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About us

Spectacular professional productions for the people in and around Nottingham.

Founded in 1893 as one of the Nottingham Mechanics Institution’s social groups, The Nottingham Operatic Society has performed over 135 shows and concerts in all of the City’s famous venues. Since 1925, our spiritual home has been Nottingham’s wonderful Theatre Royal.

Past and current members of the Society have witnessed the birth of the modern musical. The Society started with comic opera and Gilbert and Sullivan, exploring the first English musicals, before all the classic shows of the golden age of Broadway. More recently, we have staged more modern shows from Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Frank Wildhorn, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

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We are dedicated to giving everyone an opportunity to enjoy the experience of performing or working on productions.

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“I believe that in a great city, or even in a small city or a village, a great theatre is the outward and visible sign of an inward and probable culture.”

— Laurence Olivier

Who Manages the Society?

We have been a registered charity since 1958, and are governed by a Board of Trustees, who are all members of the Society.

Charity Number: 256983

Our charitable purpose has remained constant since 1893 and we are passionate about supporting people to enjoy live theatre.

“To provide education and entertainment for members of the general public by giving a wide range of affordable, concessionary theatrical performances and concerts of music, drama and dance in the Nottingham area. To improve on performing or backstage skills for both amateur and professional members. Where possible to provide funds, time and performances to help charities.”

— our charitable purpose

Presidents & Committee

Featured

Caroline Harper

President & Vice-Chairman

Patrick Humphreys

Vice President

Alan Martin

Vice President

Simon Theobald

Chairman & Honorary Treasurer

Drew Dennis

Honorary Business Manager

Rosie Poesl

Honorary Secretary

Amanda Dixon-Smith

Marketing Coordinator

Zak Charlesworth

Production Assistant & General Committee

Dan Armstrong

General Committee

Nick Smith

General Committee

Frank Nicholson

General Committee

Nathan Curzon

General Committee

Bara Erhayiem

General Committee

Our Directors

Each year, we appoint a Director, Musical Director and Choreographer to work with the Theatre Royal technical team and the Society to produce professional quality shows.

For our next musical, we will be working with Chris Sims, Rob Murray and Justine Lee.

Chris Sims - Director

Chris has been involved with the Nottingham theatre scene for nearly a decade, mainly at the Lace Market Theatre as an actor and director. His previous directing credits include The Pride (Alexei Kaye Campbell), Constellations (Nick Payne), Queers (Mark Gatiss), Foxfinder (Dawn King), Equus (Peter Shaffer), 4:48 Psychosis (Sarah Kane), and The Perfect Murder (Shaun McKenna and Peter James). For Foxfinder, Chris was named Director of the Year at the 2019-20 Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Drama Association awards.

Prior to moving to Nottingham, Chris spent a number of years living overseas and had his first experiences of directing with ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore’ at the Theater aan het Spui in The Hague and in the Short & Sweet Theatre Festival at the Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

This production is Chris’s first foray into directing musical theatre, though he has appeared in a fair few musicals over the years. Credits include The Producers and My Fair Lady with Nottingham Operatic Society, and the Lace Market Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls in which he played Nicely-Nicely Johnson. Other acting credits include lead roles in How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found, Measure for Measure, and Glorious!

Away from the theatre, Chris is Deputy Director of the Institute for Policy and Engagement at the University of Nottingham

Rob Murray - Musical Director

Rob studied music with instrumental and vocal teaching at University of Chichester. Here he studied trumpet with Fraser Tannock and Paul Sharp, and conducting, musical direction and orchestration with Dominic Nunns and Crispin Ward.

Theatre work as Musical Director include - Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Ghost; The Little Mermaid; Shrek; Hello Dolly! Return to the Forbidden Planet; Jesus Christ Superstar; Kiss Me Kate; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Just So; Footloose; The Witches of Eastwick; Bad Girls; Oliver! 9 to 5; The Addams Family; Spamalot; Top Hat; Cinderella; Whistle Down The Wind; The Wedding Singer.

Other shows as trumpeter/keyboards include - The Nativity (trumpet/assistant MD), West Side Story; Les Misérables; Crazy for You; The Hired Man; White Christmas; Jekyll and Hyde; Beauty and the Beast; School of Rock; The Wedding Singer; Sweeny Todd; Jesus Christ Superstar; High Society; Legally Blond; Tosca and many more.

As arranger and orchestrator, recent works include - Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Mother Goose, Dick Whittington, Peter Pan and Animal Farm.

Rob has had the pleasure of working with Beverley Knight; Amy-Lou (Britain’s Got Talent); Bruce Jones (Coronation Street); Bradley Hunt (The X Factor); Sandi Bogle (Gogglebox); Stevi Ritchie (The X Factor); Christopher Maloney (The X Factor).

Away from theatre, Rob is Company Director for Music Academy for Schools, a company specialising in music education, ensembles and workshops. He is also the brass teacher at Denstone College Preparatory School and Denstone College.

Rob is a member of the International Academy of Performing Arts and Sciences, working as an adjudicator for the ENKOR International Chamber Ensemble, Brass and Woodwind Competitions.

Justine Lee - Choreographer

Justine has been working professionally for twelve years as both a choreographer and performer. She trained at Arts Educational Schools and the AMTA, graduating in 2011 as the winner of the Dance Award. Justine is also a qualified dance teacher with the IDTA and has fifteen years experience teaching all ages at several dance schools across the country.

Choreography credits include The Queen’s Knickers (UK Tour and West End), Practically Perfect (Palace Theatre, Mansfield), Different Class (Barons Court Theatre), On Paper (Young Actors Theatre, Islington), Over The Rainbow (Palace Theatre, Mansfield) The Visit (New Wimbledon Youth Theatre), Cyrano of Brixton (Brockley Jack Theatre), Satin ‘n’ Steel (Lace Market Theatre).

As a performer, Justine has appeared in over twenty professional productions including The Queen’s Knickers (UK Tour and West End). Father Christmas Needs A Wee! (Swindon Arts Centre), Father Christmas Comes Up Trumps (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), The Giant’s Loo Roll (UK Tour), Fifty Days of Grey (UK Tour), Honk! (The Lost Theatre).

Following her West End Debut, 2022 was the beginning of a few career changes for Justine. She is now co-principal of the Lisa Gail Theatre School and resident choreographer for TaleGate Theatre Productions. Justine is also the host of ‘Centre Stage’ for Box Office Radio.

Nottingham Operatic Society is a member of NODA

Our Shows