A brief history
The Society’s origin can be traced back to a performance at Clevedon Comprehensive School in 1971.
Teachers, staff, pupils and parents staged ‘Trial by Jury’ as the second part of the school concert, with Ron Trip, a teacher, being the Musical Director and Harry Ellis the Producer. The performance was a great success and there was a strong desire to continue the activity. A subgroup of the ‘Clevedon School Association’ was formed to do so.
The first full production was ‘HMS Pinafore’, which was performed to over 1,000 people - a massive achievement.
The school participated fully as the then Headmaster Bill Body had a strong belief in the development of the relationship between the school and community. Pupils and staff of the departments made the sets with the Art department painting scenery.
Between 40 and 50 people took part in the shows in the early years with a live orchestra of around 20 players.
Performances were held at the school until 1994 when members decided it was time to break with the school and move performances to the Princes Hall at the Community Centre. Rehearsals had already moved to St Peter’s Church Hall in Copse Road by this time. The first production at the Princes Hall was ‘Iolanthe’ in 1995.
Since then the Society has produced at least one main production each year at the Princes Hall, normally incorporating some updated dialogue relating to current or local issues/events in true Gilbertian style, which adds further interest and humour to the original well-loved material.
The Society has always been pleased to put on summer concerts for the community, and continues to do so, most recently with an abridged performance of the latest production at Poets Mews Care home.
Would you like to be part of our next production?
A brief history
The Society’s origin can be traced back to a performance at Clevedon Comprehensive School in 1971.
Teachers, staff, pupils and parents staged ‘Trial by Jury’ as the second part of the school concert, with Ron Trip, a teacher, being the Musical Director and Harry Ellis the Producer. The performance was a great success and there was a strong desire to continue the activity. A subgroup of the ‘Clevedon School Association’ was formed to do so.
The first full production was ‘HMS Pinafore’, which was performed to over 1,000 people - a massive achievement.
The school participated fully as the then Headmaster Bill Body had a strong belief in the development of the relationship between the school and community. Pupils and staff of the departments made the sets with the Art department painting scenery.
Performances were held at the school until 1994 when members decided it was time to break with the school and move performances to the Princes Hall at the Community Centre. Rehearsals had already moved to St Peter’s Church Hall in Copse Road by this time. The first production at the Princes Hall was ‘Iolanthe’ in 1995.
Between 40 and 50 people took part in the shows in the early years with a live orchestra of around 20 players.
The Society has always been pleased to put on summer concerts for the community, and continues to do so, most recently with an abridged performance of the latest production at Poets Mews Care home.
Would you like to be part of our next production?
Since then the Society has produced at least one main production each year at the Princes Hall, normally incorporating some updated dialogue relating to current or local issues/events in true Gilbertian style, which adds further interest and humour to the original well-loved material.