Our Story

Since 2000, Menagerie has been nurturing, producing and developing new plays. Over that time, we have worked with hundreds of playwrights, putting their work in front of audiences.

Always open to new forms, new ideas and new challenges, we have toured work regionally, nationally and internationally: as far away as India and California; as close by as Cambridge Junction and Storey’s Field Community Centre.

Producing new writing is always a risk. We present plays that no audience has ever seen. We rely on venues, artists and audiences willing to take that risk with us. Whether it’s a Hotbed show, a new production, a Young Writers’ Workshop play, a community project or an Ideas Stage collaboration, we are uniquely privileged to bring this work to life.

image of cambridge junction theatre exterior at night — **The Junction**

Here are just some of the highlights

See ‘Productions Archive’ for more details on each show.

2024: New commission from Martha Loader: Albatross. Launch of Hidden Voices project

2023: Toy Stories on tour

2022: Bliss in London. bloominauschwitz in Dublin.

2021: First film, Under the Weather. AND the 15th Hotbed Festival returns - live!

2020: Online, audio, video – keeping going through the pandemic

2019: Hard Sell at 6.16 Theatre, Prague

2018: Great Austerity Debate national tour

2017: Community & Public art project: Trumpington Voices

2016: Correspondence at 6:16 Theatre, Prague

2015: bloominauschwitz national tour and Best New Play Award at Brighton Festival

2014: Egusi Soup national tour

2013: Young Writers’ Workshop launched

2012: Ideas Stage launched

2011: Four for Jericho at ThinkFest in India; Let Newton Be! in Canada & USA

2010: Peacemakers on tour and Re:Design in USA

2009: Stand By Your Van at Edinburgh

2008: Winner of the Writers Guild of Great Britain ‘Encouragement of New Writing’ Award

2008: Correspondence at Edinburgh & on tour

2007: Out of Your Knowledge on tour

2006: Clare’s Walk, Syringa Tree and Frobisher’s Gold at Edinburgh or on tour.

2005: First national tour – Two into War.

2003: First national reviews for Two Into War: “Absolutely compelling theatre”

2002: First Hotbed Festival

2000-2002: First productions – Yellowboat, ‘Night Mother, The Cull, Michelle and the Landlady

1999-2002: Readings at CB2 Cafe, Cambridge.

male and female actors centre image in period clothing against dark draped background — **Two Into War**

image from inside a circular window. members of the public have placed their palms almost covering the window, one man peering in — **Stand By Your Van**

Black man stood centre stage wearing a suit his arms outstretched and mouth agape — **Egusi Soup**

white man stood on stage wearng a black suit and bowler hat in mid skip. his mouth open in speech — **The Unleashing of Leopold Bloom**