PBGS 50 Years Singing #7: We move to the QMT Hitchin

Iolanthe 2009

Continuing our story of PBGS over the last 50 years, 2009 PBGS moved to its current venue - the Queen Mother Theatre, Hitchin - following a couple of performances at Henlow Theatre. Rising costs, and the challenges of filling a theatre as big as Campus West in Welwyn Garden City with a smaller membership, made the QMT a much more viable home for the Society. The move also brought us new audiences, especially for Gilbert and Sullivan! Our first production was Iolanthe where we got the chance to spread some fairy dust on our new home.

 

 

PBGS 50 Years Singing #6: Back at Buxton with Princess Ida

On stage at the Festival

In 2000 PBGS performed for the first time at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Buxton and in 2004 we returned to Derbyshire to compete once again against G&S Societies from all around the UK and abroad. This time we took a production of Princess Ida. Produced by Paula Fraser, who also played our Princess Ida, the show was hugely well received by an enthusiastic audience at the Buxton Opera House. Performing at the Festival is a massive challenge for every society with only one rehearsal on the stage before the performance (where you start with Act 2 and finish with Act 1!), a set you’ve never seen, a steeply raked stage to adapt to and a full orchestra that you meet on the night! But PBGS likes a challenge...

All the photos are from the video of our Buxton performance.