List of former Footlights members

List of former Footlights members. This is a listing of those former members who have achieved notability after graduating from Cambridge University. The careers of many prominent figures in the world of entertainment began in Footlights – while prominent figures in other industries also took part in Footlights. They include:

Name	Birth	Death	Career
Douglas Adams	1952	2001	Comedy writer, known for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Clive Anderson	1952	—	Comedian, television presenter, barrister
David Armand	1977	—	Comedian, actor, member of The Hollow Men
Alexander Armstrong	1970	—	Comedian, television presenter, 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
James Bachman	1972	—	Comedian, actor, writer
David Baddiel	1964	—	Comedian, novelist, television presenter, half of Newman and Baddiel
Morwenna Banks	1964	—	Comedian, actor
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	1980	Photographer, interior designer, stage and costume designer
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	1963	Cartoonist
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	2011	Comedian, writer, television presenter, columnist, physician
Tony Buffery	1939	2015	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	1989	Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python
John Cleese	1939	—	Comedian, actor, writer, member of Monty Python
Olivia Colman	1974	—	Comedian, actor
Peter Cook	1937	1995	Comedy writer and performer, proprietor of Private Eye, member of Beyond the Fringe
Joe Craig	1980	—	Novelist, musician, known for the Jimmy Coates series
Thurston Dart	1921	1971	Keyboard player, conductor, musicologist
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	2003	Comedian, actor, writer, metallurgist
Jimmy Edwards	1920	1988	Comedy actor, writer, star of Take It From Here and Whack-O!
Mark Evans	—	—	Comedian, actor, writer
Julian Fellowes	1949	—	Screenwriter, director, actor, novelist, known for Gosford Park and Downton Abbey
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	2013	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	2013	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	—	Actor, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue
Stefan Golaszewski	1982	—	Comedian, writer, director, member of Cowards
Matt Green	1979	—	Comedian, writer, actor
Germaine Greer	1939	—	Writer, broadcaster, academic
John Grillo	1942	—	Actor, playwright
Lawrence Grossmith	1877	1944	Actor
Nick Hancock	1962	—	Comedian, actor, television presenter, known for Room 101
Norman Hartnell	1901	1979	Fashion designer
David Hatch	1939	2007	Broadcasting manager, producer of Just a Minute and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue
Natalie Haynes	1974	—	Comedian, writer
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
Kenneth Horne	1907	1969	Comedian, businessman, star of Round the Horne
Claude Hulbert	1900	1964	Comic actor
Jack Hulbert	1892	1978	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	2005	Comedy producer, theatre manager
Peter Jeffrey	1929	1999	Actor
Rufus Jones	1976	—	Comedy writer and performer, member of Dutch Elm Conservatoire
Simon Jones	1950	—	Actor
Jo Kendall	—	—	Actor
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	2006	Actor, toymaker
Hugh Laurie	1959	—	Comedian, actor, writer, musician, half of Fry and Laurie, Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster and also in House
John Lloyd	1951	—	Comedy producer and writer, creator of Have I Got News for You and QI
Nicholas Luard	1937	2004	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	—	Actor
Dan Mazer	1971	—	Comedian, producer, screenwriter, known for work with Sacha Baron Cohen
Simon McBurney	1957	—	Actor, writer, director, founder of Complicite
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, actor, writer
Charles Mountbatten-Windsor[1]	1948	—	Prince of the United Kingdom British Royal Family
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	1972	—	Comedian
Richard Murdoch	1907	1990	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	2015	Comedy writer, creator of the Reggie Perrin series
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
Andy Parsons	1967	—	Comedian, comedy writer, half of Parsons and Naylor
Sue Perkins	1969	—	Comedian, actor, writer, television presenter, half of Mel and Sue
Steve Punt	1962	—	Comedian, actor, writer, half of Punt and Dennis
Jan Ravens	1958	—	Actor, 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[2]	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
Charles Shaughnessy	1955	—	Actor
Paul Shearer	1960	—	Comedy writer and performer, known for The Fast Show
John Shrapnel	1942	—	Actor
Richard Sisson	1957	—	Pianist, composer, half of Kit and The Widow
Julian Slade	1930	2006	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	1986	—	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, presenter of The News Quiz
David Tyler	1961	—	TV & 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
Ian Wallace	1919	2009	Opera singer, actor, broadcaster
Mark Watson	1980	—	Comedian, novelist, radio presenter
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	1993	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

1. "Prince Charles Could Become Actor King". The Deseret News. September 17, 1968. p. 18.
2. "Desert Island Discs – Castaway : Salman Rushdie". BBC. 18 September 1988. Retrieved 26 August 2013.

External links

• Official website
• Past members and shows
• Footlights Alumni Association