The Society Today
Beverley Musical Theatre perform Musical Shows, Pantomimes and concerts in Beverley, Hull and the surrounding villages. The East Riding of Yorkshire is fortunate in having a large number of amateur operatic and dramatic societies. This means that competition for the attentions of the theatre-going public is intense, and consequently the standard of the performances is very high.
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Beverley Musical Theatre is no exception. Based largely in Beverley itself, the society performs primarily at the Beverley Memorial Hall. Most years we perform our main musical show in May or June and a pantomime in November or December.
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The company enjoys a lively social programme including our Annual Dinner, barbecues, theatre trips, and of course the usual parties (any excuse!). There’s always plenty to do even when we’re not rehearsing for shows.
Join Us
We meet in the Masonic Hall, Trinity Lane, Beverley on Wednesday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm and Sunday from 7:00pm to 9:00pm
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We are always looking for new members whether on stage or behind the scenes. There is always help needed with lighting, sound, props, music and much more as well as needing actors on stage.
Why not get in touch and find out more? We'd love you to join us.
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Our History
Beverley Amateur Operatic Society (1927 – 1937)
Productions from 1927 to 1935
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February 1927 Iolanthe
February 1928 Mikado
February 1929 The
Gondoliers
February 1930 Dorothy
March 1931 Trial by Jury /
HMS Pinafore
February 1932 Rebel Maid
February 1933 The Geisha
October 1933 Concert in aid
of the Hospital
February 1934 The Yeomen
of the Guard
November 1934 Florodora
November 1935 Pirates of
Penzance
The Beverley Amateur Operatic Society was formed in 1927, conducted by H.Malkin who also conducted the Beverley Choral Society at this time. The Society’s first performance was Iolanthe in February 1927.
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In the 1920s and 30s the Society largely performed Gilbert and Sullivan shows, although others such as Dorothy and Rebel Maid were also performed. Most of the shows were presented at the Gymnasium Hall in Beverley.
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In 1937 the Beverley Amateur Operatic Society was wound up due to a lack of support from membership, the lack of a suitable hall in the town for opera performances and declining audiences which was causing financial difficulties.
The Beverley Amateur Operatic Society was formed in 1927, conducted by H.Malkin who also conducted the Beverley Choral Society at this time. The Society’s first performance was Iolanthe in February 1927.
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In the 1920s and 30s the Society largely performed Gilbert and Sullivan shows, although others such as Dorothy and Rebel Maid were also performed. Most of the shows were presented at the Gymnasium Hall in Beverley.
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In 1937 the Beverley Amateur Operatic Society was wound up due to a lack of support from membership, the lack of a suitable hall in the town for opera performances and declining audiences which was causing financial difficulties.
The Mikado February 1928
Beverley and District Amateur Operatic Society (post-war)
The first show after the war by the newly re-formed Beverley and District Amateur Operatic Society was due to be The Gondoliers in 1947 at the Marble Arch Cinema, but this was cancelled because of a lack of fuel for heating.
Instead, concert versions of Merrie England and Tom Jones were performed in 1947 and 1948, and staged shows were re-commenced in 1949 with The Gondoliers at the Marble Arch in March.
Productions from 1947 to 1959
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1947 Merrie England
(concert version)
1948 Tom Jones
(concert version)
1949 The Gondoliers
1950 Pirates of Penzance
1951 Rebel Maid
1952 Emerald Isle
1953 Ruddigore
1954 Vagabond King
​1955 Desert Song
1956 Rose Marie
1957 The King and I
1958 Summer Song
1959 Merry Widow
From the Memorial Hall to the Hull New Theatre
Productions from 1960 to 1989
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1960 Song of Norway
1961 The Belle of New York
1962 Land of Smiles
1963 Bitter Sweet
1964 King’s Rhapsody
1965 Vagabond King
1966 Glamorous Night
1967 The Boyfriend
1968 Robert and Elizabeth
1969 The King and I
1970 Merry Widow
1971 Camelot
1972 Vagabond King
1973 Merry England
1974 White Horse Inn
1975 My Fair Lady
1976 The Great Waltz
1977 Merry Widow
1978 Fiddler on the Roof
1979 Hello Dolly
1980 Summer Song
1981 White Horse Inn
1982 Oliver!
1983 My Fair Lady
1984 Mame
1985 Pirates of Penzance
(Broadway version)
1986 Fiddler on the Roof
1987 Oliver!
1988 Merry Widow
1989 Hello Dolly!
By the late 1950s the society had dropped ‘and District’ from its name to become Beverley Amateur Operatic Society. In 1959 they moved their performance venue from the Marble Arch cinema, which was due to be demolished, to the Memorial Hall, where they performed the Merry Widow.
This was their home until 1967 when the success of their performance of Camelot prompted them to look for a bigger venue for the following year’s performance of Robert and Elizabeth.
For the next 22 years the Society performed at Hull’s New Theatre.
Beverley Operatic Society and Beverley Musical Theatre
From 1990, when financial difficulties necessitated the return of the, then Beverley Operatic Society, to the Memorial Hall, the Society presented two performances a year, a musical and a pantomime. In 2000 they were again able to return to the New Theatre with Guys and Dolls, but also continued to perform a pantomime each Christmas at the Memorial Hall.
In September 2006 the society re-launched itself as Beverley Musical Theatre in order to appeal to 21st century audiences and attract new members to the world of musical theatre.
Beverley Musical Theatre continues to perform two shows a year: a main show in the summer (our next summer show will be our first at Hull Truck Theatre) and a pantomime at Christmas at the Beverley Memorial Hall.
Productions from 1990 to present
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1988 Merry Widow
1989 Hello Dolly!
1990 Cinderella
1991 Oklahoma!
Aladdin
1992 Pirates of Penzance
Dick Whittington
1993 South Pacific
Jack and the Beanstalk
1994 My Fair Lady
The Sleeping Beauty
1995 Annie
Mother Goose
1996 The King and I
Puss in Boots
1997 Oliver!
Humpty Dumpty
1998 Oklahoma!
Beauty and the Beast
1999 Me & My Girl
The Little Mermaid
2000 Guys & Dolls
Aladdin
2001 Hello Dolly!
Mother Goose
2002 South Pacific
Dick Whittington
2003 Me & My Girl
Jack & the Beanstalk
2004 The King and I
Cinderella
2005 My Fair Lady
Babes in the Wood
2006 Anything Goes
Sleeping Beauty
2007 Guys & Dolls
Robinson Crusoe
2008 Oliver!
Aladdin
2009 My Fair Lady
Dick Whittington &
Sam the Cat
2010 Hello Dolly!
Mother Goose
2011 South Pacific
Snow White & the
Seven Dwarves
2012 Annie
2013 The Sound of Music
2014 Fiddler on the Roof
2015 Singin’ in the Rain
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2016 9 to 5 the Musical
2017 Dirty Rotten
Scoundrels
Sleeping Beauty
2018 Legally Blonde
Goldilocks and the
Three Bears
2019 The Wizard of Oz
Snow White and the
Seven Dwarves
2021 Mother Goose
2022 Little Shop of Horrors
Cinderella
2023 The Addams Family
Robin Hood
2024 Kinky Boots
Famous members
Ruth Madoc
Ruth Madoc spent part of her childhood in Beverley, and in 1957 played the part of Prince Chulalongkorn in the Society’s version of The King and I, before leaving Beverley to become a household name.
Ruth Madoc (centre) with other members of Beverley Musical Theatre
Peter Martin
One of Peter Martin’s earliest acting jobs was singing “with a fine tenor voice” in Beverley Amateur Operatic Society’s 1967 version of Camelot. Since then he has gone on to be a television actor, appearing in many Yorkshire and Lancashire based shows, and may be best remembered as Len Reynolds in Emmerdale. Other TV shows include Heartbeat, Dalziel and Pascoe, The Royle Family and All Creatures Great and Small. He has appeared in one film, the Yorkshire-based miner drama Brassed Off.