This is a list of former Footlights sketch comedy troupe members who have achieved notability after graduating from the University of Cambridge. The careers of many prominent figures in the world of entertainment began in Footlights, while prominent figures in other industries also took part in the troupe. They include:
| Name | Birth | Career |
|---|---|---|
| Douglas Adams | 1952 | Comedy writer, known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy |
| Ken Cheng | 1988 | Poker player, comedian |
| Ania Magliano | 1998 | Comedian, writer |
| Sam Grabiner | 1994 | Writer, playwright |
| Alex Mackeith | 1991 | Comedian, writer, playwright and musical comedian |
| Ellen Robertson | 1992 | Actress, comedian, member of Britney comedy-duo |
| Clive Anderson | 1952 | Comedian, television presenter, barrister |
| David Armand | 1977 | Comedian, actor, member of The Hollow Men |
| Alexander Armstrong | 1970 | Comedian, television presenter, singer, half of Armstrong and Miller |
| Pete Atkin | 1945 | Singer-songwriter, radio producer, known for This Sceptred Isle |
| Richard Ayoade | 1977 | Comedian, actor, director, co-creator of Garth Marenghi |
| Emma Sidi | 1991 | Comedian, actress, writer |
| Adrian Gray | 1993 | Comedian, writer, creator of the Forgotten History series on Youtube |
| Harry Michell | 1991 | Writer, director |
| Ahir Shah | 1990 | Comedian |
| James Bachman | 1972 | Comedian, actor, writer |
| David Baddiel | 1964 | Comedian, novelist, television presenter, half of Newman and Baddiel |
| Morwenna Banks | 1961 | Comedian, actress |
| Humphrey Barclay | 1941 | Comedy executive, producer of I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again |
| Brian Barder | 1934 | Diplomat, popular blogger |
| Tom Basden | 1981 | Comedy writer and performer, singer-songwriter, member of Cowards |
| Robert Bathurst | 1957 | Actor |
| Cecil Beaton | 1904 | Photographer, interior designer, stage and costume designer |
| Tom Bell | 1981 | Actor, comedian, writer |
| Peter Bennett-Jones | 1956 | Television producer and agent, co-founder of Tiger Aspect and Comic Relief |
| Martin Bergman | 1957 | Producer, writer, director |
| John Bird | 1936 | Comedian, actor, satirist, member of Bremner, Bird and Fortune |
| Simon Bird | 1984 | Comedian, actor, known for The Inbetweeners |
| Timothy Birdsall | 1936 | Cartoonist |
| Mark Bittlestone | 1993 | Comedian |
| Christopher Booker | 1937 | Journalist, author, founding editor of Private Eye |
| Leslie Bricusse | 1931 | Lyricist, composer, playwright, known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory |
| Eleanor Bron | 1938 | Actress, writer |
| Tim Brooke-Taylor | 1940 | Comedy writer and performer, member of The Goodies |
| Gus Brown | 1974 | Comedian, actor, half of Laurence and Gus |
| Spencer Brown | 1978 | Comedian |
| Robert Buckman | 1948 | Comedian, writer, television presenter, columnist, physician |
| Tony Buffery | 1939 | Psychologist, actor, comedian, writer, known for Twice a Fortnight |
| John Cameron | 1944 | Composer, arranger, conductor, musician |
| Jon Canter | 1953 | Comedy scriptwriter, principal writer for Lenny Henry |
| Graham Chapman | 1941 | Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python |
| Charles III | 1948 | King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms |
| John Cleese | 1939 | Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python |
| Olivia Colman | 1974 | Actress, comedian |
| Peter Cook | 1937 | Comedy writer and performer, proprietor of Private Eye, member of Beyond the Fringe |
| Joe Craig | 1980 | Novelist, musician, known for the Jimmy Coates series |
| Russell Davies | 1946 | Journalist, broadcaster, presenter of Brain of Britain |
| Hugh Dennis | 1962 | Comedian, actor, writer, satirist, voice-over artist, half of Punt and Dennis |
| Penny Dwyer | 1953 | Comedian, actor, writer, metallurgist |
| Jimmy Edwards | 1920 | Comedy actor, writer, star of Take It from Here and Whack-O! |
| Milo Edwards | 1993 | Comedian, podcaster, writer |
| Mark Evans | 1970 | Comedian, actor, writer |
| Julian Fellowes | 1949 | Screenwriter, director, actor, novelist, known for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey |
| Paul Fincham | 1959 | Composer |
| Peter Fincham | 1956 | Television producer and executive, Director of Television at ITV |
| John Finnemore | 1977 | Comedy writer and performer |
| Jason Forbes | 1990 | Actor, comedian |
| John Fortune | 1939 | Comedian, actor, satirist, member of Bremner, Bird and Fortune |
| Michael Frayn | 1933 | Playwright, novelist, known for Noises Off and Copenhagen |
| Robin French | 1978 | Playwright, scriptwriter, songwriter |
| David Frost | 1939 | Television presenter, interviewer, satirist, star of The Frost Report |
| Stephen Fry | 1957 | Comedian, writer, actor, novelist, half of Fry and Laurie, Jeeves in Jeeves and Wooster and presenter of QI |
| Graeme Garden | 1943 | Comedy writer and performer, illustrator, member of The Goodies |
| Bamber Gascoigne | 1935 | Television presenter, author, known for hosting University Challenge |
| Mel Giedroyc | 1968 | Actress, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue |
| Stefan Golaszewski | 1980 | Comedian, writer, director, member of Cowards |
| Murray Gold | 1969 | Composer for stage, film and television, known for Doctor Who |
| Lizbeth Goodman | 1964 | Chair of Creative Technology Innovation/Full Professor/Director SMARTlab/author, broadcaster-television & virtual reality |
| Matt Green | 1979 | Comedian, writer, actor |
| Germaine Greer | 1939 | Writer, broadcaster, academic |
| John Grillo | 1942 | Actor, playwright |
| Lawrence Grossmith | 1877 | Actor |
| Nick Hancock | 1962 | Comedian, actor, television presenter, known for Room 101 |
| Norman Hartnell | 1901 | Fashion designer |
| David Hatch | 1939 | Broadcasting manager, producer of Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue |
| Natalie Haynes | 1974 | Comedian, writer |
| Archie Henderson | 1994 | Comedian, musician known as Jazz Emu |
| Tony Hendra | 1941 | Satirist, writer, creator of Spitting Image |
| Kit Hesketh-Harvey | 1957 | Comedy writer and performer, half of Kit and The Widow |
| Tom Hollander | 1967 | Actor, co-creator and star of Rev. |
| Matthew Holness | 1975 | Comedian, co-creator of Garth Marenghi |
| Alex Horne | 1978 | Comedian, creator and co-host of Taskmaster |
| Kenneth Horne | 1907 | Comedian, businessman, star of Round the Horne |
| Claude Hulbert | 1900 | Comic actor |
| Jack Hulbert | 1892 | Actor |
| Tristram Hunt | 1974 | Politician, historian, broadcaster, newspaper columnist |
| Nicholas Hytner | 1956 | Film and theatre producer, Director of the National Theatre |
| Eric Idle | 1943 | Comedian, actor, writer, songwriter, member of Monty Python |
| Clive James | 1939 | Writer, poet, critic |
| Jonathan James-Moore | 1946 | Comedy producer, theatre manager |
| Peter Jeffrey | 1929 | Actor |
| Rufus Jones | 1976 | Comedy writer and performer, member of Dutch Elm Conservatoire |
| Simon Jones | 1950 | Actor |
| Jo Kendall | 1938 | Actress |
| Tim Key | 1976 | Comedian, actor, poet, member of Cowards |
| Paul King | 1978 | Comedy director, known for The Mighty Boosh |
| Matt Kirshen | 1980 | Comedian |
| Ian Lang | 1940 | Politician, business executive |
| Hugh Latimer | 1913 | Actor, toymaker |
| Hugh Laurie | 1959 | Comedian, actor, writer, musician, half of Fry and Laurie, Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster and star of House |
| John Lloyd | 1951 | Comedy producer and writer, creator of Have I Got News for You and QI |
| Nicholas Luard | 1937 | Satirist, travel writer, owner of Private Eye, co-founder of The Establishment |
| Jonathan Lynn | 1943 | Comedy writer, actor, director, creator of Yes Minister |
| Miriam Margolyes | 1941 | Actress |
| Christopher Martin-Jenkins | 1945 | Cricket broadcaster and writer |
| Daniel Massey | 1933 | Actor, singer |
| Dan Mazer | 1971 | Comedian, producer, screenwriter, known for work with Sacha Baron Cohen |
| Simon McBurney | 1957 | Actor, writer, director, founder of Complicité |
| Kevin McCloud | 1958 | Writer, designer, television presenter |
| Geoffrey McGivern | 1952 | Comedy actor |
| Rory McGrath | 1956 | Comedian, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions |
| Ben Miller | 1966 | Comedian, director, actor, half of Armstrong and Miller |
| Jonathan Miller | 1934 | Theatre and opera director, humorist, sculptor, member of Beyond the Fringe |
| David Mitchell | 1974 | Comedian, actor, writer, half of Mitchell and Webb |
| Nick Mohammed | 1980 | Comedian, actor, writer |
| Lucy Montgomery | 1975 | Comedian, actress, writer |
| Neil Mullarkey | 1961 | Comedian, actor, writer, founding member of The Comedy Store Players |
| Jimmy Mulville | 1955 | Comedian, writer, television presenter, co-founder of Hat Trick Productions |
| Simon Munnery | 1967 | Comedian |
| Richard Murdoch | 1907 | Comic actor |
| Jon Naismith | 1965 | Comedy producer, creator of The Unbelievable Truth, producer of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue |
| Henry Naylor | 1968 | Comedy writer and performer, half of Parsons and Naylor |
| David Nobbs | 1935 | Comedy writer, creator of the Reggie Perrin series |
| Pierre Novellie | 1991 | Comedian, actor, writer |
| Trevor Nunn | 1940 | Theatre and film producer, Director of the National Theatre |
| Des O'Connor | 1972 | Television presenter, burlesque performer, musician, lyricist |
| Bill Oddie | 1941 | Comedian, actor, musician, naturalist, television presenter, member of The Goodies |
| Michael O'Donnell | 1928 | Journalist, author, broadcaster, physician |
| John Oliver | 1977 | Comedian, host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, former correspondent of The Daily Show |
| Richard Osman | 1970 | Producer, Creative Director of Endemol UK, co-presenter of Pointless, writer |
| Andy Parsons | 1967 | Comedian, comedy writer, half of Parsons and Naylor |
| Sue Perkins | 1969 | Comedian, actress, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue |
| Steve Punt | 1962 | Comedian, actor, writer, half of Punt and Dennis |
| Jan Ravens | 1958 | Actress, impressionist |
| Griff Rhys Jones | 1953 | Comedian, actor, writer, co-founder of Talkback, half of Alas Smith and Jones |
| Blake Ritson | 1980 | Actor, director, writer |
| John-Luke Roberts | 1985 | Comedy writer and performer, known for Spats |
| Salman Rushdie | 1947 | Booker Prize-winning novelist |
| Tanya Seghatchian | 1968 | Film producer, former Head of the Development Fund at the UK Film Council and British Film Institute |
| Peter Shaffer | 1926 | Playwright, known for Equus and Amadeus |
| Will Sharpe | 1986 | Actor, director, writer, known for The White Lotus |
| Charles Shaughnessy | 1955 | Actor |
| Paul Shearer | 1981 | Actor, writer |
| John Shrapnel | 1942 | Actor |
| Richard Sisson | 1957 | Pianist, composer, half of Kit and The Widow |
| Julian Slade | 1930 | Musical theatre composer, known for Salad Days |
| Tony Slattery | 1959 | Comedian, actor |
| Ali Smith | 1962 | Novelist, short story writer, journalist, known for Hotel World |
| Michael Marshall Smith | 1965 | Novelist, screenwriter, short story writer |
| Gregory Snegoff | 1955 | Voice-over artist, writer, director |
| Sarah Solemani | 1982 | Writer, actress |
| Dan Stevens | 1982 | Actor |
| Richard Stilgoe | 1943 | Songwriter, lyricist, musician |
| William Sutcliffe | 1971 | Novelist |
| Jonny Sweet | 1985 | Comedian, writer |
| Edward Taylor | 1931 | Comedy writer, radio producer, creator of The Men from the Ministry |
| Joe Thomas | 1983 | Comedian, actor, writer, known for The Inbetweeners |
| Emma Thompson | 1959 | Comedian, actress, screenwriter |
| Sandi Toksvig | 1958 | Comedian, writer, former presenter of The News Quiz, presenter of QI |
| Peter Tranchell | 1922 | composer, Precentor of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and Lecturer in Music, University of Cambridge |
| David Tyler | 1961 | TV and radio producer (aka David Meek) |
| Richard Vranch | 1959 | Comedian, actor, musician, founding member of The Comedy Store Players |
| Nicola Walker | 1970 | Actress, known for Spooks and Unforgotten |
| Ian Wallace | 1919 | Opera singer, actor, broadcaster |
| Mark Watson | 1980 | Comedian, novelist, radio presenter |
| Phil Wang | 1990 | Comedian |
| Robert Webb | 1972 | Comedian, actor, writer, half of Mitchell and Webb |
| Ed Weeks | 1980 | Comedian, actor, writer |
| Liam Williams | 1988 | Comedian, actor, writer, director |
| Christopher Winchester | 1972 | Actor, writer, musical comedian |
| Mark Wing-Davey | 1948 | Actor, director |
| Sophie Winkleman | 1980 | Actress |
| David Wolstencroft | 1969 | Scriptwriter, creator of Spooks |
| Richard Wordsworth | 1915 | Character actor |
| Maury Yeston | 1945 | Broadway and Film Composer/lyricist, musicologist, known for Nine, Titanic, Grand Hotel |
| Martin Young | 1947 | Television reporter, interviewer, co-creator of Rough Justice |
References
- "Alumni". Cambridge Footlights. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014.
- "Prince Charles Could Become Actor King". The Deseret News. 17 September 1968. p. 18.
- Veronia Lee (14 June 2024). "Jazz Emu, Soho Theatre review – delightfully daft musical spoof". theartsdesk.com. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- "Desert Island Discs – Castaway : Salman Rushdie". BBC. 18 September 1988. Retrieved 26 August 2013.