The Marlowe Society Committee, 2023-24
The Marlowe Society is run by an executive consisting of students and one Fellow. This committee is elected in Lent term, and is responsible for the artistic direction of the society – they select shows, liaise with individual productions and organise the society’s workshops. Get in touch with the co-presidents at themarlowesociety@gmail.com
Co-President - Qawiiah Bisiriyu
Jesus College, English third year
Qawiiah is thrilled to be a part of the Marlowe Society this year and delighted to oversee the committee and all their amazing projects on the horizon! She is excited about facilitating relationships with industry professionals, exploring new opportunities for people to develop their creative talent within Cambridge theatre and beyond, and finding the best ways to improve the accessibility and diversity of the society’s productions and events.
Co-President - Gina Stock
Downing College, History third year
Gina is excited to be overseeing one of the oldest and most prestigious Cambridge theatre societies. She is excited at the prospect of bridging the gap between student and professional theatre, and is also looking to increase the reach and accessibility of the Marlowe Society within the student community itself.
Secretary - Olivia Khattar
Gonville & Caius, Theology second year
Having performed in last year’s BME Shakespeare production of ‘Twelfth Night’, Olivia is thrilled to now be working on Marlowe Society’s committee and to be able to give back to a society which helped to carve out such a special, creative space and experience for her. She is so excited to be Secretary, and to help take Marlowe to some brand new corners within Cambridge theatre!
Junior Treasurer - Jude Ashcroft
Downing College, Classics third year
Jude is looking forward to involving himself in the production of some of the most exciting events in the Cambridge calendar. He is particularly interested in how the Marlowe Society might organise and fund more shows - with an emphasis on classical theatre and new writing - and would also especially like to increase opportunity for direct student involvement with the society.
Workshops Officer - Amy Riordan
Newnham College, HSPS second year
Amy is excited to be one of the Marlowe society’s workshops officers for the next year, aiming to put on events and workshops that help make Cambridge theatre a more accessible environment for those new to theatre, and offer fun ways to explore new interests or build on existing ones!
Arts Show Officer- Zach Lonberg
Hughes Hall, English second year
As Arts Show Officer, Zach is thrilled to be helming one of the biggest productions of the Cambridge calendar (and desperately hopes it's not "A Midsummer Night's Dream" again!). He's excited to be getting a taste of the professional world, and looks forward to promoting the Marlowe Society within Cambridge theatre.
BME Shakespeare Officer- Orchid Amira Balgobin
Jesus College, English third year
Orchid is looking forward to seeing how the 2023 production of BME Shakespeare will come to life. She is excited to play a part in encouraging new voices and talent to engage with theatre and hopes that this show will be an amazing opportunity to give voice to underrepresented artists. She is warmed by the ever changing makeup of Cambridge theatre and cannot wait to see what it becomes!
Marlowe Showcase Officer - Irisa Kwok
Sidney Sussex College, English second year
Irisa is excited to be part of the team taking one of the Marlowe Society's flagship events, and is looking forward to helping Cambridge's incredibly talented cohort of actors bridge the gap from amdram into the professional industry!
Arts Show Officer - Nadia Hussein
Trinity Hall, English second year
Nadia is looking forward to making the arts show a great success and meeting new people through it. She hopes that there will be more new faces joining Cambridge theatre during the arts show and is dedicated to representation.
Chair - Tim Cribb
Fellow Emiratus, Churchill College Classics
Comm/ Alumni Officer- Izzy Duffy- Cross
Murray Edwards College, History third year
Izzy is so excited to be part of the Marlowe society, and helping to make a name for it as a theatre society that goes above and beyond in the Cambridge theatre scene. Hoping to start up some old practices that the pandemic had ended as well as instituting lots of new ideas, she is looking forward to the next year.
Workshops Officer - Lucy Miller
Trinity Hall, History second year
Lucy is excited to be involved in organising workshops with the Marlowe Society to help strengthen training across the year. She is enthusiastic about the idea of being able to provide students greater opportunities and access to industry professionals through arranging interesting and varied workshops.
New Writing Rep - Theo Chen
Hughes Hall, English, second year
Theo is honoured to contribute to the Cambridge new writing scene in any way at all! He is passionate about new writing development, and is looking forward to reigniting the Marlowe writers group as the most nurturing and collaborative space for playwrights in Cambridge. He is also keen to think about responding to classical texts in unexpected and delightful ways, and working with other stakeholders to build a new writing scene Cambridge can be proud of.
Showcase Officer - Bex Goodchild
Jesus College, Education, second year
My name is Bex and I am a second year Education student. I am so excited to have this opportunity to be apart of the Marlowe society and help bring it back to life! I’m really looking forward to guiding aspiring actors into professional settings.