of Garth Marenghi |
Alex Horne | 1978 | Comedian, creator and co-host of Taskmaster |
Kenneth Horne | 1907 | Comedian, businessman, star of Round the Horne |
Claude Hulbert | 1900 | Comic actor |
Jack Hulbert | 1892 | Actor |
Tristram Hunt | 1974 | Politician, historian, broadcaster, newspaper columnist |
Nicholas Hytner | 1956 | Film and theatre producer, Director of the National Theatre |
Eric Idle | 1943 | Comedian, actor, writer, songwriter, member of Monty Python |
Clive James | 1939 | Writer, poet, critic |
Jonathan James-Moore | 1946 | Comedy producer, theatre manager |
Peter Jeffrey | 1929 | Actor |
Rufus Jones | 1976 | Comedy writer and performer, member of Dutch Elm Conservatoire |
Simon Jones | 1950 | Actor |
Jo Kendall | 1938 | Actress |
Tim Key | 1976 | Comedian, actor, poet, member of Cowards |
Paul King | 1978 | Comedy director, known for The Mighty Boosh |
Matt Kirshen | 1980 | Comedian |
Ian Lang | 1940 | Politician, business executive |
Hugh Latimer | 1913 | Actor, toymaker |
Hugh Laurie | 1959 | Comedian, actor, writer, musician, half of Fry and Laurie, Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster and star of House |
John Lloyd | 1951 | Comedy producer and writer, creator of Have I Got News for You and QI |
Nicholas Luard | 1937 | Satirist, travel writer, owner of Private Eye , co-founder of The Establishment |
Jonathan Lynn | 1943 | Comedy writer, actor, director, creator of Yes Minister |
Miriam Margolyes | 1941 | Actress |
Christopher Martin-Jenkins | 1945 | Cricket broadcaster and writer |
Daniel Massey | 1933 | Actor, singer |
Dan Mazer | 1971 | Comedian, producer, screenwriter, known for work with Sacha Baron Cohen |
Simon McBurney | 1957 | Actor, writer, director, founder of Complicité |
Kevin McCloud | 1958 | Writer, designer, television presenter |
Geoffrey McGivern | 1952 | Comedy actor |
Rory McGrath | 1956 | Comedian, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions |
Ben Miller | 1966 | Comedian, director, actor, half of Armstrong and Miller |
Jonathan Miller | 1934 | Theatre and opera director, humorist, sculptor, member of Beyond the Fringe |
David Mitchell | 1974 | Comedian, actor, writer, half of Mitchell and Webb |
Nick Mohammed | 1980 | Comedian, actor, writer |
Lucy Montgomery | 1975 | Comedian, actress, writer |
Neil Mullarkey | 1961 | Comedian, actor, writer, founding member of The Comedy Store Players |
Jimmy Mulville | 1955 | Comedian, writer, television presenter, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions |
Simon Munnery | 1967 | Comedian |
Richard Murdoch | 1907 | Comic actor |
Jon Naismith | 1965 | Comedy producer, creator of The Unbelievable Truth , producer of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue |
Henry Naylor | 1968 | Comedy writer and performer, half of Parsons and Naylor |
David Nobbs | 1935 | Comedy writer, creator of the Reggie Perrin series |
Pierre Novellie | 1991 | Comedian, actor, writer |
Trevor Nunn | 1940 | Theatre and film producer, Director of the National Theatre |
Des O'Connor | 1972 | Television presenter, burlesque performer, musician, lyricist |
Bill Oddie | 1941 | Comedian, actor, musician, naturalist, television presenter, member of The Goodies |
Michael O'Donnell | 1928 | Journalist, author, broadcaster, physician |
John Oliver | 1977 | Comedian, host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, former correspondent of The Daily Show |
Richard Osman | 1970 | Producer, Creative Director of Endemol UK, co-presenter of Pointless , writer |
Andy Parsons | 1967 | Comedian, comedy writer, half of Parsons and Naylor |
Sue Perkins | 1969 | Comedian, actress, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue |
Steve Punt | 1962 | Comedian, actor, writer, half of Punt and Dennis |
Jan Ravens | 1958 | Actress, impressionist |
Griff Rhys Jones | 1953 | Comedian, actor, writer, co-founder of Talkback, half of Alas Smith and Jones |
Blake Ritson | 1980 | Actor, director, writer |
John-Luke Roberts | 1985 | Comedy writer and performer, known for Spats |
Salman Rushdie [4] | 1947 | Booker Prize-winning novelist |
Tanya Seghatchian | 1968 | Film producer, former Head of the Development Fund at the UK Film Council and British Film Institute |
Peter Shaffer | 1926 | Playwright, known for Equus and Amadeus |
Will Sharpe | 1986 | Actor, director, writer, known for The White Lotus |
Charles Shaughnessy | 1955 | Actor |
John Shrapnel | 1942 | Actor |
Richard Sisson | 1957 | Pianist, composer, half of Kit and The Widow |
Julian Slade | 1930 | Musical theatre composer, known for Salad Days |
Tony Slattery | 1959 | Comedian, actor |
Ali Smith | 1962 | Novelist, short story writer, journalist, known for Hotel World |
Michael Marshall Smith | 1965 | Novelist, screenwriter, short story writer |
Gregory Snegoff | 1955 | Voice-over artist, writer, director |
Sarah Solemani | 1982 | Writer, actress |
Dan Stevens | 1982 | Actor |
Richard Stilgoe | 1943 | Songwriter, lyricist, musician |
William Sutcliffe | 1971 | Novelist |
Jonny Sweet | 1985 | Comedian, writer |
Edward Taylor | 1931 | Comedy writer, radio producer, creator of The Men from the Ministry |
Joe Thomas | 1983 | Comedian, actor, writer, known for The Inbetweeners |
Emma Thompson | 1959 | Comedian, actress, screenwriter |
Sandi Toksvig | 1958 | Comedian, writer, former presenter of The News Quiz , presenter of QI |
Peter Tranchell | 1922 | composer, Precentor of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and Lecturer in Music, University of Cambridge |
David Tyler | 1961 | TV and radio producer (aka David Meek) |
Richard Vranch | 1959 | Comedian, actor, musician, founding member of The Comedy Store Players |
Nicola Walker | 1970 | Actress, known for Spooks and Unforgotten |
Ian Wallace | 1919 | Opera singer, actor, broadcaster |
Mark Watson | 1980 | Comedian, novelist, radio presenter |
Phil Wang | 1990 | Comedian |
Robert Webb | 1972 | Comedian, actor, writer, half of Mitchell and Webb |
Ed Weeks | 1980 | Comedian, actor, writer |
Liam Williams | 1988 | Comedian, actor, writer, director |
Christopher Winchester | 1972 | Actor, writer, musical comedian |
Mark Wing-Davey | 1948 | Actor, director |
Sophie Winkleman | 1980 | Actress |
David Wolstencroft | 1969 | Scriptwriter, creator of Spooks |
Richard Wordsworth | 1915 | Character actor |
Maury Yeston | 1945 | Broadway and Film Composer/lyricist, musicologist, known for Nine , Titanic , Grand Hotel |
Martin Young | 1947 | Television reporter, interviewer, co-creator of Rough Justice |
Clive Stuart Anderson is an English television and radio presenter, comedian, writer, and former barrister. Winner of a British Comedy Award in 1991, Anderson began experimenting with comedy and writing comedic scripts during his 15-year legal career, before becoming host of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, initially a radio show on BBC Radio 4 in 1988, before moving to television on Channel 4 from 1988 to 1999. He was also host of his own chat show Clive Anderson Talks Back, which changed its name to Clive Anderson All Talk in 1996, from 1989 to 1999. He has also hosted many radio programmes, and made guest appearances on Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week and QI.
The Cambridge Footlights, commonly referred to simply as Footlights, is a student sketch comedy troupe located in Cambridge, England. Footlights was founded in 1883, and is one of Britain's oldest student sketch comedy troupes. The comedy society is run by the students of Cambridge University.
The Cambridge Union Society, also known as the Cambridge Union, is a historic debating and free speech society in Cambridge, England, and the largest society in the University of Cambridge. The society was founded in 1815 making it the oldest continuously running debating society in the world. Additionally, the Cambridge Union has served as a model for the foundation of similar societies at several other prominent universities, including the Oxford Union and the Yale Political Union. The Union is a private society with membership open to all students of Cambridge University and Anglia Ruskin University. The Cambridge Union is a registered charity and is completely separate from the Cambridge University Students' Union.
Punt and Dennis are a comedy double act consisting of Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The duo first met at the Footlights while studying at Cambridge University in the early 1980s. Initially they were an amateur double act performing at various venues in London on the weekends due to Dennis' weekday job commitments. They have branched into acting and screenwriting.
Stephen Mark Punt is a British comedy writer, comedian and actor. Along with Hugh Dennis, he is part of the double act Punt and Dennis and was presenter of BBC Radio 4 satirical news programme The Now Show. He is also a writer and programme associate for various television panel game shows, including Would I Lie to You? and Mock the Week, and is a writer for fellow comedians such as Rory Bremner and Jasper Carrott.
Ali Smith CBE FRSL is a Scottish author, playwright, academic and journalist. Sebastian Barry described her in 2016 as "Scotland's Nobel laureate-in-waiting".
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Tim Key is an English poet, comedian, actor and screenwriter. He has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, both as a solo act and as part of the comedy group Cowards, and plays Alan Partridge's sidekick Simon in film and television. In 2009, he won the Edinburgh Comedy Award and was nominated for the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality.
Tanya Seghatchian is a British-Armenian film producer.
The Oxford Revue is a comedy group primarily featuring students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, England. Beginning in 1953, The Oxford Revue has produced many prominent comedians, actors and satirists - as is the case with their Cambridge University counterparts, the Footlights. The Revue writes, produces and performs several shows each term in the pubs and theatres around Oxford, as well as touring to cities in the United Kingdom and performing a month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year.
Thomas William Basden is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for co-creating and starring in Plebs, which won the Royal Television Society award for Best Scripted Comedy in 2014. He was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2007 Edinburgh Comedy Awards and is a member of the sketch group Cowards.
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Joseph Owen Thomas is an English actor and comedian. He played Simon Cooper in the E4 sitcom The Inbetweeners (2008–2010) and its two film adaptations, The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) and The Inbetweeners 2 (2014).
Anthony Walter Harold Buffery was a British actor, comedian, and writer who also had a career in academic psychology.
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Edward Charles Egerton Weeks is an English actor. He is best known for starring as Dr. Jeremy Reed in the Fox/Hulu comedy series The Mindy Project (2012–2017). He also starred as Colin in the Fox comedy series LA to Vegas (2018).
Philip Nathaniel Wang Sin Goi is a British-Malaysian stand-up comedian and comedy writer who is a member of the sketch comedy group Daphne, and co-creator of their BBC Radio 4 series, Daphne Sounds Expensive. He currently hosts the comedy podcast ‘BudPod’ with fellow comedian and Footlights alumnus Pierre Novellie.
Rosa Grace Robson is an English actress and comedian. On television, she is known for her role in the ITV2 sitcom Buffering (2021–23). Her films include She Is Love (2022).