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Doctor Faustus - Amateur Productions

1896 - The Elizabethan Stage Society

directed by William Poel

Performed at St George's Hall, London on 2 and 4 July 1896

Revived at the Royal Court in October 1904 and at Terry's Theatre in December 1904

See: The Daily Telegraph 3 July 1896;

C.E. Montague, The Manchester Guardian, 8 November 1904

Robert Speaight, William Poel and the Elizabethan Revival (London, 1954), 113-9

1907 - The marlowe society, cambridge

with J. Brooke as Faustus and R. Brooke as Mephistopheles; 'opened on 11 November at ADC for two performances; made handsome £20 profit; bare scenery but suffused with the spirit of poetry' (The Marlowe Society)

1911 - The Marlowe Society, Cambridge

with Reg Pole as Mephistopheles and R. Brooke as chorus; 'opened 17 August for small audience of German students' (The Marlowe Society)

1925 - The phoenix society

Performed at the New Oxford Theatre, London, October 1925

See: James Agate, Brief Chronicles, (London: J. Cape, 1943), 135-6

1925 - haymarket theatre

Selected Scenes directed by William Poel at the Haymarket Theatre, 24 July 1925

1929 - The norwich Maddermarket Theatre

directed by Nugent Monck at the Canterbury Festival, 22, 23 and 24 August 1929

1934 - Oxford University Dramatic Society

directed by Gyles Isham in Oxford Town Hall, February 1934

1937 - The Tavistock Repertory Company

directed by Osmond Raphael at the Tavistock Little Theatre, London, 12-13 November 1937

Dr Faustus 1937   ©  The Tavistock Repertory Company

1946 - The Marlowe Society, Cambridge

Faustus and Two Gentlemen of Verona staged 'to open Guildhall at King's Lynn' (The Marlowe Society)

1951 - The Marlowe Society, Cambridge

directed by George Rylands, cast included John Barton and Peter Hall; 'Dr Faustus and Two Gentlemen on Verona were part of the Festival of Britain Celebrations' (The Marlowe Society)

1954 - Hopefield Miniature Theatre

directed by K. J. Haigh at Hopefield Miniature Theatre, 28 - 30 October 1954, with Ian McKellen in the role of Wagner

1956 - The tavistock repertory company

directed by Evan Halterman at the Tower Theatre, Canonbury, London, 6 April 1956

1957 - Oxford university dramatic society

directed by Nevill Coghill at the Oxford Playhouse, 1957

See: Frank Dibb, Plays and Players, May 1957, 32

1960 - The marlowe society, cambridge

directed by Michael Bakewell; in repertoire with Robert Greene's Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, it was performed at the Cambridge Arts Theatre, 25-26 July; at the Open-air Theatre, Avonbank Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1-6 August 1960; and at the Lyric Opera House Hammersmith, London, 23 August-3 September 1960

Ian McKellen played The Pope/Scholar/Gluttony, Derek Jacobi - Evil Angel, Trevor Nunn - Second Scholar in this production; see programme and cast.

See: Peter Carthay, Plays and Players, October 1960, 11-3

1960 - Bristol university drama society

1963 - Oxford university dramatic society

1966 - Oxford university dramatic society

directed by Nevill Coghill at the Oxford Playhouse; opened 14 February 1966

semi-professional: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor took part

Click here for reviews

1971 - Marsh College Players

performing at the National Union of Students Drama Festival at Southampton University, January 1971

See: Nicholas de Jongh, Plays and Players, February 1971, 60

1974 - Edinburgh festival fringe

1975 - Clare actors, Cambridge

at Clare College, Cambridge

opened 4 December 1975

1976 - St. peter's college, oxford

at St Peter's College, Oxford, summer 1976

1977 - Bats theatre company

directed by John Softley, at Christ's College, Cambridge

opened 21 February 1977

1977 - Leeds Arts Centre

performed December 1977

See costume designs by Malcolm Brown

Dr Faustus 1977 - Set design by  Malcolm Brown  © Leeds Arts Centre

1978 - Oxford university dramatic society

directed by Jeremy Howe, at the Oxford Playhouse, 21-25 November 1978

See: RORD [Research Opportunities in Renaissance Drama], 21 (1978), 67

1979 - Open link theatre club

directed by Ian Munday at the Edison Centre, London, 18-21 October 1979

See: The Stage, 1 November 1979

1979 - Pembroke college, cambridge

directed by Richard Spaul at Pembroke College, Cambridge, 19-24 November 1979

See: Peter Holland, RORD, 22 (1979), 78

1980 - Jesus college dramatic society and gods, cambridge

directed by Tim Cribb, Stewart Eames and Howard Erskine-Hill at Jesus College, Cambridge, 14-18 October 1980

See: Peter Holland, RORD, 23 (1980), 62-3

1980 - Maddermarket theatre, Norwich

at the Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich, 21-29 November, 1980

1981 - university college players

directed by R. Gaskin at the Oxford Playhouse, March 1981

See: Michayel Pincombe, RORD, 25 (1982), 125

1981 - Cambridge experimental theatre

Cambridge Experimental Theatre, 1981

1982 - The attic theatre company, glasgow

1982 - King edward's school

at King Edward's School, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1982

1983 - Gulbenkian studio

at the Gulbenkian Studio, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, January 1983

1984 - Cambridge university Marlowe society

directed by David Parry at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge, 6-10 March 1984; the production was based on the B text of the play with interpolation from the A text

See: Roma Gill, RDN [Renaissance Drama Newsletter], 5.2 (Summer-Autumn, 1984), 5-7

1986 - St Magnus Players

directed by Penny Aberdein and performed at the Crown Theatre, Edinburgh 11-15 August 1986

More about this production

1986 - Park Bench Theatre, Cambridge

directed by Julius Green; in repertory at the Rocborough Theatre, Edinburgh 11-19 August 1986

More about this production

1988 - The Questors Theatre Company

performed at the Questors Playhouse, Ealing - London

1991 - The Marlowe Society, Cambridge

directed by Clare Venables, 12-16 March 1991

1995 - Bare Forked Animal Theatre Company

opened on 28 July 1995 at St Augustine's Theatre, Kensington, London

2001 - The Deptford Albany

The Deptford Albany @ St Nicholas' Church, London; 4-8 July 2001

2001 - *Wadham College

at Wadham College Gardens. Oxford; 24-30 August 2001

2002 - Faustulite - Rose Theatre Company

at Rudolf Steiner House, London; 27 February - 3 March 2002

2004 - Art+Power Company and The Portway Players

performed at the Old Vic Studio, Bristol; 29 April - 1 May; reviewed in : Bristol Evening Post, 1 May 2004

2005 - King's College Drama Society

performed at ADC Theatre, Cambridge; 18-21 May 2005

2005 - Oxford University Dramatic Society

directed by Andrea Ferran at the Old Fire Station Theatre; seven performances, 11-15 October 2005

2006 - Bawd Theatre

adapted and directed by Nick Warburton; performed at The Round Church, Cambridge, 21-22 July and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (C Venue 54), 13-19 August 2006

2006 - The Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich

directed by Peter Sowerbutts, October 2006

 Dr Faustus 2006 © Maddermarket Theatre  Dr Faustus 2006 © Maddermarket Theatre  Dr Faustus 2006 © Maddermarket Theatre

Dr Faustus 2006 © Maddermarket Theatre (photos by Peter King)

2007 - Oxford University Dramatic Society

performed at the Burton Taylor Studion, Oxford Playhouse, Oxford, 6-10 March

2007 - Flintlock Theatre

adapted and directed by Vassili Christodoulou; first performed during the Student Arts Festival - University of Warwick, June 2006; Edinburgh Fringe 13-26 August 2007

See reviews