70 years and counting... a brief history of our time (on stage)
To mark the 70th anniversary in 2024, Mill Hill Musical Theatre Company paid tribute to its operatic past with a one-off performance of Gilbert & Sullivan classic Ruddigore, celebrated our roller-coaster road to our established situation today with Patrons’ Party Our Platinum Years – and with Calendar Girls: The Musical we hope to forge an exciting future that will see us around for another 70 years. If you’d like to know about our how we got here, please read on…
The early years
Our President Grant Graves’ parents, Richard and Margery, formed Mill Hill Amateur Operatic Society (as it was originally known) in 1954, riding the crest of a post-war wave for live entertainment. Professional theatre had been decimated during the war, and there wasn’t much competition from other forms of leisure, with just one TV channel (ITV would come in 1955), three radio stations and, if you could afford it, cinema.
Born out of the dying embers of a few amateur groups, MHAOS’s first production was The Gondoliers, Gilbert & Sullivan’s nonsensical operetta about the privileges of birth. The show was itself 65 years old in 1954, and sounds like ancient history now, but if we were to trace back 60 years from today, we would be in the era of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, which doesn’t seem very long ago – funny thing, perspective! And G&S were very much part of entertainment in the post-war years.
Richard Graves was a genius at painting scenery and led a wonderfully talented team who would first make, then construct some pretty exotic sets (a collapsible grand piano for Bitter Sweet and a grand curving staircase for Perchance To Dream being the pick), while Margery was in charge of the music, firstly as rehearsal pianist and later as Musical Director and conductor when the two-piano accompaniment developed into an orchestra.
The Gondoliers proved a great success, and was followed by Lilac Time and My Lady Jennifer, a mix of other G&S favourites, and the likes of The Merry Widow, La Vie Parisienne, Die Fledermaus and La Belle Helene. Featuring large casts and bolstered by sell-out performances, the classics of operetta would form the backbone of the Society for another 50 years.
Audiences were mainly from Mill Hill, and there were many groups who would block book performances in those days, notably the Church Women’s Guild, the WI, The Townswomen’s Guild, the Rotary Club, the Cottage Homes groups and the Anglo-American Club (although the latter were a noticeable no show on the night JKF was shot).
Getting the Patrons’ Parties started…
In the late 1950s, we began organising smaller social gatherings, accompanied by cheese and wine, which gave everyone a chance to do more singing, and especially let chorus members take centre stage. It also provided an additional opportunity to build our Patron numbers.
Little did we know that these informal spring ‘Patrons’ Parties’ would morph into bigger and more involved affairs, serving as a huge thank you to our Patrons for their invaluable support. They do, however, retain an intimacy that the cast enjoys as much as the larger shows.
Mainly revues, they encourage the less experienced or anxious member to build up their confidence and enjoyment by taking on anything from a couple of solo lines to verses and even songs. And many younger people among the membership have gone on to win parts in main shows.
One of the most crucial aspects of MHAOS that helped keep cast, Patrons and audiences committed during the 1960s and 1970s was that the productions were excellently staged and performed.
We would also regularly get double-page spreads in local newspapers, which, added to excellent word of mouth, ensured shows were packed out.
Change is coming
As the 1980s approached, we felt a shift in attitude from supporting amateur theatre to wanting to watch the professionals. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were foremost in reinvigorating musical theatre in the West End, so during the chairmanship of Sue Graves, we began sampling the likes of The Boy Friend and Salad Days within our Patrons’ Parties – a seismic move for MHAOS!
However, operettas remained a favourite with members, with Gipsy Baron, Veronique, Tom Jones and the G&S hits getting repeated airings. Having multi-talented Margaret Dewar as our accompanist was a big bonus (she also taught us tap dances routine on occasion). Casting even the most popular and grand operettas started getting more problematical, including for Strauss’s biggie Die Fledermaus.
During the Noughties, we were still strong musically, with the baton having been handed to a new group of younger principals, but men remained in short supply. We were still satisfying our Patrons and core audiences, but numbers were contracting, including on stage, with older members retiring and younger cast settling down to family life.
While Grant was Chairman, the focus had turned to MHAOS being financially secure enough to withstand at least one financial failure, if necessary. Thankfully, that never transpired, helped in part by prudent treasurers. This cushion stood us in good stead, letting us make some bold decisions in the difficult years ahead.
Reviewing the situation
It was during Chris Hubbard’s tenure as chairman that it became clear a shake-up was crucial and, in 2011, to get bums on seats and to help with casting shows from within our membership, we made our first major foray into musical theatre for a main show. Our debut from the genre without a doubt had to be Guys And Dolls, an iconic hit from a different era with a contrasting, more vibrant feel. And in another first for the Society, we advertised externally for a director and MD, hitting the jackpot with Robin Scarborough – coincidentally helming us for Calendar Girls – as director and music student James Murray as MD. We also threw a launch night, through which we secured new members. It was a huge success – every performance sold out.
It was a new era in more ways than one, as it was also our final production in the old Hartley Hall, which had been our much-loved home for 57 years. It was idiosyncratic, draughty and aged, but had a great stage, decent rehearsal rooms and ample storage for sets and props. We were also able to build and paint sets there. However, it was announced in 2011 that our noble Edwardian stalwart was to be replaced by a new community hub, including a modern performance space.
We were homeless for three years, and during that time – in 2013 – we made our intention to move away from operetta official with a name change to Mill Hill Musical Theatre Company. We also launched a brand new updated website – www.mhmtc.co.uk – that year.
Wanting to celebrate our 60th birthday with a real crowd-pleaser, we selected Oliver! because having children in the cast would mean lots of their families and friends in the audience! It did throw up new and interesting issues, including chaperones and extra rehearsals. Thankfully, we were able to return to the new Hartley Hall just before curtain-up. While vastly different from previously – no wings and a lower stage – it looked great. A hired set and microphones were also used for the first time. It was a seismic, but necessary change!
Although we dipped our toe back into the world of operetta with The Pirates Of Penzance in 2016, which was a blast for the cast on stage, but ticket sales were disappointing, and since then we’ve fixed firmly on musical theatre with wonderful productions of Sister Act, Fiddler On The Roof and Oklahoma! (the latter being the debut of our amazing MD Ricardo) – before Covid struck!
Negotiating lockdown
Having to shut down production just two weeks before our 2019 Patrons’ Party Music Of The Knight was a shock – not financially, however, because we were in a strong position. That sadly wasn’t the case for many other companies, who were forced to close during lockdown.
Like the rest of the UK, we had no idea restrictions would last so long, but we ensured some continuity by meeting on Zoom on our regular rehearsal nights, staging play readings, bingo nights and quizzes.
The only obvious choice for our first in-person show could only be Guys And Dolls – and proved to be a pragmatic and fortuitous decision. Still constrained with the rule of six, etc, we held auditions before rehearsals started, staggered rehearsals, wore masks for the note-bashing, and taught choreography over Zoom. But as people had missed it so much, they were willing to endure these rules. We also reduced the seat numbers to allow for distancing.
The future’s bright
When Chris resigned as chairman in 2021, Clare Shah took on the role with gusto and drew up an ambitious three-year-plan in a bid to attract young cast members and change perceptions about the Company.
We had laid the foundations in the 2010s to becoming a more modern and ambitious group – and under Clare’s helm, getting a step closer to reaching that goal each year. Kiss Me, Kate was the launch point, with 9 To 5 the second step in 2023. Both shows were sold out and garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback.
For our 70th anniversary year, Clare was keen to stage a musical that would repeat the Sister Act effect for both our membership and audience. Calendar Girls: The Musical is that show! It’s a leap into the unknown for us – and quite a test logistically – but the story is truly uplifting.
And there’s a lot of time and effort, not to mention blood, sweat and tears, put in by the committee and members this year. Staging three shows in one year has been a real challenge, with rehearsals for Calendar Girls and Ruddigore running at the same time – and not forgetting our quizzes and Bingo Night alongside festive social events for cast and Patrons. We were under no illusions that it was going to be a huge amount of hard work, but we are also sure that it’s going to be worth it for our MHMTC family and to secure our future…
The early years
Our President Grant Graves’ parents, Richard and Margery, formed Mill Hill Amateur Operatic Society (as it was originally known) in 1954, riding the crest of a post-war wave for live entertainment. Professional theatre had been decimated during the war, and there wasn’t much competition from other forms of leisure, with just one TV channel (ITV would come in 1955), three radio stations and, if you could afford it, cinema.
Born out of the dying embers of a few amateur groups, MHAOS’s first production was The Gondoliers, Gilbert & Sullivan’s nonsensical operetta about the privileges of birth. The show was itself 65 years old in 1954, and sounds like ancient history now, but if we were to trace back 60 years from today, we would be in the era of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, which doesn’t seem very long ago – funny thing, perspective! And G&S were very much part of entertainment in the post-war years.
Richard Graves was a genius at painting scenery and led a wonderfully talented team who would first make, then construct some pretty exotic sets (a collapsible grand piano for Bitter Sweet and a grand curving staircase for Perchance To Dream being the pick), while Margery was in charge of the music, firstly as rehearsal pianist and later as Musical Director and conductor when the two-piano accompaniment developed into an orchestra.
The Gondoliers proved a great success, and was followed by Lilac Time and My Lady Jennifer, a mix of other G&S favourites, and the likes of The Merry Widow, La Vie Parisienne, Die Fledermaus and La Belle Helene. Featuring large casts and bolstered by sell-out performances, the classics of operetta would form the backbone of the Society for another 50 years.
Audiences were mainly from Mill Hill, and there were many groups who would block book performances in those days, notably the Church Women’s Guild, the WI, The Townswomen’s Guild, the Rotary Club, the Cottage Homes groups and the Anglo-American Club (although the latter were a noticeable no show on the night JKF was shot).
Getting the Patrons’ Parties started…
In the late 1950s, we began organising smaller social gatherings, accompanied by cheese and wine, which gave everyone a chance to do more singing, and especially let chorus members take centre stage. It also provided an additional opportunity to build our Patron numbers.
Little did we know that these informal spring ‘Patrons’ Parties’ would morph into bigger and more involved affairs, serving as a huge thank you to our Patrons for their invaluable support. They do, however, retain an intimacy that the cast enjoys as much as the larger shows.
Mainly revues, they encourage the less experienced or anxious member to build up their confidence and enjoyment by taking on anything from a couple of solo lines to verses and even songs. And many younger people among the membership have gone on to win parts in main shows.
One of the most crucial aspects of MHAOS that helped keep cast, Patrons and audiences committed during the 1960s and 1970s was that the productions were excellently staged and performed.
We would also regularly get double-page spreads in local newspapers, which, added to excellent word of mouth, ensured shows were packed out.
Change is coming
As the 1980s approached, we felt a shift in attitude from supporting amateur theatre to wanting to watch the professionals. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were foremost in reinvigorating musical theatre in the West End, so during the chairmanship of Sue Graves, we began sampling the likes of The Boy Friend and Salad Days within our Patrons’ Parties – a seismic move for MHAOS!
However, operettas remained a favourite with members, with Gipsy Baron, Veronique, Tom Jones and the G&S hits getting repeated airings. Having multi-talented Margaret Dewar as our accompanist was a big bonus (she also taught us tap dances routine on occasion). Casting even the most popular and grand operettas started getting more problematical, including for Strauss’s biggie Die Fledermaus.
During the Noughties, we were still strong musically, with the baton having been handed to a new group of younger principals, but men remained in short supply. We were still satisfying our Patrons and core audiences, but numbers were contracting, including on stage, with older members retiring and younger cast settling down to family life.
While Grant was Chairman, the focus had turned to MHAOS being financially secure enough to withstand at least one financial failure, if necessary. Thankfully, that never transpired, helped in part by prudent treasurers. This cushion stood us in good stead, letting us make some bold decisions in the difficult years ahead.
Reviewing the situation
It was during Chris Hubbard’s tenure as chairman that it became clear a shake-up was crucial and, in 2011, to get bums on seats and to help with casting shows from within our membership, we made our first major foray into musical theatre for a main show. Our debut from the genre without a doubt had to be Guys And Dolls, an iconic hit from a different era with a contrasting, more vibrant feel. And in another first for the Society, we advertised externally for a director and MD, hitting the jackpot with Robin Scarborough – coincidentally helming us for Calendar Girls – as director and music student James Murray as MD. We also threw a launch night, through which we secured new members. It was a huge success – every performance sold out.
It was a new era in more ways than one, as it was also our final production in the old Hartley Hall, which had been our much-loved home for 57 years. It was idiosyncratic, draughty and aged, but had a great stage, decent rehearsal rooms and ample storage for sets and props. We were also able to build and paint sets there. However, it was announced in 2011 that our noble Edwardian stalwart was to be replaced by a new community hub, including a modern performance space.
We were homeless for three years, and during that time – in 2013 – we made our intention to move away from operetta official with a name change to Mill Hill Musical Theatre Company. We also launched a brand new updated website – www.mhmtc.co.uk – that year.
Wanting to celebrate our 60th birthday with a real crowd-pleaser, we selected Oliver! because having children in the cast would mean lots of their families and friends in the audience! It did throw up new and interesting issues, including chaperones and extra rehearsals. Thankfully, we were able to return to the new Hartley Hall just before curtain-up. While vastly different from previously – no wings and a lower stage – it looked great. A hired set and microphones were also used for the first time. It was a seismic, but necessary change!
Although we dipped our toe back into the world of operetta with The Pirates Of Penzance in 2016, which was a blast for the cast on stage, but ticket sales were disappointing, and since then we’ve fixed firmly on musical theatre with wonderful productions of Sister Act, Fiddler On The Roof and Oklahoma! (the latter being the debut of our amazing MD Ricardo) – before Covid struck!
Negotiating lockdown
Having to shut down production just two weeks before our 2019 Patrons’ Party Music Of The Knight was a shock – not financially, however, because we were in a strong position. That sadly wasn’t the case for many other companies, who were forced to close during lockdown.
Like the rest of the UK, we had no idea restrictions would last so long, but we ensured some continuity by meeting on Zoom on our regular rehearsal nights, staging play readings, bingo nights and quizzes.
The only obvious choice for our first in-person show could only be Guys And Dolls – and proved to be a pragmatic and fortuitous decision. Still constrained with the rule of six, etc, we held auditions before rehearsals started, staggered rehearsals, wore masks for the note-bashing, and taught choreography over Zoom. But as people had missed it so much, they were willing to endure these rules. We also reduced the seat numbers to allow for distancing.
The future’s bright
When Chris resigned as chairman in 2021, Clare Shah took on the role with gusto and drew up an ambitious three-year-plan in a bid to attract young cast members and change perceptions about the Company.
We had laid the foundations in the 2010s to becoming a more modern and ambitious group – and under Clare’s helm, getting a step closer to reaching that goal each year. Kiss Me, Kate was the launch point, with 9 To 5 the second step in 2023. Both shows were sold out and garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback.
For our 70th anniversary year, Clare was keen to stage a musical that would repeat the Sister Act effect for both our membership and audience. Calendar Girls: The Musical is that show! It’s a leap into the unknown for us – and quite a test logistically – but the story is truly uplifting.
And there’s a lot of time and effort, not to mention blood, sweat and tears, put in by the committee and members this year. Staging three shows in one year has been a real challenge, with rehearsals for Calendar Girls and Ruddigore running at the same time – and not forgetting our quizzes and Bingo Night alongside festive social events for cast and Patrons. We were under no illusions that it was going to be a huge amount of hard work, but we are also sure that it’s going to be worth it for our MHMTC family and to secure our future…
