Blank Canvas is a celebration of longer-form new writing works in development, platforming new and underrepresented voices in the theatre scene. With support from the Fletcher Players committee, Blank Canvas is proud to present semi-complete stagings of new works that deserve to be seen by Cambridge audiences. Blank Canvas has a different show on every night - follow Fletcher Players on social media for further announcements! Thursday 15th May Go to Hell by Elsie Hayward Friday 16th May If Walls Could Talk by Kayden Best and Christabel Okongwu Saturday 17th May Nobody! by India Cowdy

“I have been your servant, God, but now, I want your house The first time Joan was called a witch was when she was eight years old, and from that moment, she knew that the man they called the prophet wouldn’t save her. The miracles performed on Abney Farm were mere mirages to Joan as she slowly becomes disillusioned with the altar at which Beau, her father, was willing to sacrifice anyone for his destiny. This play is a Southern Gothic retelling of the tragedy of Shakespeare's Macbeth, inviting you to bear witness to man’s ruthless grasp on destiny and asking you to judge the price of liberation. Robbed of her identity and reduced to a pawn in her father’s fanatical pursuit, Joan must keep her sister and herself afloat amidst the marshes of Laurel as they unearth the bloodied bill of Beau’s past.

"And, you know what? There will come a day when you’ve holed yourself so deep into your letters that not even we’ll be able to find your way out for you!" Everyone knows Jane Austen. Ever winning the race of Britain's favourite female writers, her wit and humour and wisdom in all matters of society and romance seem to know no bounds, as charisma flows from her every word. And everyone knows a 'Jane'. Everyone has a favourite, yet-to-be-prolific, yet-to-write-anything author, constantly struggling with writer's block, mental blocks, and the eternal romantic cockblock of 'far too high standards'. And everyone knows they would never want to be 'Jane'. Faced with constant scrutiny in the polite society of 1800s Bath and the painful flashbacks to her romantic failings, Jane begins to barricade herself into her own mind, a barricade which can only be pierced by the written word. Enter Emma. Emma Watson. The heroine of Jane's latest scrawlings and now also the heroine of Jane's own life. With Emma as her increasingly constant friend, saviour, and comforter, Jane's real, past, and fictional worlds begin to blur, and the worry grows whether she will ever find her way back to the present.

Ready to be the ultimate matchmaker? A group of singles are on their way to a luxury resort where they could meet the love of their life, but their identities and romantic hopes are in your hands! Characters of your choosing will enter a high-stakes competition for romance and to be in the last couple standing! To get there, they’ll need to navigate dramatic reveals, love rivalries and all the challenges that our host can throw their way. If couples can withstand the chaos that lies ahead, then they can get through absolutely anything! Will Charles II go on a date with a vampire? Could an ancient Greek philosopher secretly be a hopeless romantic? Will a clown be forced to confront his ex? It’s in your hands!

Footlights bring you the funniest songs, sketches, monologues and stand up in an evening of non-stop, back-to-back fun-filled hilarity. The material is always original and always varied. It can be soft and silly; rude and spikey; wordy and nerdy or a little surreal - whatever the style, it's always "uproariously funny" (Varsity).

What exactly is the difference between a medieval monk and a modern-day academic? ...Shockingly, nothing. Or at least that's the conclusion Mary, a troubled new student at Cambridge University, has come to after a shockingly traumatic first few weeks of term. Raunchy, irreverent, and biblically brilliant, "Me and My Year of Casual 'Monasticism'" invites audiences to question if they really are both a madonna AND a whore.

What would you do if your best friend murdered someone? For Penelope Quadrangle, the answer is simple: hide the body. Sure, her bestie Natalie doesn’t talk much, or invite her to birthday drinks, and might be a serial killer, but without Natalie, she’d be nothing. So when Natalie brutally murders a client at their workplace, priority number one is make sure nobody ever finds out. Ever. If Penelope is one thing, it’s loyal. (And extremely well-dressed. And absolutely, definitely, not lonely.)

Step into the world of Rothko, an aging titan of modern art, as he faces the dawn of the 1960s—a new era that threatens to leave him behind. Needing support to complete a mammoth commission, he hires Ken, an eager apprentice, who enters Rothko's studio totally starstruck. As Ken is drawn deeper into Rothko’s world, admiration turns to doubt. In a clash of ideals, generations, and egos, Red explores the scorching, complex relationship between mentor and apprentice and art and the artist. Dive into this gripping, high-stakes drama about what it truly means to create—and to be remembered.

Cambridge Footlight Reese Patel has spent his whole life being told to smile more. But he doesn’t want to. So instead, he’s made it his mission to make everyone else do it. Join him for an hour of dry, deadpan stand-up as he unpacks everything from the genius of Indian toilets to the perils of overthinking. Expect unpredictable twists, absolutely no forced smiles, and jokes about life’s most awkward, absurd, and dark moments.

Cara’s supposed to be in her prime. She’s a fresh graduate with a stable job, a diet that isn’t exclusively spaghetti hoops on toast, and the kind of boyfriend your grandparents like more than you. But behind closed doors, she’s struggling to stay afloat as the chronic illness that blighted her undergrad resurfaces. As her health deteriorates again, her dad faces redundancy, and an old friend comes abruptly back into her life, Cara is confronted with harsh questions: to what extent should she allow her health to determine her identity, and how much can she allow it to impact others? Somebody / Nobody is a play about care - the intimate, often unconscious ways we give and receive it - and chronic illness. It’s also about finding light amongst darkness, whether in humour, relationships, or the occasional ultra processed food.

Martha believes in love and connection above all things because life is precious, life in finite. Unable to face losing her mother Madeline to Alzheimer’s. Martha turns to the universe for answers, grappling with what is real and what is not. Convinced by the power of signs and divine numerology her new relationship stands a 98% chance at destiny, but what about the other 2%?

"After traversing about a mile of trenches… we arrived at the entrance of a long tunnel which we entered and, proceeding almost to the other end of it, made ourselves comfortable and awaited the signal… Our guns had been silent almost all night… but at 5.30 the barrage was opened up. Even down in the tunnel, which was close to 60 feet deep, the sound was like a vast roll of thunder. We hurried out and I do not think I shall ever forget the sight which met our eyes as we reached the lip of the crater into which the tunnel ran.” - Sergeant Harold Panabaker, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Set in real time, this new play by William Lloyd tells the evocative story of three Canadian students in the First World War in the hour leading up to the monumental Battle of Vimy Ridge.

"Worms aren’t mortal, worms can’t die We can’t see but we’ll eat your eyes." Seb is changing. Into what, he’s not sure. He longs for the cold damp earth, for the latex of the gimp suit he’s been wearing to writhe by the side of roads. The locals in his small village fear him. He’s on the run. And the worm within is getting louder… "Seb Vaughn, Seb Vaughn, you’re one of us Return to the earth, you must, you must." Folk horror meets body horror meets real life weirdness in this absurd and touching new play. Loosely inspired by real events, and driven by a current of tenderness and compassion, The Shropshire Wyrm explores what it’s like to be queer in small town England. Also it's about gimps. And worms. And gimp-worms.