Pembroke New Cellars

Down a narrow passageway off Pembroke Street, you'll find yourself in one of Cambridge's most unexpected theatre spaces - a converted medieval cellar that somehow feels both intimate and utterly atmospheric. The Pembroke New Cellars is run by students, which gives it that scrappy, genuinely ambitious energy you don't often find in bigger venues. Productions range from experimental work to classics, and the whole setup - low ceilings, stone walls, the kind of close-quarters staging where you can practically hear the actors breathing - creates something rather special.

It's worth a look if you're in Cambridge and fancy something beyond the polished college productions or the Corn Exchange. Theatre students and experimental theatre types will get the most out of it, though anyone with even a passing interest in how young companies take risks will find it compelling. The space itself is the character here - sometimes brilliantly atmospheric, occasionally a touch cramped depending on what's on.

You'll want to check online closer to the time for what's showing and booking details, as it's student-run and seasons vary. Allow an hour or two if you're taking in a show. Pair it with a stroll through the colleges or a evening walk along the Backs. If you're staying at Lodeside Glamping Cambridge or Fen Meadows - both excellent bases just outside the city - you're perfectly placed to slip into town for an evening here.