Herne Bay Operatic Society started life in 1951 and lived a fairly nomadic life using various halls and rooms around the town for both it's rehearsals and shows. Starting with just one show per year quickly expanded to a regular2 shows per year using The Kings Hall, Strode Park, Pier Pavilion, The Playhouse Whitstable, Whitstable Castle and Herne Bay High School as venues, including several years of regular use of The Marlowe Theatre, until such time as that venue underwent a rebuild and subsequently became too expensive for an amateur group to fill the much increased audience space.

 

The Society went “international” during the 1980s when it was invited by the Herne Bay Twinning Association to take part in twinning activities with Waltrop Germany. A full production – including set, costumes, lighting, sound and orchestra - was transported to Waltrop for a weekend performance of The Merry Widow. A marathon feat of organisation. Subsequent 2 further visits were scaled down to a compilation and a variety show and were also received with much local acclaim.

 

In 1999 the Society was invited to represent the South East at the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) Centenary celebrations at The Royal Albert Hall London where some 30+ members had the opportunity to sing, dance and perform with Howard Keel and Bonnie Langford at a sell out performance.

 

During the late 1980s it was becoming increasingly difficult to find regular rehearsal rooms and storage space around the town and so, after much fund raising, the Society bought a disused builders yard in Arkley Road. Alterations and repairs, where possible undertaken by society members and friends, resulted in the building being transformed into our own rehearsal rooms, with set and wardrobe storage, which were officially opened with much aplomb by the late Dave Lee in 1997. Soon afterwards the Society applied for and received Charity status and Arkley Road Studio became a much sought after and fully used rehearsal hall and community space.

 

In 2011 the Society applied to the Charity Commission to change it's name to something more akin to the modern world and, after much negotiation as to what that title could be, Herne Bay Musical Theatre Society was born.

 

Over the years the Society has performed a great variety of shows, fully keeping up with new titles and public demand. We have performed numerous intimate sing-along shows through to full scale demanding productions such as Titanic, plus just about all of the evergreen titles including My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Scrooge, Barnum, Guys and Dolls and so many more. In recent years we have tackled some of the newest musicals available to amateur societies; Our House, Sunshine on Leith and The Big Bad Musical– all of which have been so very well received.

Our most recent productions have been in collaboration with Herne Bay Youth Theatre and include Annie, Evita and Oliver.

 

As a Society we welcome anyone who has an interest in performance and musical theatre. Not just in an “on stage” capacity but who are happy to help with any of the equally important accompanying jobs to be done – be it set building, painting, publicity, directing, Front of House, costume making or even tea making on rehearsal nights. Our premises -Arkley Studio - are currently used by several diverse groups in the town and we always try to assist other performing or charitable groups by helping out with sets, props, costumes - or just our combined technical knowledge and experience - whenever we can.

 

We are HBMTS – come join us