CANTERBURY OPERATIC SOCIETY
Past Shows
Recent years
2023 The Emperor's Clothes
2022 Kipps
No performances 2020-2021 due to the closure of theatres during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019 My Fair Lady
2018 Oklahoma!
2017 The Mikado
2016 Singin' in the Rain
2014 Sweeney Todd
2013 Anything Goes
2012 Guys and Dolls
2011 Into the Woods
2010 The Pajama Game
+ Love, Grief and Joy at the Savoy
2008 My Fair Lady
2007 Kiss Me, Kate
2006 Me and My Girl
2005 Fiddler on the Roof
2004 Oklahoma!
2003 Anything Goes
2002 Carousel
2001 Hello, Dolly!
2000 The Mikado
1960s to 1990s
1999 My Fair Lady
1998 Iolanthe
1997 The Merry Widow
1996 The Music Man
1995 Oklahoma!
Time for Song & Laughter
1994 Half a Sixpence
1993 The Gipsy Baron
The Sound of His Music
1992 The Pirates of Penzance
A Funny Thing Happened
on the Way to the Forum
1991 Show Boat
A Portrait of Porter
1990 Viva Mexico
1989 Fiddler on the Roof
The Magic of Mercer
1988 Hello, Dolly!
A Showful of Show Songs
1987 Kiss Me, Kate
The Sound of Gershwin
1986 The Gondoliers
A Showful of Show Songs
1985 Annie Get Your Gun
Meet Mr Kern
1984 Orpheus in the Underworld
20th Century Song Parade
1983 The Yeomen of the Guard
1982 The Merry Widow
1981 The Pajama Game
1980 The Sorcerer
Trial By Jury
1979 Die Fledermaus
1978 The White Horse Inn
1977 The Mikado
1976 Show Boat
1975 Viva Mexico
1974 The New Moon
1973 Fiddler on the Roof
1972 Oklahoma!
1971 Iolanthe
Passion Flower
1970 La Vie Parisienne
Die Fledermaus
1969 Utopia, Ltd.
1968 Orpheus in the Underworld
1967 The Vagabond King
Free As Air
1966 The Gipsy Baron
1965 The White Horse Inn
1964 The Merry Widow
1963 The Gondoliers
1962 Ruddigore
1961 The Rebel Maid
1960 The Mikado
Early years
1959 Tom Jones
1958 Princess Ida
1957 Iolanthe
1956 Trial by Jury
HMS Pinafore
1955 The Yeomen of the Guard
1954 The Gondoliers
1953 Merrie England
1952 The Mikado
No performances from 1935-1951 due to the closure of the St. George's Theatre and the Second World War.
1934 The Rebel Maid
1933 Cox and Box
The Pirates of Penzance
1932 The Geisha
1931 The Gondoliers
1930 The Yeomen of the Guard
1929 The Duchess of Danzig
1928 Trial By Jury
HMS Pinafore
1927 Princess Ida
1926 Utopia, Ltd.
1925 The Mikado
1924 The Gondoliers
1923 Iolanthe
1922 The Pirates of Penzance
No performances from 1915-1921 due to the First World War and its aftermath.
1914 The Yeomen of the Guard
1913 Ruddigore
1912 The Princess of Kensington
1911 Merrie England
1910 The Gondoliers
1909 The Mikado
1908 Iolanthe
1907 Patience
Between 1907 and 2023, from Patience to The Emperor's Clothes, Canterbury Operatic Society has performed 50 different musicals, plus a number of 'compilation shows' devised locally.
Unsurprisingly, we have performed the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan more than any other shows - they do have a head start on most of the rest of our repertoire after all! Over the years, all of their survivng operas have been put on stage by the Society with the exception of The Grand Duke. The Mikado leads the pack with seven productions over the years.
In more recent years, although Gilbert and Sullivan are far from forgotten, we tend to perform (comparatively) more modern musicals. Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady and Fiddler on the Roof have so far proved the most popular of these shows.