A one-off special capturing the annual revue from the celebrated Cambridge University student comedy troupe.
This television broadcast consists of a series of sketches and musical numbers performed by the 1977 Cambridge Footlights company. The cast includes future screen and stage professionals Robert Bathurst, Martin Bergman, Paul Hudson, Nicholas Hytner, Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville, and Carrie Simcocks. They are supported by a house band featuring Peter Fincham, Dave Eastham, Andy Perrins, and Robin Mitchell. The material, written by the performers, satirises contemporary life and culture in the established revue format.
Broadcast late on a Friday night, this programme serves as a remarkable historical document, capturing an extraordinary generation of student talent on the cusp of professional careers. While the material is of its time, the special is distinguished by the subsequent success of its participants. Nicholas Hytner would become the director of the National Theatre; Jimmy Mulville co-founded the hugely successful independent production company Hat Trick; and Peter Fincham rose to become Controller of BBC One. For their part, Bathurst and McGrath established themselves as familiar faces in British television comedy and drama. The production is a simple, unadorned record of the stage show, offering a valuable snapshot of the raw talent that would significantly shape the British media landscape over the following decades.
Broadcast: BBC Two, 1 Episode, Friday, 16 December 1977
Written by: Martin Bergman, Rory McGrath, Nicholas Hytner, Jimmy Mulville, Griff Rhys Jones
Additional Material by: Charles Bott, Paul Hudson, Pete Smith
Producer: Bernard Thompson
Director: Bernard Thompson
Stage Director: Griff Rhys Jones
Main Cast: Robert Bathurst, Martin Bergman, Paul Hudson, Nicholas Hytner, Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville, Carrie Simcocks, Peter Fincham, Dave Eastham, Andy Perrins, Robin Mitchell
