Open evening on September 8th
Perhaps you’ve enjoyed watching Milborne Port opera’s shows or one of their social media posts has caught your eye – but have you ever considered joining? If you’ve never trodden the boards before, it’s not too late to start. Milborne Port Opera are currently looking to welcome performers for their next show, The Yeomen of the Guard, which will be performed in April 2023. Rehearsals start in September and continue weekly from 8pm-10pm on Thursdays in Milborne Port.
Come along to MPO’s “Open Evening” from 8pm on Thursday 8th September at Milborne Port Primary School for an introduction to the group and how they work. You will also have a chance to sing along with the others If you’d like to know more, email secretary@milborneportopera.co.uk or leave a message on the Milborne Port Opera Facebook page.
When a group of friends and colleagues got together to perform in a one-off charity concert, who would have guessed that more than thirty years later they would still be in existence as an award-winning company performing light opera and musicals to appreciative Somerset audiences?
That first concert was a semi-staged version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, and Milborne Port Opera, as the group was soon named, has gone on to perform every one of the G and S operettas, from much-loved works like The Pirates of Penzance and Iolanthe to the almost-forgotten Utopia Limited. Along the way, MPO has brought audiences more fun-filled operetta from the likes of Lehar and Strauss, premiered three comic works by a talented member of the group, and branched out into the world of musicals with stand-out shows such as Sondheim’s Into the Woods and Cole Porter’s Anything Goes. Numerous awards have been presented to MPO from the Somerset Fellowship of Drama.
One of the most remarkable features of Milborne Port Opera is that the company creates its own venue every year, transforming Milborne Port Village Hall into a versatile theatrical space. In the early days, the Village Hall had no stage, and the shoe-string performances were somewhat rough and ready, staged on a low platform with minimal scenery. What a difference thirty years of gradual innovation can make! These days the Village Hall boasts a “small but perfectly formed” stage, which MPO extends forward, creating sensational scenery year after year. A full lighting rig is installed, tiered seating goes in for the audience, the wonderful orchestra tunes up and they’re ready for show time!
Come along and be part of it. It’s great fun and you will make some good friends.
http://www.milborneportopera.co.uk
