ABOUT US

We are an amateur dramatics group based at Horsehay Village Hall, Telford, in Shropshire. Very much an all-volunteer group we produce three plays every year and new members are always welcome.

HISTORY

It was in February 1944 that Horsehay Amateur Dramatic Society began life as a "war baby." The office staff of a local crane manufacturer, the Horsehay Works, set about bringing much needed cheer to audiences with "home-grown" wartime theatre entertainment. The company canteen was to be their theatre and a light comedy called "Three Half Crowns" their very first show.

An enthusiastic reception led to the first "official" production of the Horsehay Works Amateur Dramatic Society: three one-act plays, "Bathroom Door", "Queer Street" and "Tea For Three" giving as many would-be actors as possible the chance to "try out".

This initial success was followed by the first full three-act play "Rebecca" by Daphne DuMaurier in January, 1945, a play which was revived in 1994 as part of the Society’s "Golden" celebrations.

At first, membership had been limited to Company employees but the group’s popularity soon saw it opened to other keen would-be thespians. For now, the Horsehay Company continued to support the growing company by allowing free use of the canteen.

Eventually things were to change: when the works canteen closed and the building became Horsehay Village Hall, Horsehay Amateur Dramatic Society was born.

From initially putting on two plays a year, rising to three in the late 60's, we have now produced a total of 173 plays to date. Around 1,800 roles have been performed and over 50,000 audience members entertained.

Our productions have catered to many tastes: from literary classics such as "The Baretts of Wimpole Street", (1948), "The Importance of Being Earnest", (1968), "Dry Rot", (1979) and "Jayne Eyre", (1999) to the perhaps more obscure such as "Give Me Yesterday", (1950), "Busy Body", (1971), "The White Sheep of the Family", (1982) and "Two Into One", (1993). 1981 saw the production of the society's first musical, the ever-popular "Oliver!” This very successful show was followed by "The Sound of Music", (1983), "Annie", (1985), "The King and I", (1988), "Wizard of Oz", (1990), "Oliver!” again, (1994).

In recent years we have staged more contemporary works from the likes of Mike Harding and Ben Elton together with pieces devised and written by our own Society members.

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