East Norfolk Operatic Society
Affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association
A Brief History of ENOS
Hoveton Village Hall
In 1959 a group of like-minded Wroxham and
Hoveton residents interested in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas met
at the home of Hilda and Donald Dickerson in Wroxham. The East
Norfolk Amateur Operatic Society was born. A committee was formed
and a constitution written, which has needed only a few changes
through the years.
The Chairman was Noel Bird, the Secretary George Bullen, the Treasurer R.F. Tilson, the Business Manager Ella Brough and Hilda Dickerson.
The ever popular Mikado was chosen as the first opera. Most of the cast and audience lived in the nearby vicinity and included family, friends and relations. Harry Balders was the Producer, the Musical Director George Bullen and the Stage Manager Leslie Landamore.
Rehearsals for the first few years took place in The Castle public house, which has since closed and is now a private residence, and thereafter at Wroxham Church Hall, where the Society still rehearses today. The operas were performed in Hoveton Village Hall. There was a small changing room for the ladies and a caravan for the men. There was not much room to change costumes and there was a need for the men to run to the stage when it rained!
The Gondoliers, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Pirates of Penzance, Trial by Jury, Ruddigore, Princess Ida, The Yeomen of the Guard, and The Sorcerer were all performed there.
The operas were always well received but the cast and audience outgrew the venue and so the Society moved to Broadland High School, in Hoveton, in 1970. The first production there was Patience, under the direction of Alec Court, the Musical Director being David Kett. The operas performed there included Utopia Ltd and The Grand Duke.
In 1993, a move to Sprowston High School in north Norwich, with Iolanthe, provided a still larger stage and auditorium. During Patience, in 1996, there really were twenty lovesick maidens! The Society also enjoyed a twenty four or twenty six piece orchestra. The Society's constitution does not dictate that the Gilbert and Sullivan operas should be performed exclusively and so, in addition to the Savoy Operas, Merrie England and Die Fledermaus have also been performed.
The Chairman was Noel Bird, the Secretary George Bullen, the Treasurer R.F. Tilson, the Business Manager Ella Brough and Hilda Dickerson.
The ever popular Mikado was chosen as the first opera. Most of the cast and audience lived in the nearby vicinity and included family, friends and relations. Harry Balders was the Producer, the Musical Director George Bullen and the Stage Manager Leslie Landamore.
Rehearsals for the first few years took place in The Castle public house, which has since closed and is now a private residence, and thereafter at Wroxham Church Hall, where the Society still rehearses today. The operas were performed in Hoveton Village Hall. There was a small changing room for the ladies and a caravan for the men. There was not much room to change costumes and there was a need for the men to run to the stage when it rained!
The Gondoliers, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Pirates of Penzance, Trial by Jury, Ruddigore, Princess Ida, The Yeomen of the Guard, and The Sorcerer were all performed there.
The operas were always well received but the cast and audience outgrew the venue and so the Society moved to Broadland High School, in Hoveton, in 1970. The first production there was Patience, under the direction of Alec Court, the Musical Director being David Kett. The operas performed there included Utopia Ltd and The Grand Duke.
In 1993, a move to Sprowston High School in north Norwich, with Iolanthe, provided a still larger stage and auditorium. During Patience, in 1996, there really were twenty lovesick maidens! The Society also enjoyed a twenty four or twenty six piece orchestra. The Society's constitution does not dictate that the Gilbert and Sullivan operas should be performed exclusively and so, in addition to the Savoy Operas, Merrie England and Die Fledermaus have also been performed.
The Maddermarket Theatre
In 1998, the Society agreed to drop the word
amateur from its title, thereafter being the East Norfolk Operatic
Society. (This had previously been discussed twice in the 1960s but
no action taken).
At the millennium, the Committee decided to take a fresh look at the Society and make plans for its future and decided that the 2005 production of HMS Pinafore should take place at The Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. (This was also an idea raised in the 1960s). This proved to be a popular and successful decision, and all subsequent shows including our 50th and 60th Anniversary productions of The Mikado, have been performed there to great effect.
At the millennium, the Committee decided to take a fresh look at the Society and make plans for its future and decided that the 2005 production of HMS Pinafore should take place at The Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. (This was also an idea raised in the 1960s). This proved to be a popular and successful decision, and all subsequent shows including our 50th and 60th Anniversary productions of The Mikado, have been performed there to great effect.