Another Opening, Another Show

Graham Whalan offers a brief history of amateur musical theatre

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I am a lifelong fan of musical theatre and an ardent supporter of local amateur productions. It all started back in the 1950s when, growing up in the town of Ulverston, Cumbria there were annual outings to see my father and sister perform in the local society's musical production and Christmas pantomime. I was never a performer myself, sadly lacking the two basic requirements of confidence and talent. My one performance was a brief contribution to an annual Christmas pantomime when, along with a group of other children, we were invited on to the stage to help with the singing of Oh I Do Like a Nice Mince Pie. It was to mark both the beginning and end of my stage career. Now I am content to remain on the other side of the footlights, where I act as a reviewer of local shows. In a recent book, I have also chronicled the history of the many societies that perform in the Furness and Cartmel peninsulas of South Furness, Cumbria.

It is generally agreed the amateur operatic movement was kickstarted by the seminal works of dramatist WS Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan which were first performed in the late 1800s. Based at the Savoy Theatre in London, these "Savoy operas", as they were known, enjoyed great success both in the UK and US, and when the works became licensed for others to perform, amateur operatic societies started to pop up all over the country. The first such amateur performance took place in April 1879 at the Drill Hall in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London when a local group, calling themselves the Harmonists, staged a production of HMS Pinafore.