Becoming a Member

of the Abbots Langley Gilbert & Sullivan Society

Our yearly programme generally includes a full scale operetta performed at the Palace Theatre in Watford and a summer concert that we give in the village of Abbots Langley.

Chorus rehearsals usually take place on Monday nights, with principals being rehearsed on Fridays. These can change from time to time, but in general we don't ask chorus to attend a rehearsal more than once a week. Depending on the nature of our main show, rehearsals get more intense towards the first night with a possible Sunday included in the schedule. A typical show week consists of a dress rehearsal on the Sunday followed by performances Monday through to Saturday (including a Matinee). For the summer concert the schedule is not usually as demanding.

We consider ourselves very lucky in that we have been able to perform our main G&S production at the Palace Theatre in Watford each year, and that in previous years we have been invited to take part in the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in the Buxton Opera House. In August 2004 we took Iolanthe to Buxton and were nominated for 4 awards, winning the best concerted item with our Peers Chorus. In 2005 we are took The Yeomen of the Guard for which for which the society was nominated for Best Actress (Emma Southorn as Phoebe) which she went on to win. We were also nominated for Best Concerted Item for wedding trio (Eve Rapley as Elsie, Brenda Southorn as Dame Carruthers and Emma Southorn as Phoebe). In 2007 we were honoured to present The Gondoliers as part of the Festival, and we took Ruddigore to Buxton in August 2008 and achieved our best ever results (Click here for details) .

Our smaller production takes place in the summer. In 2006 this took the form of a semi-staged performance of Patience, and in 2007 we put on a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, by Stephen Sondheim. Last summer, 2008, we presented The Girl Next Door as part of the Abbots Langley Festival of the Arts. We have also performed concerts and “Old Time Music Halls”, and this range of types of production means that we really do have something to everyone’s taste!

Current performing membership costs £35 per year with no extras. This entitles the member to take part in rehearsals and any shows performed during the year, which runs from April to March. Very occasionally restrictions are placed on chorus numbers (the Palace Theatre stage is not huge) but this is quite rare. Members also receive a regular newsletter. There are also other levels of membership, including Non-Performing, Student and Friend, that have a lower membership fee. There is more information about what these types of membership involve at the bottom of this page.

The society arranges many social activities for all its membership including Dinner Dances, Quiz nights, Summer BBQs and the like. We have also arranged theatre trips to London.

Do come and join us at our next rehearsal; we will be delighted to meet you. We rehearse in the Methodist Church Hall in Abbots Langley - Click here for a map a for a map and pointer. Do let us know if you plan to come ( visit our Contacts page  to get in touch with me as Membership Secretary) and if for any reason you cannot find me on that night, any member of the Executive Committee will be happy to see you and introduce you to the society in person.

Emma Stratton - Membership Secretary