Milborne Port Opera is an, amateur, self-funding company dedicated to musical theatre, and particularly the work of Gilbert and Sullivan. During our 25 year history we have performed every single G&S piece at least once.  We regularly win awards for our performances (This year we have been nominated for 4), our sets and the way we transform our village hall into a theatre every
year. We also perform pieces by other authors.

The company has evolved from a group of local residents putting on shows for charity, with minimal staging and a piano accompaniment, to a 35-strong company performing with full staging, lights and an orchestra – all local and mainly amateur.

Every year we completely transform the Milborne Port village hall.  Apart from building and painting an elaborate set, we also install raised seating. This is done over the Easter Weekend. Everything is dismantled after the last performance the following Saturday, and the hall returned to its normal immaculate state by the time everyone goes home.

This year we are tackling a new work by one our long term members, Neil Edwards, a talented writer, composer and arranger.   “Spring Fate” is his third play to be  staged at Milborne Port. It is comedy musical theatre from the Edwardian age at its best.

Lovely music, great choral singing and some stunning solo songs from an award-winning company. It will also be very funny. Think a spying mystery set to music in Downton Abbey, with some “Allo Allo” and “Carry on” humour thrown in.

The story is irrelevant (almost), but it concerns a gaggle of foreign spies masquerading as guests or performers at a grand country house party, trying  to steal British state secrets from the aristocratic owners. Will they get away with it?  Great characters, great music and a lot of laughs.

Milborne Port Opera up for 4 awards

Milborne Port Opera, South Somerset’s amateur group specialising in Gilbert & Sullivan and light opera, has been nominated by the Somerset Fellowship of Drama for 4 awards in the annual David Beach Awards for musical theatre.  (Somerset’s answer to the Oscars –Ed)

The nominations are for the group’s last production, the rarely-performed “Utopia Limited” by Gilbert & Sullivan. They are:
Best Cameo:  Andrew Armstrong as Mr Goldbury
Show Stopper:  Whole company for “Eagle High”
Best Musical Direction:  Caroline D'Cruz
Best Small Venue

The nominations are made by an expert panel of adjudicators who see each show. The winners are announced at a dinner in Taunton on Saturday 14th March .

There are 25 award categories in total, and 82 groups across the county competing to win them.