1975 – Albatross Gilbert and Sullivan Society
1995 – Albatross Musical Theatre Company
On May 22nd 1975, a group of Gilbert & Sullivan enthusiasts gathered in the old Band Practice room at HMAS Albatross and agreed to try to form a G. & S. Society. The first general meeting was held (under the chairmanship of the then Executive Officer, Cmdr Dickie Bird) on 4th June 1975 and a Committee was elected.
At the first Committee meeting it was decided to stage The Pirates of Penzance over three (3) nights in November of that year. It was so successful, from both the theatrical & economic viewpoints, that The Mikado was staged to even greater applause in May 1976 with further shows following every winter for the next three (3) years, viz. Iolanthe, HMS Pinafore & The Gondoliers.
In 1980, the Society decided to break with a five year tradition to stage a non G. & S. Operetta and South Pacific was chosen proving, yet again, to be an outstanding success.
All the above shows were staged in the gymnasium at HMAS Albatross and, by 1983, the short-comings of the gymnasium as a “theatre” were becoming more and more apparent. Additionally, the composition of the Society, which in 1975 had been – Navy 95% and civilians 5% – was now – Navy 30% and civilians 70%. The big decision was then made to move into town and our affiliation with HMAS Albatross became and remains an indication only of our origins.
Following a short period of relative inactivity, a resurgence was made in 1988 with a production of The Sorcerer staged at the Nowra School of Arts. This was followed in 1989 by Salad Days also at the School of Arts and, except for a few sojourns to several other venues, has remained our main area of performance to the present day.
To keep up with the times, the Society was Incorporated in January 1989 and, to keep up with the scene, the name was changed to The Albatross Musical Theatre Co. Inc. in January, 1995 to more closely reflect our aims….. to produce first-class Musicals, regardless of the composer. This we have done to great success with some of the most popular musicals ever written including The Sound of Music, Oliver, Calamity Jane, Hello Dolly, Guys and Dolls, Annie, Jesus Christ Superstar and Les Miserable just to name a few. Two other productions which proved to be a challenge and slightly out of our comfort zone were Sweeney Todd and the 2006 major work of The Full Monty.
Other ventures have taken place in other venues including a Choral Production of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie to celebrate the Centenary of Federation, Showtime, a Musical Smorgasbord and, more recently, to the local pub for a cabaret style performance named The Pubaret. This proved to be so successful in 2006 for the first time that a similar performance will take place late in 2007
Trying to involve all age groups, productions which involved children included Annie, Oliver and the Pantomime Red Riding Hood. In 2007 a production for the teenagers will take place in July with the staging of Disney’s High School Musical.
Accompanying all these productions has been some of the most talented musicians in the Shoalhaven providing a platform for the young and not so young to display their musical talents. With the much anticipated building of the new Shoalhaven Performing Arts/Cultural Centre it is hoped that it will be suitable for our needs.
History of Shows (incomplete)
as Albatross Gilbert and Sullivan Society |
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| 1975 | Pirates of Penzance | |
| 1976 | The Mikado | |
| 1976 | A Variety Show | |
| 1977 | Iolanthe | |
| 1977 | Christmas Show | |
| 1978 | HMS Pinafore | |
| 1978 | Naughty Nautical Navy Review | |
| 1979 | The Gondoliers | |
| 1980 | South Pacific | |
| 1981 | The Sorcerer | |
| 1982 | Ruddigore | |
| 1983 | ||
| 1984 | Iolanthe | |
| 1985 | ||
| 1986 | HMS Pinafore | |
| 1986 | Trial by Jury with other Musical Extracts | |
| 1987 | The Gondoliers | |
| 1987 | Faint Hearts and Fair Ladies | |
| 1988 | The Sorcerer | |
| 1989 | Salad Days | |
| 1990 | ||
| 1991 | Pirates of Penzance | |
| 1992 | Brigadoon | |
| 1993 | Oklahoma | |
| 1994 | Sound of Music | |
as Albatross Musical Theatre Company |
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| 1995 | Mikado | |
| 1995 | Sound of Music | |
| 1996 | Oliver | |
| 1996 | Showtime | |
| 1997 | Calamity Jane | |
| 1997 | Showtime 2 | |
| 1998 | Hello Dolly | |
| 1999 | Annie | |
| 1999 | Red Riding Hood | |
| 2000 | Guys and Dolls | |
| 2001 | Snugglepot and Cuddlepie | |
| 2001 | Jesus Christ Superstar | |
| 2002 | Sweeney Todd | |
| 2002 | Chorus Line | |
| 2003 | Les Miserables | |
| 2004 | Anything Goes | |
| 2004 | Into the Woods | |
| 2005 | The World Goes Round | |
| 2005 | Pirates of Penzance | |
| 2006 | Pubaret | |
| 2006 | The Full Monty | |
| 2007 | High School Musical | |
| 2008
2008 2009 2010 |
Pubaret
Back To The 80′s Fiddler On The Roof Cabaret Fantasque |
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