Haworth West Lane Baptist Amateur Operatic Society

Established in November 1964 and still going strong. A friendly society performing Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas and other music in Haworth, W. Yorks

There is a long tradition of producing musical shows at Haworth West Lane Baptists, including shows like Merrie England, The Maid of the Mountains and Tom Jones. After a break of six years, Haworth West Lane Baptist Church (Choir and friends) was reformed to perform Gilbert and Sullivan shows. Their first production was in November 1964 and was 'The Michael Lofthouse as Musical Director and Frederick W Pye as producer. Since that time there has been a production each year with a full orchestra and in recent years a separate concert has been performed in the springtime.

In the early years the Society was renowned for its interval refreshments - not the usual cup of tea and a biscuit but a proper supper was supplied and served by the ladies of the church to each person in the audience - up to 200 people each evening at that time.

These early shows were set up on the traditional Sunday School stage with the usual curtains but since the church was renovated in 1999 the shows have been staged in the chapel, with some seating in the old pews and chairs added to accommodate just over 100 people for each performance.

In 1974 the name of the Society was changed to it's current title: Haworth West Lane Baptist Amateur Operatic Society.

The Society has toured their shows over the years: Princess Ida at the Keighley Playhouse (1971), The Mikado at Holy Family School (1973), The Practice Night at Skipton Auction Mart (1998). In 2002 The Mikado was presented at Hebden Bridge Cinema and then as part of the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival at Buxton Opera House. In 2007 the Society's annual production was Ruddigore at East Riddlesden Hall in Keighley by invitation from the National Trust.

In recent years our productions have not always followed the traditional Gilbert and Sullivan settings. Patience was a parlour maid rather than a dairy maid. The Gondoliers was set in 1960s Venice and our last Mikado was set in a posh London department store. In 2014 we brought HMS Pinafore and Trial by Jury up to the present day setting the former in a shore naval base.

Our 2015 production is The Pirates of Penzance - the setting? Well, why not come along and find out..?

Tags: Community Organization