Site updated 12th June 2008
Petts Wood Operatic Society are pleased to continue its association with the Stag Theatre in Sevenoaks with our next production - Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. The show will run from Wednesday 26th November 2008 to Saturday 29th November 2008. See Shows section for full details.
Founded in 1935
Affiliated to Bromley Arts Council
Affiliated to National Operatic and Dramatic Association
Petts Wood Operatic Society is a Registered Charity No. 260876
Welcome to the Petts Wood Operatic Society website! Launched in November 2001 the website is regularly updated and we hope that you enjoy our site.
The purpose of this site is to further promote the Society as well as using 21st Century technology to keep in touch with the Society's many members, supporters and friends.
The website is neatly divided into four main areas, which remain displayed on the left hand side of the screen for ease of reference:
- Introduction
The section you are currently reading! This part includes a welcome and information about the society, contact details and our history
- Shows
This includes details of our current show, box office, a seating plan and our previous shows
- Hall Hire
The Society's recently re-decorated hall is available for hire. Full details are available together with a map.
- Members
This section is for all of our members, includes membership information, messages and notices, social events, members notice board and other information.
If you enjoy the Musical Theatre and are interested in singing and acting why not join us? We all enjoy this great pastime and derive much fun and pleasure from it. You could too.
We rehearse for about six months for each show. Initially we rehearse only on Tuesday evenings, but once the show is cast we rehearse on Thursday evenings for principals and nearer showtime for the entire cast. There are also some Sunday rehearsals.
Auditions for new members takes place in front of a panel of members of the Society. Singers will be invited to demonstrate harmony singing; dancers will be invited to demonstrate dance movements and simple melody singing. Male dancers and singers will be especially welcome!
Petts Wood Operatic Society is always keen to attract new members to sing, dance or help with any of the hundreds of jobs, whether behind the scenes or helping front of house, that are involved in the planning and production of our shows. We have a full and varied calendar of social events to which we welcome all our members; Performing, Technical and Honorary.
We are also always seeking sponsorship in any way, shape or form. Production costs of our shows continue to rise each year and if you feel that you could sponsor any part of these costs, we would be only too pleased to hear from you.
We hope that you enjoy our website.
If you wish to become involved with the Petts Wood Operatic Society or support it, please contact our Honorary Secretary:
If you have any constructive comments about this website, our productions, suggestions for our forthcoming shows, or wish to add anything to the website, please contact:
In 1936 , "The Street Singer" was performed by a newly formed Operatic Society, in the Village hall, Chislehurst, Kent, for two performances only.
The group strengthened its resources over the next few years and shows were presented with an ever increasing improvement in the standard. This development was cruelly interrupted by the onset of the Second World War, in 1939. Lucky for us, those members that survived the five horrific years, had the energy and determination to reform the Society and started to perform excellent shows, not in Chislehurst, as was the case before the war, but at the Civic Hall in Orpington.
Our venue changed in 1993 to the theatre, recently developed from a former Art-Deco Cinema in Sevenoaks, which was renamed The Stag. In 2004 The Stag was renamed the Sevenoaks Playhouse. This move was forced on us on mainly for economic reasons. Shows were costing more and more to mount and with the not-too-comfortable chairs at the Civic Hall, we felt that we could not raise the price of tickets and so, even with "sell-out" productions, we were never going to cover our production costs.
The difficult task of persuading our patrons and supporters to make the extra journey down to Sevenoaks was undertaken and we have succeeded in filling our houses. Mostly from our former friends, but also amply supplemented by the increasing band of supporters from the Sevenoaks and Tonbridge area.
Our production of Oliver! in November 2004 was the Society's 100th production. We have produced shows of very high standard from the classics, such as: - "The Merry Widow", "The Student Prince" and "The Vagabond King" to many of the Gilbert & Sullivan treasures, to the modern West End/Broadway Musicals such as: - "Fiddler on the Roof", "Guys & Dolls," "South Pacific", "Kiss Me, Kate", "Carousel", "My Fair Lady" and many, many more!
In the programme of "Show Boat", which we presented to mark our Diamond Jubilee in 1995, a more detailed history was written.
So, how did it all begin? Strange though it may seem, the Society was born on a summer evening in 1935, in the pavilion of a local sports club. The club house was a popular meeting place for local residents, and a group of these hit on the idea of starting a local operatic society in what was, then, a new community.
A public meeting was held, and the chair was taken by Mr S.W. Cook. His chief supporter was Mr L.V.H. Gingell, who subsequently became the Society's first Chairman and Musical Director. A committee was elected, rules discussed and at a later meeting, it was announced that the Society would give two performances of "The Street Singer" at the Village Hall, Chislehurst, early the following year.
Rehearsal accommodation was a major problem, and whilst principals could easily meet in members' houses, the early full rehearsals were held at the clubhouse with merely a curtain dividing the bar and billiard table from the performers. With a new venture of this type, it was essential to keep all costs down to a minimum, and existing scenery at the village hall was utilised. Costumes in the main were made by the cast, under the expert eye of Mrs Edith Cook, who remained as Wardrobe Mistress to the Society for many years. About five hundred people attended the first two performances and the critic of the local paper wrote; "The Society made a brilliant debut and this production sets it off on a bright career". What he didn't know was that the load on the electrical circuits in the village hall were somewhat high, to put it mildly, and disaster was only just averted. It should be pointed out that the comedy duo in this production were Hector Perrin and Millie Ramsay.
The December 1936 production was "The Quaker Girl" again at the Village Hall. This time for three nights! It was during this production that the show was interrupted, so that the audience could listen to King Edward VIII's abdication speech, after which the audience sang the National Anthem, after which the show resumed.
In 1937, the Society presented "The Mousme" and this was the first show where members constructed the scenery and properties, a practice that was to be repeated with "The Rebel Maid", but then lapsed until the late 1960s.
Following "The Rebel Maid", the Society announced that they were going to produce their first Gilbert & Sullivan Opera. "The Gondoliers" was the one chosen. But fate ordained differently, for without warning, the Society was deprived of the use of the Village Hall, and it looked as though the final curtain on the Society was about to descend. However, with a view to keeping performers together, Mr Walter Dossett offered to stage a revue at The Daylight Inn, Petts Wood and "These Foolish Things" was presented in the ballroom - the first show where dances were arranged by Miss Rita Emmerson, who subsequently choreographed many shows for the Society after the Second World War.
The problems over the Village Hall having been resolved, the Society returned there in 1939 with "The Arcadians". This was the last production before the 1939 - 1945 war, and indeed, the last production at the Village Hall, Chislehurst!
During the war, all activities ceased and the only thing of note to record was that all the scenery and props were destroyed by enemy action. With Peace came the desire, once again, to restart the Society. The Society was 'reborn' with Mrs Norman Phelps as Chairman, Arthur Willis as Secretary and Percival Jakes as Treasurer with £20 in the bank! The Musical Direction was in the hands of Peter Wright, for the first time for many shows, and Walter Dossett was Producer, a post he held with distinction - and few interruptions - until he retired in 1965.
The first post-war show was "The Geisha", which was performed for three nights at a new venue; The Civic Hall, Orpington, which became the 'home' theatre for the Society until the Spring 1993 production of "Oliver!", which took place at the Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks. The Society then decided to transfer to that Theatre permanently.
In 1949, the production was "Merrie England" and this saw the arrival of Madge and Reg Fox. Although Madge tragically died in 1954, Reg remained with the Society for many shows and was Chairman for a record 24 consecutive years.
1950 saw the long delayed first venture into Gilbert & Sullivan with "The Gondoliers", followed in 1951 with "Katinka". Back to G&S again in 1952 with "Iolanthe", when for the first time the men's chorus earned an enviable reputation, equal to that already bestowed on the ladies. This very high standard still pertains to this day and the excellent quality of the singing of the Society is the envy of many other groups in the area.
And so the list goes on with memories of jokes, mishaps and innovations. Memories flood back when one views the list of shows presented by the Society. 1972 was another milestone in our History, being the first year when we produced two full-length shows.
Petts Wood Operatic Society receives no subsidy of any kind and is a registered Charity, and continues to flourish through its own hard work, a continued influx of new young members and the support it receives from the Honorary Members and the local businesses and people of Petts Wood, Orpington and now Sevenoaks and many other areas of Kent.
The following are useful links: If you wish to add a link contact info@pwos.org.uk
Introduction | Shows | Hall Hire | Members
Copyright © 2001 - 2008 PWOS
All Rights Reserved
Website Developer
Mark Trinick
Webmaster
James Millis