There’s surely nothing more rewarding for a musical theatre company than to play to packed, appreciative audiences every night, and that’s what we were lucky enough to experience for our production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this April.
More than 2,000 people were squeezed into the Amey Theatre over our six performances, and they certainly seemed to be having a great time. What was particularly satisfying was the number of children, with their parents and grandparents, in many cases having their first experience of live musical theatre. They were clearly loving it.
But of course, just as quickly as the set goes up and the performers take to the stage, at the end of show week it’s all put away again – scenery becomes scrap wood ready to be turned into something else, and costumes and props are put back into storage. After months of rehearsal and hard work to make it all run perfectly, we suddenly move on and it all becomes a memory.
With just a few days rest and time to audition new members, we begin work on our next show. To learn more about that, why not visit our Current Productions page, and don’t forget to put the dates in your diary. It’s going to be wonderful all over again.
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!!
What a fantastic week!! Thank you, from all of us to all of you. Here are just a few of the comments we’ve received:
“Honestly we were blown away! The vocal talent was just as good as any West End production and I was moved to tears thanks to a powerful story and some beautifully poignant acting. Was expecting a good bit of ‘am dram’ but this was truly professional…5 stars!”
“An excellent production – definitely deserved the standing ovation!”
“A brilliant show and a very talented cast – well done everyone!”
“Such a great show – West End quality and length, with humour, pathos, action and dancing, effective props and simple staging. The story was easy to follow!”
“Was a brilliant show as always – loved it!”
“Fantastic production of Made in Dagenham tonight. What a huge amount of talent on one stage! We thoroughly enjoyed it!”
“This is indeed a West End quality production, and in music, vocal and harmony terms, arguably better. Outstanding!”
“Superb in every way! Wow! Who needs to go to the West End?”
“The acting and singing was brilliant, the band was very tight, the general movement and choreography was fabulous. But most of all, the set was SPECTACULAR!”
We were all extremely anxious in the lead up to October’s All Shook Up. We knew that our audience would be much smaller than normal, as we’d decided to implement social-distancing in our ticket sales. But we really didn’t know whether our audience would be ready to return to the theatre as the long tail of this pandemic drags on. And we didn’t know whether a much smaller audience would create the wonderful atmosphere that we all love in the Amey Theatre.
So, this post is just to say an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who came along to see the show, for clapping and cheering, for joining us in the finale dance, and just for being your wonderful selves. All Shook Up was a sell out. By Thursday of show week there wasn’t a ticket to be had. We even had to start a waiting list for any cancellations. You were the stars of the week.
So, now we move on with a little more confidence toward Made In Dagenham in the Spring of 2022. We’ll always look back on 2020 as the year we lost – the first time in over 60 years that AOS didn’t entertain Abingdon. But now we’re back, and with an audience like this, we can’t wait for the curtain to go up again.
Every few months, we like to turn the spotlight on an AOS member and find out a little more about them. This time it’s our chairman, Joy Skeels.
How did you get involved in musical theatre?
My mother was in Rugeley Operatic Society and I’d always be at rehearsals, eating chocolates with the other children. Then one year I just wanted to join in.
As Miss Hannigan is 2017’s Annie
What was the show?
It was Calamity Jane and I was a dance hall girl. I was fourteen years old and I loved it.
And what was your first principal role?
Ah, it was the following year. They were doing Kismet and I was asked to audition for the leading role, Marsinah. It was a bit tricky, because my mother had already auditioned for the part. The last night of the show was my sixteenth birthday.
Enjoying Dorothy Brock in 2014’s 42nd Street
You’d been bitten by the theatrical bug?
I think you could say that. I had twenty-five years of doing just about every leading female role in musical theatre – all amateur, of course – but it was wonderful. I moved from Staffordshire down to Oxfordshire in the 90s and just carried on doing two big shows each year.
Which have been your favourite roles?
Well, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady is special – I’ve done that three times. And Calamity Jane is a great part too – I’ve done that twice. It’s hard to choose a favourite really. Camelot, Carousel, Crazy For You – and that’s just the Cs. I think it must be over forty leading roles over the years. It’s my hobby and I love it.
Playing Calamity Jane for a second time in 2012
What is it, apart from the need to show off wearing pretty costumes?
Ha ha. Well, there is a bit of that, I can’t deny it. But the feeling of teamwork and camaraderie is so overwhelming too. I’ve got to know so many wonderful, kind, friendly people over the years. I honestly can’t think what my life would have been like without it.
You’re now increasingly directing shows for AOS rather than appearing on stage. How do you find that?
Yes, that’s right. My first was Crazy For You in 2012 and since then I’ve directed Sweet Charity, Barnum, Sister Act, 2019’s My Fair Lady. and 2020’s All Shook Up. It’s a different sort of challenge. I’ve worked with some wonderful directors over the years and I just try and take the best things from each. But show week is very weird – everyone else is madly busy and my work is done. It’s very strange not to be involved.
And you manage to fit in being AOS chairman too?
Yes, I became chairman in 2016. I’ve served on the committee in several societies in the past and been chairman of different groups twice before. I think that if you get a lot of pleasure from a hobby, it’s important to give something back. When there’s work to be done – and there’s a lot involved in keeping groups like this alive – I believe in stepping forward and doing my bit. I want other people – new members particularly – to experience the pleasure I’ve had over all those years.
And what’s next for you?
Well, I’m directing Carousel in 2021, but apart from that, who knows? Perhaps I might find a role in a future show, or just enjoy being a part of the AOS chorus on stage.
Every few months, we like to turn the spotlight on an AOS member and find out a little more about them. This time it’s Kate Brock.
Where, when and why did you first get involved in musical theatre?
My family took me to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in Edinburgh when I was very young and I was completely enthralled by it – to the extent that I was practically hanging over the balcony reaching out for Paul Schofield (who played Joseph) when he rose up in his dreamcoat at the finale! I auditioned for and was accepted into the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) – and that’s when the love affair really began.
Do you have a favourite show?
Overall, it has to be Les Misérables – epic, historical and French! I have cherished memories of playing Fantine in the school version when I was 17, but be warned, I can actually sing the entire score off by heart, including all the men’s parts and one-liners.
Kate as Maria in The Sound of Music.
Do you learn a part quickly or struggle with lines?
I usually get a feel for both script and music fairly quickly, but it can sometimes be a slog to get completely ‘off-book’. Mind you, a few years ago I played Daisy in Daisy Pulls It Off. She practically talks non-stop in jolly hockey sticks syntax for the entire show. No line-learning has seemed quite as challenging after that.
Do you enjoy show week?
Yes, tremendously, despite nerves. I love the feeling of camaraderie both onstage and backstage – I have made some really good friends in this Society. And singing every night with an orchestra is just wonderful.
With her co-stars in Singin’ in the Rain.
How do you deal with nerves before you go onstage?
Breathing, stretches and saying a little prayer! And I drink LOTS of water – I am usually responsible for the enormous queue outside the backstage loo! There’s always that moment when you stand in the wings trembling and think: why do I put myself through this? But I’ve come to realise that nerves are part of the process: sometimes life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
So is it a relief or a let down when show week ends?
Both. It’s a bittersweet feeling, coming to the end of a show – reality is momentarily suspended and then it’s back home to the inevitability of the overflowing washing basket. But then you look forward to seeing everyone again at the next show’s talk-in.
Having fun in 42nd Street
And is there a part you’ve always wanted to play but haven’t yet?
I’ve always fancied having a go at Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar. And – moving into the realms of fantasy for a moment – I would love to defy gravity as Elphaba in Wicked.
Every few months, we like to turn the spotlight on an AOS member and find out a little more about them. This time it’s Kevin Pope.
When did you first get involved in musical theatre and where was this?
I was introduced to musical theatre from a very young age as my mum and dad were both regular performers with the Exmouth Operatic Society. I would see all of their shows and often used to go along to rehearsals too. I never thought that I would actually go on stage myself. However, when the Society put on South Pacific, they were looking for youngsters to play the parts of Emile de Becque’s children, and that’s when I landed my first role – Jerome de Becque, at the tender age of eight!
Kevin as an hypnotic ‘Daddy’ in 2014’s Sweet Charity
How would you describe AOS?
AOS are a friendly and talented bunch. They have fun at rehearsals and are dedicated enough to know that they also have to (and do!) work hard to ensure that the finished product – the show that the public will see – is as polished and as it can be.
What attracts you to a part?
The part has to be a strong character – someone to whom the audience will react. Normally that is why I enjoy playing comedy roles, but that is not always the case. I also enjoy playing disagreeable characters, such as Jigger in Carousel, or Ted Blacklock, the militant union leader in The Hired Man. Another thing that is important is that the part must not require any serious dancing. I can move, but precise dancing has never been my forte!
Kevin wooing the front row ladies in 2017’s Sister Act.
How do you prepare for auditions?
I look at the audition piece and try to find a part in it that, if portrayed in a particular way, could get a strong response from the audience. I will then concentrate on this and develop it as much as I can. Having said that, I often have great ideas as to how I will say a particular line, but when it comes to the audition, nerves come into play, and it often doesn’t come out the way I intended it!
Do you enjoy rehearsals?
I do. It’s great fun to be “working” with friends, putting everything together to create a show. I enjoy seeing how the show develops over the rehearsal period. From the initial singing rehearsals, where we learn the individual voice parts, and then combine them to produce full harmonies. Also, how often chaotic early dance steps miraculously evolve into well-ordered dance routines. (Or, in my case, evolve into slightly-less-chaotic dance steps!).
Do you find that your character changes during the rehearsal process?
Yes, the character evolves over the duration of the rehearsals. You start with initial ideas of how to play the role, and during rehearsals you may experiment with ways to say or portray certain aspects. Some things work and some don’t, and so you try to incorporate all the best bits.
Kevin as the undercover valet/vicar in 2018’s Top Hat.
Do you enjoy show week?
Absolutely. Show week is the culmination of all the hard work. I usually get nervous before first going on to the stage. However, once you have come on, and things are going well, the feeling is tremendous. It is always great when you get that first laugh from the audience. You know that you have made a connection. This encourages you to put more into your performance, which is then rewarded by more reaction. It is a two-way thing. When you have a good relationship with the audience the feeling can be awesome.
Is there a part you’ve always wanted to play?
There are a couple of parts that my dad played which I would really like to take on: Fagin in Oliver! and Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. And of course, if we ever had the chance to do Les Miserables, I would love to play Thernadier, the innkeeper.
How would you describe your ideal part?
My ideal part would:
~ Be a strong character
~ Have some great comedy content and memorable songs
~ Not have too many lines to learn
~ Not require any precise dance moves
~ Have at least one drunk scene!
But now it’s time for us to draw back the curtain and take to the stage once more!
In Autumn 2019, with the curtain coming down on Evita, we were all enjoying the thrill of packed houses and happy audiences. As usual, we started rehearsals for our next show, All Shook Up, almost immediately, with a cast chosen and musical numbers and dances to learn. Everything was going so well, and the first tickets had started to sell, when in March 2020 the world stood still.
We decided to postpone All Shook Up until October 2020, and although this was a tough decision to take, we felt we owed the caution to our members and audiences. Little did we know that October 2020 and April 2021 would go by, with still no sign of the theatre word re-opening.
But now, since July, we’ve finally got back to rehearsals. And it’s certainly different. We keeping our distance from one another more than we usually would – not so many hugs and kisses – but we’re singing again and that feels wonderful. We’re putting together a fabulous show and now all we need is an audience.
Of course, things won’t return to the old normal overnight. Our audience for All Shook Up will be socially-distanced and many will choose to wear masks. That makes sense at the moment, and hopefully by the time we present Made In Dagenham in April 2022, things will seem even more normal.
So, it’s time to recover from COVID, bit by bit. Time for us to take to the stage again, and hopefully for our audiences to return too. Tickets for All Shook Upare on sale now, so let’s hope our socially-distanced audience is a capacity one.
