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 History

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1945 to the present

Founding

Grantham Dramatic Society was formed in June 1945 with the principle object of raising money for charity.

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Empire Theatre

The first production was The Case of the Frightened Lady, and was put on in November 1945 at the Empire Theatre in George Street.

Another 12 productions were put on at the Empire Theatre until it closed at the end of 1951.

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Church Halls

GDS put five plays on at St John's Parish Hall from 1952 to 1954, and another two plays were produced at the Methodist Church Hall in Chapel Street in 1954/5.

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George Theatre

From December 1956 to November 1971, 39 plays were performed in the George Theatre behind the George Hotel before its make-over.

When the George Theatre closed, there were no other theatres in Grantham and GDS became homeless.

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Nomads

With no theatre to perform in, GDS were forced to put on plays in school halls.

It was difficult to stage major productions in such circumstances and for a few years GDS survived by taking theatre out to people, that is, performing one act plays at local groups such as the Women's Institutes.

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Winds of change

The first major production in the modern era was I'll Get My Man which was staged at St Hugh's School in October 1981.

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Premises

A turning point was when the Society began to rent a couple of large rooms at The Stables in Bridge Street, which enabled the building and storing of sets, rehearsals and hosting of social events.

The social events were important as they brought in potential new members and raised money to keep the Society going.

These premises were known, appropriately enough, as The Green Room.

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The Guildhall

Another significant event was the opening of the Guildhall Arts Centre, which enabled GDS to put on plays again in a proper theatre.

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Old Malthouse

Moving into the 21st century, GDS now rent their own premises in the Old Malthouse on Springfield Road.

With rehearsal space, store room, workshop and kitchen area, the Old Malthouse has provided a solid home for the Society for several years.

Unfortunately the rising cost of rent, council tax and utilities began to put a lot of pressure on the group's finances. With falling audience numbers at the Guildhall, the future wasn't looking too bright.

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Moving with the times

2005 saw the start of a rejuvenation. Membership began to increase, with an influx of new members of all ages.

The Society began to look at bigger, better productions, with larger casts. There was also a drive on marketing, as most people in Grantham weren't even aware the town had a theatre.

In Spring 2005, Holiday Snap! attracted an audience twice the size of that in 2004. A profit was made, which went some way to paying the rent on the rehearsal and storage space.

Later in 2005, Bedroom Farce achieved the same increase, bringing the theatre to three-quarters capacity.

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The TV trilogy

2006 and 2007 saw 'Allo 'Allo, Blackadder and Fawlty Towers sell out, bringing hundreds of new people into the theatre and raising the profile of the Guildhall in and around Grantham.

Ticket prices rose from £5 in 2004 to £8 in 2007, and each show now made just enough money to cover the annual costs of rehearsals, storage and theatre hire.

By 2007, membership had doubled and the average age halved.

The Society's 125th theatre production was to a sellout audience in May 2006.

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New media

We create video clips, screen them during performances and publish online. It's great fun, creative and everyone can play!

Founded when television was still a novelty, GDS is thoroughly part of the YouTube, social networking era.

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1945 | The Case of the Frightened Lady

1946 | Nothing but the Truth

1946 | When Knights were Bold

1947 | Ten Little Niggers

1947 | The Midshipmaid

1948 | A Murder has been Arranged

1948 | The Blue Goose

1949 | The Bat

1949 | Banana Ridge

1950 | The Shop at Sly Corner

1950 | See How They Run

1951 | The Man from the Ministry

1951 | Bonaventure

1952 | Home at Seven

1952 | Miranda

1953 | Queen Elizabeth Slept Here

1953 | The Hollow

1954 | The White Sheep of the Family

1954 | A Lady Mislaid

1955 | Mate in Three

1956 | On Monday Next

1957 | Open Verdict

1958 | Waters on the Moon

1958 | Suspicion

1958 | Beside the Seaside

1959 | Fools Rush In

1959 | Count Your Blessings

1959 | Birthday Honours

1960 | Seperate Tables

1960 | The Rising Generation

1961 | A Month of Sundays

1961 | Someone Waiting

1962 | The Brides of March

1962 | Time to Kill

1962 | Sit Down a Minute Adrian

1963 | Dangerous Corner

1963 | The More the Merrier

1963 | Book of the Month

1964 | They Came to a City

1964 | Two Dozen Red Roses

1964 | Odgson's Bill

1965 | The House by the Lake

1965 | A Lady Mislaid

1965 | Missing Believed Married

1966 | The Sound of Murder

1966 | Four in Hand

1967 | The Chalk Garden

1967 | Bell, Book and Candle

1967 | No Time for Fig Leaves

1968 | The Lady's not for Burning

1968 | The Happy Marriage

1969 | Don't Utter a Note

1969 | Sleeping Partnership

1970 | Murder for the Asking

1970 | Hayfever

1970 | Trap for a Lonely Man

1971 | Breath of Spring

1971 | Norman

1971 | Murder Mistaken

1972 | Loot

1972 | Arsenic and Old Lace

1973 | Midsummer Mink

1974 | The Wizard of Oz

1974 | Murder in Company

1975 | The Sleeping Beauty

1977 | Crown Matrimonial

1981 | I'll Get My Man

1982 | Shut Your Eyes and Think of England

1983 | End of the Honeymoon

1983 | Careful Rapture
                      As Short as Any Dream
                      Little Secrets

1983 | The Ghost Train

1984 | Find the Lady

1984 | The Bounder
                      Only When I Laugh
                      Duty Free

1985 | Timothy Tappitt and His Magic Hammer

1985 | The Wizard of Oz

1986 | Move Over Mrs Markham

1987 | Bedroom Farce

1988 | Key For Two

1988 | There Goes the Bride

1989 | Not Now Darling

1989 | Keeping Down with the Joneses

1990 | Stand by Your Bedouin

1990 | Stepping Out

1991 | Mr Macaroni & the Exploding Pizza Pie

1991 | Two and Two Makes Sex

1991 | Local Affairs

1992 | Wife Begins at 40

1992 | Move Over Mrs Markham

1993 | A Chorus of Dissapproval

1993 | Run for Your Wife

1994 | No Sex Please, We're British

1994 | Out of Order

1995 | Postman's Knock

1995 | When Did you Last See Your Trousers?

1995 | One for the Road

1996 | Fur Coat and No Knickers

1996 | Time to Kill

1997 | Educating Rita

1997 | Noises Off

1997 | Time of my Life

1998 | Straight and Narrow

1998 | Shirley Valentine
                      A Night Out

1999 | Cash on Delivery

1999 | Stepping Out

2000 | Lucky Sods

2000 | The Opposite Sex

2001 | Don't Dress for Dinner

2001 | Nobody's Perfect

2002 | Respecting Your Piers

2002 | Round and Round the Garden

2003 | Laying the Ghost

2003 | Witham Luvvies

2003 | Communicating Doors

2004 | Comic Potential

2004 | How's the World Treating You?

2005 | Holiday Snap!

2005 | Womberang

2005 | Bedroom Farce

2006 | 'Allo 'Allo

2006 | Dinnerladies

2006 | Blackadder

2007 | Fawlty Towers

2007 | Don't Dress for Dinner

2008 | Open Wide


That's 129 productions!

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