Formed in 1937, the Society is one of Adelaide’s longest-lived community theatre groups. From modest beginnings with social evenings and soirees amongst members, featuring excerpts from Gilbert & Sullivan, the Society’s confidence and aspiration grew and after a three-year break commencing in 1943 “due to the serious state of the war” the Society mounted Trial By Jury as its first theatre production, in 1947, in the Tivoli Theatre (now Her Majesty’s). The Society mounted annual productions from 1947 to 1965, and, with the exception of 2020-21at the height of the Covid19 pandemic, has produced two major productions a year from then to the present.

In 1987 the Society started to broaden its repertoire and mounted Die Fledermaus, the first of its non Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Since then its regular program of Gilbert and Sullivan works has been interspersed with others from classic operetta such asThe Merry Wido and, La Vie Parisienne, classic musicals such as Camelot, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma! and The Sound of Music, and since the late 1990s, modern musicals such as Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar, Kinky Boots and, most recently, A Chorus Line and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

The Society is governed by a Board of Management with representative skills in management and theatre and operates under a rolling three-year strategic plan. Our vision is to be the music theatre company of choice for audiences and performers. We are proud of our ability to create opportunities for young and emerging artists and of our reputation that has seen national and international performers pass through our ranks and return.

The Society is self-funding, entirely voluntary and receives no government funding.

Merry Widow, 1994