That’s right, in April 2025 we’ll be debuting Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Amey Theatre in Abingdon.  This promises to be a magical week for cast, crew and audience, so make sure you grab your golden ticket when they go on sale later this year.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a musical based on the 1964 children’s novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.  As most of us know, it tells the story of Charlie Bucket and his desperate search for the golden ticket that will enable him to enter the secretive Chocolate Factory of Mr Willy Wonka.

The show originally opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in June 2013 and almost immediately broke the West End’s record for ticket sales – a record it still holds.  It ran until 2017, when a reworked production moved to Broadway.  It is this Broadway production that was licensed for international touring productions and, later, amateur theatre.

Today, there are professional tours across the US, UK and Australia, but at AOS we have been lucky enough to fit our production between tours, which allows us to create a brand new production for Abingdon.

Learn more about the show’s cast on our Current Productions page here.

A classic Broadway and West End hit!

After its recent box office busting return to London’s West End, we’re so pleased to be  bringing Hello, Dolly! back to the Amey Theatre in Abingdon.

Hello, Dolly! made its first appearance on Broadway in 1963 and has been a favourite of audiences across the world ever since. Filled with instantly recognisable numbers such as ‘Put On You Sunday Clothes’, ‘Before The Parade Passes By’ and of course, ‘Hello, Dolly!’ itself.

The show tells the Story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a marriage matchmaker from Yonkers, New York, who is dead set on making a match for herself, She has her eye on Horace Vandergelder, the well-known half millionaire, who really is no match for the determined matchmaker Dolly. It’s one of the funniest musical comedies you’ll ever see.

Mark your diaries today for this Spring 2026 spectacular.

We’ve been lucky enough to gain the rights to perform another debut show for Abingdon in April 2026.  You’ll want to be sure to get your tickets the moment they go on sale.

Adapted from the Disney animated movie, Beauty and the Beast tells the story of an unkind prince who has been magically transformed into an unsightly creature as punishment for his selfish ways. To revert into his true human form, the Beast must learn to love a bright, beautiful young lady who he has imprisoned in his enchanted castle and earn her love in return before it is too late.

The show made its live-action debut in New York in 1994, and then ran on Broadway for 5,461 performances for thirteen years (1994–2007), becoming Broadway’s sixth longest-running production in history at the time of closure. To date, it is still the tenth longest running show.

If you have children, you’ll want to share the magic of this live musical with them, and if you don’t have children, don’t worry, grown-ups will love this enchanting show too.

Coming to Abingdon from Tuesday 29 October to Saturday 2 November 2024.

Guys and Dolls is a classic musical comedy, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. The show premiered on Broadway in 1950, where it ran for 1,200 performances and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The musical has had several Broadway and London revivals, as well as a 1955 film adaptation starring Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, and Vivian Blaine.

Packed full of show-stopping musical numbers, it tells a story of low-life gamblers and hustlers in New York City, where finding a safe site for a poker game is the highest priority and a man will bet on anything that moves – including a woman. Even when that woman is a member of the Salvation Army determined to save his soul.

Here’s just a taste of the atmosphere, as Nicely-Nicely attempts to persuade his gambling cronies to stop rocking the boat.

We worked 9 to 5 to bring a fabulous show to Abingdon in April 2024.

We just wanted to thank our audience for filling the theatre with their enthusiasm and support.  It was so special to see everyone up and dancing along with us each night, enjoying the energy of the music.

Based on the 1980 movie of the same name, that starred Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, 9 to 5: The Musical premiered in Los Angeles in 2008, with all music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. In April 2009 it opened on Broadway, followed by a West End opening in 2012.

9 to 5: The Musical was another of several new productions for AOS in recent years, including All Shook Up and Made In Dagenham. 9 to 5: The Musical really was tremendous fun, both for the cast and for our audience in the Amey Theatre. Thank you so much for supporting AOS and see you in October for Guys and Dolls.

October 2023 will live long in the memories of AOS members.  We performed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to sold out audiences all week and got a fantastic reception from each.

All of the cast, stage crew and front of house team would like to thank everyone who came to see us during the week.  The atmosphere you created was magical and the cheers and applause was a great reward for all the hours of rehearsal, set building and setup.

Chitty was a very expensive show to put on in Abingdon, but with the wonderful support we received from our audience, we’re hopeful that we may not only have broken even on the week, but might have made back some of the funds we lost during the Covid lockdowns, when we were unable to perform.

So, a huge thanks to everyone who came out to support live musical theatre in Abingdon.  Now, on with the next show!!

In 1999, Time magazine rated Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel as the greatest musical of the twentieth century, saying: “They set the standards for the 20th century musical, and this show features their most beautiful score and the most skillful and affecting example of their musical storytelling.”

Carousel opened on Broadway in April 1945 and ran for over 800 performances. When it arrived in the West End in 1950 it saw equal success. In 1956, a Hollywood version of the stage show was filmed, starring Gordon MacRae and Shirley Jones.

The show’s story revolves around carousel barker Billy Bigelow, whose romance with millworker Julie Jordan comes at the price of both their jobs. He participates in a robbery to provide for Julie and their unborn child; and then, after it goes tragically wrong, he is given a chance to make things right. A secondary plot line deals with millworker Carrie Pipperidge and her romance with ambitious fisherman Enoch Snow. The show includes the well-known songs ‘If I Loved You’, ‘June Is Bustin’ Out All Over’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. Richard Rodgers later wrote that Carousel was the favourite of all his musicals.

Perhaps surprisingly, 2023 will be the first time AOS has performed Carousel since 1974, so we can be confident that very few members of our audience will remember that production, nearly fifty years ago. We’re looking forward to bringing an energetic and dynamic version of Carousel to the Amey Theatre next April, and we hope to see you there.