About Between the Bars
Between the Bars was formed originally to provide a means of giving new writers, directors and performers the opportunity to take on small scale, experimental or challenging theatre projects.
Productions in Cambridge and at the Edinburgh Fringe include Cubicle Four, I’ll Be Seeing You, and Missed Connections, all new plays by local writer Rachel Jarmy. Between the Bars also produced the first UK amateur performance of the award-winning musical Thrill Me, by Stephen Dolginoff, as well as the first performance of Lonely Hearts, a new chamber musical by local composer Geoff Page. Our first full length musical at the ADC Theatre was Dogfight in 2017. A sell out production of the play Blue Stockings at Corpus Playrooms followed in 2018. In October 2019, we performed the rock musical Spring Awakening and were making plans for 2020 / 2021 when the pandemic hit. We returned post-covid with a production of the musical Once at the ADC Theatre, Cambridge in April 2022.
Founding Members
Cat Nicol
Cat’s love of theatre began as a child where she was involved both onstage and backstage with many plays, musicals and pantomime’s at Theatr-Y-Werin, Aberystwyth before being accepted onto the three year Musical Theatre course at The Arts Educational Schools, London. Cat graduated from Arts Ed in 1994 and since then has played many leading roles in semi-professional and amateur musical productions.
Cat’s experience as a performer has taken her to several different venues including Cambridge Arts Theatre, Questor’s Theatre Ealing Broadway, Reading Hexagon, Buxton Opera House, Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne, Cambridge Corn Exchange and the ADC theatre, Cambridge. Some of Cat’s roles include Mrs Lovett (Sweeney Todd), Eliza (My Fair Lady), Laurie (Oklahoma!), Yum Yum (The Mikado), Rose Maybud (Ruddigore), Grizabella (Cats), Mrs Phagan (Parade), Marmy (Little Women) and the title role in the new musical ‘Lily’. Cat also played the female role in a 3 handed sketch show The History of Britain which was performed at the Corpus Playroom in Cambridge before moving to Edinburgh as part of the 2010 Fringe Festival.
In addition to performing and producing, Cat has also directed several productions for Between the Bars including the musicals ‘Once’ and ‘Dogfight’ at the ADC Theatre, new play ‘Missed Connections’ in Cambridge and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the play ‘Blue Stockings’ at Corpus Playroom Cambridge, and ‘After Life’, again at Corpus Playroom. She has also directed ‘Company’ and ‘Kipps – the new half a sixpence musical’ at the ADC Theatre Cambridge as well as ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ at the Robinson Theatre for Festival Players, and the musical ‘Carousel’ for Pied Pipers at the ADC Theatre.
Cat has also been involved with numerous productions in a technical capacity and managed the marketing for several productions performed in and around Cambridge.
Alan Hay
Alan’s diverse acting experience includes musicals, opera, drama, comedy, improv, voiceovers, film, television and radio. Recent credits include “Mountararat” in Iolanthe at the Buxton Opera House, “Malcolm” in “Happiness” at the Tabard Theatre, London, and “Muller” in the world premiere of “Ratcatcher” in Cambridge.
In addition, he has extensive experience in technical theatre, having filled a number of roles in various productions, including Stage Manager, Technical Director, Sound Design and Lighting Design.
A regular participant in the annual “Edinburgh Festival”, he has performed in and/or stage managed musicals, plays and sketch shows at a range of venues over the past 10 years.
Ian Bruno
Ian’s active involvement in theatre can be traced back to 1991 when he was asked to be stage manager for a production of Caryl Chuchill’s Cloud Nine at the Sheffield Crucible Studio. He subsequently undertook a range of technical and production roles whilst also studying for a PhD.
Soon after moving to Cambridge, Ian became involved with Cambridge Experimental Theatre (now in situ:), initially as stage manager and later as a performer in various devised pieces including promenade adaptations of Dracula and The Tempest. In more recent years, he has undertaken technical and stage management roles for a number of shows ranging from small scale presentations of new writing through to bigger budget musicals at various venues in and around Cambridge and at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
For the best part of a decade, Ian was a member of the board of trustees of The Junction – a contemporary performing arts venue in Cambridge. Ultimately he became Chair of the board and was heavily involved in taking the organisation forward following the completion of a major redevelopment in 2005.