Ruislip Operatic Society

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ROS is a society full of lively, enthusiastic and talented people – but there’s always room for more…

As well as encouraging folk who want to sing, dance and act, we welcome those looking for a place to practise their set-designing, costume-making and tea-brewing skills.

Drop us a line, give us a call or come and see a show; a whole other world beckons.

If you’d like to get involved with the society and play some part in our future, onstage or off, please get in touch.

Go to the Contact Us page and send us an email. Tell us what you think of our shows or which ones you’d like to see. We’d love to hear from you.

The Ruislip Musical Society came about as a result of a public meeting held on 17th December 1923. For many months the Society concentrated its efforts on rehearsals, building up a repertoire and adding willing volunteers to the list of members. The first public performance by the Society was a concert version of Merrie England given in April 1925. The handbills advertising the event politely stated that the Society “had spared no pains to do justice to the Opera and hopes it will be the first of many successes.” It was.

The Society decided to change its name to Ruislip Operatic Society in 1935.

In 1939, despite the outbreak of World War II, ROS made the decision to carry on – as far as possible – presenting at least one production each year. The Society is proud that it has maintained an unbroken run since 1925.

During the early war years the fear of imminent invasion led to the introduction of some imaginative schemes designed to confound an invading army. The Society played its part in the war effort by allowing the deletion of part of the word Ruislip from the front page of the programme for each show. Confusing enough for the locals, let alone an enemy force.

ROS continued to thrive in spite of the demands of the war. Tom Jones was performed in June to avoid as much of the blackout as possible and the 1943 show Blossom Time featured a male chorus chiefly comprised of Air Raid Wardens and Home Guards. On a more sinister note, the 1944 presentation of Katinka was performed to a finish despite the sound of the first “doodlebugs” passing overhead, during the finale of Act II.

The programme for the 1961 production of The Gypsy Baron observed that the show cost more than £500 to produce. Those were the days. The budget for each of today’s shows comes in at well over twenty thousand pounds and every seat must sell to make even a modest profit.

1972 was the year of the power crisis and the chorus regularly arrived at Thursday rehearsals for The Grand Duchess with candles and paraffin lamps, in case of power cuts.

ROS chose to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 1998 by presenting “the musical of the century”, My Fair Lady. Its appeal was confirmed when the show was sold out weeks before opening night. Since then, ROS has welcomed audiences to a range of productions; each designed to showcase the Society’s talents. From the swashbuckling fun of The Pirates of Penzance – Broadway Version to the dark complexities of Sweeney Todd, ROS does its best to make an impact on the audience.

NEWS 2019

11 Feb My Fair Lady cast
13 Nov Singing at Duck Pond Market
27 Jun Scrooge auditions
21 May Show launch – Scrooge
08 Nov Pirates Cast List
27 Apr Autumn show launches

11 February My Fair Lady cast

ELIZA DOOLITTLE Vikki Wilson

HENRY HIGGINS David Hampton

COLONEL PICKERING Carl Quaif

FREDDY EYNSFORD-HILL Richard Connolly

ALFRED P. DOOLITTLE Alan Bailey

MRS HIGGINS Tina Wane

MRS PEARCE Jackie Quaif

MRS EYNSFORD-HILL Caroline Bronne-Shanbury

ZOLTAN KARPARTHY Phil Gibbs

JAMIE David Rees

HARRY Adrian Wilson

MAIDS Cherish Bristow & Susan Maycraft

13 November Singing at Duck Pond Market

We’ll be singing a selection of our favourite songs from Scrooge at the Duck Pond Market at Ruislip’s Manor Farm on Sunday November 18th. Don’t miss your chance for a sneak preview of the show, which opens at the Winston Churchill Theatre on November 28th.

27 June Scrooge auditions

Auditions take place Sunday 1st July (during the day) and Monday 2nd July (evening) at St Martin’s Church Hall, Eastcote Road, Ruislip. Bring some water, even if the high temperatures have dipped by then…

21 May Show launch – Scrooge

We’re very excited about the launch of our next show, Scrooge. If you’d like to find out how you can take part in the production, come along to St Martin’s Church Hall, Eastcote Lane, Ruislip, HA4 8DG on Thursday 7th June at 7:30pm. We’ll be very pleased to see you.

08 November Pirates Cast List

The cast list for The Pirates of Penzance looks like this;

MAJOR GENERAL STANLEY Tim Redman
THE PIRATE KING Kevin Murray
SAMUEL Alan Bailey
FREDERIC Richard Connolly
SERGEANT OF POLICE Carl Quaif
MABEL Cherish Bristow
EDITH Susan Maycraft
KATE Jackie Quaif
ISABEL Debbie Maycraft
RUTH Susan Smith

27 April Autumn show launches

The launch event for our autumn show takes place at St Martin’s Church Hall in Ruislip on Thursday April 27th. Meet from 7:30pm to start at 8pm.

What A Wonderful World is a compilation show that will run at the Winston Churchill Theatre from September 27th to 30th.

Come along to get a flavour of what will be a lovely musical melange.

Join in

We like to include all sorts of folk in the ROS mix. If you’ve seen one or two of our productions and you’re thinking about joining us on stage, come along and show us what you can do – we’re always happy to welcome new performing members.

Equally, we’d love to have you around if you’re handy with a paintbrush or a sewing machine or have a burning desire to shift scenery. And if you can brew a decent cuppa, we’ll probably dust off the red carpet…

MORE DETAIL Contact Us

Something for everyone

For those with a little less time to spare, becoming a Friend of ROS lets you support local theatre (for a nominal sum of £15 a year), gives you priority booking facilities, regular copies of the ROS newsletter – Tempo – and a nice warm glow.

Click on the button to contact us, and we’ll send you more details about the various levels of Society membership.

Chairman – Oliver Spinks

Vice Chairman – Les Dearlove

Secretary – Richard Connolly

Treasurer – Lynn Jackson

Business Manager – David Hampton

Publicity Manager – Jackie Quaif

Social Secretary – Susan Maycraft

Membership Secretary – Tasha Brain-Ewing

Committee Member – Charlie Turton-Jones

Helping

Please come and help us…

Committee members
Painting
Set building
Refreshments
Chaperones
Props
Costumes
Stage crew
Publicity and leaflet distribution

Contact us for more details...

Upcoming events to help with

My Fair Lady…
Want to help with our next production? Do you have a flair for sewing? Would you like to make some costumes? Talent with a hammer? Help our set builders! Send us your details...

Get Involved!
Simply click the contact button below to get involved with Ruislip Operatic Society.

Noda

The National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA) was founded in 1899 ‘to protect and advance the interests of Operatic and Dramatic Art, and of Societies engaged therein’. ROS is an active and enthusiastic member, one of 2,500 amateur societies and 3,000 individual members throughout the UK.

more details

The aims are…

• To give a shared voice to the amateur theatre sector

• To help amateur societies and individuals achieve the highest standards of best practice and performance

• To provide leadership and advice to enable the amateur theatre sector to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century

Just a few things people have said...

Claire
Jackie, society member
Daphne, Northwood
Neil Graves, Ealing

Past Productions

2016 The Full Monty

2016 Thoroughly Modern Millie

2015 Sister Act

VIEW ARCHIVE »

2016 The Full Monty

In this Americanised musical stage version adapted from the British film of the same name, six unemployed Buffalo steelworkers, low on cash and prospects, decide to present a strip act at a local club after seeing their wives’ enthusiasm for a touring company of Chippendales. One of them, Jerry, declares that their show will be better than the one staged by the Chippendales dancers…

2016 Thoroughly Modern Millie

In 1922, at the height of the Jazz Age, young Millie Dillmount arrives in New York City from Kansas, determined to find a rich husband and forge a new life for herself.

Unfortunately, her grand plan hits more than a few snags – including the fact that the man she falls for doesn’t seem to have a dime to his name…

2015 Sister Act

Reno lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses her mobster boyfriend killing an employee. She is hidden in a convent under a witness protection program. She soon makes friends with the nuns, especially Sister Mary Robert, Sister Mary Lazuras and Sister Mary Patrick, but ruffles the Mother Superior’s feathers.

2014 A Grand Night For Singing

On the stage of a derelict theatre, performers gather to reminisce about past glories and make plans for the future. As the talk turns to romantic attachments, it seems only right to express their feelings using music and lyrics that have delighted audiences for years.

A Grand Night for Singing showcases some of the best songs ever written by the masters of the Great American Musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein.

2014 The Wiz

Dorothy’s adventures in the Land of Oz set to music in a dazzling, lively mixture of rock, gospel and soul.

2013 Into the Woods

Stephen Sondheim’s fractured musical fairytale revolves around a baker and his wife, a rapping witch, an angry giant and other fairytale characters as they journey Into the Woods, to live happily ever after… or do they?

2013 Oklahoma!

Oklahoma! is the first musical written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams. A secondary romance concerns cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie.

Featuring songs: People Will Say We’re in Love, Surrey with a Fringe on Top, I Cain’t Say No and the title song, Oklahoma!

2012 Pride and Prejudice

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”.

Here begins what is arguably Jane Austen’s best-loved story, with the arrival of the single, wealthy and charming Mr Bingley and his party into the town of Meryton. He meets the Bennets and so this classic story begins….

2012 Red Hot and Cole

A sparkling blend of biography and music, Red Hot & Cole celebrates the American songwriter who brought style, elegance and sophistication to the stages and soundstages of Broadway and Hollywood.

Featuring songs Night and Day, Anything Goes, Let’s Do It, and Love for Sale to name but a few – the show tells Cole’s life story.

2011 Musical Magic

A selection of songs from stage, film and even the pop charts. ROS and ROS stageworks took audience members through decades of popular, entertaining and – yes- musical magic.

Featured songs: Any Dream Will Do, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Let’s Twist Again, You’ll Never Walk Alone, America and All That Jazz.

Gallery

Shows

Social

VIEW ARCHIVE »

2005 The Mikado 2005 Sweeney Todd 2006 Fiddler 2006 Oliver! 2007 Half a Sixpence 2007 BOB5 – 2 2007 The Best of Broadway 5 2008 The Gypsy Baron 2008 A Funny Thing Happened… 2009 Chess 2010 Blitz 3 2010 Blitz 4 2010 Blitz 5 2009 The ‘Farndale’ Mikado 2010 Blitz 2 2010 Blitz! 2009 ‘Farndale’ 2 2009 ‘Farndale’ 2009 ‘Farndale’ 3 2009 ‘Farndale’ 4 2009 ‘Farndale’ 5 2009 ‘Farndale’ 6 2009 ‘Farndale’ 7 2009 ‘Farndale’ 8 2009 ‘Farndale’ 9 2009 ‘Farndale’ 10 2010 Blitz 6 2010 Blitz 7 2010 Blitz 8 2010 Blitz 9 2010 Blitz 10 2008 Forum 2 2008 Forum 3 2008 Forum 4 2008 Forum 5 2008 Forum 6 2008 Forum 7 2008 Forum 8 2008 Forum 9 2008 Forum 10 2008 Forum 11 2009 Chess 2 2009 Chess 3 2009 Chess 4 2009 Chess 5 2009 Chess 6 2009 Chess 7 2009 Chess 8 2009 Chess 9 2008 GB 2 2008 GB 3 2008 GB 4 2008 GB 5 2007 BOB5 3 2007 BOB5 4 2007 BOB5 5 2007 BOB5 6 2007 BOB5 7 2007 BOB5 8 2007 BOB5 9 2007 BOB5 10 2007 BOB 5 11 2007 BOB5 12 2007 BOB5 13 2007 BOB5 14 2007 BOB5 15 2007 HAS 2 2007 HAS 3 2007 HAS 4 2007 HAS 5 2007 HAS 6 2007 HAS 7 2007 HAS 8 2007 HAS 9 2007 HAS 10 2007 HAS 11 2007 HAS 12 2007 HAS 13 2007 HAS 14 2007 HAS 15 2007 HAS 16 2007 HAS 17 2007 HAS 18 2006 Fiddler 2 2006 Fiddler 3 2006 Fiddler 4 2006 Fiddler 5 2006 Fiddler 6 2006 Fiddler 7 2006 Fiddler 8 2006 Fiddler 9 2006 Fiddler 10 2006 Fiddler 11 2006 Fiddler 12 2006 Fiddler 13 2006 Fiddler 14 2006 Fiddler 15 2006 Fiddler 16 2006 Fiddler 17 2006 Fiddler 18 2006 Oliver 2 2006 Oliver 3 2006 Oliver 4 2006 Oliver 5 2006 Oliver 6 2006 Oliver 7 2006 Oliver 8 2006 Oliver 9 2006 Oliver 10 2006 Oliver 11 2006 Oliver 12 2006 Oliver 13 2006 Oliver 14 2006 Oliver 15 2006 Oliver 16 2006 Oliver 17 2006 Oliver 18 2006 Oliver 19 2006 Oliver 20 2005 ST 2 2005 ST 3 2005 ST 3 2005 ST 4 2005 ST 4 2005 ST 5 2005 ST 6 2005 ST 7 2005 ST 8 2005 ST 9 2005 ST 10 2005 ST 11 2005 ST 12 2005 ST 13 2005 ST 14 2005 ST 15 2005 ST 16 2005 ST 17 2005 ST 18 2005 ST 19 2005 ST 20 2005 ST 21 2005 MIK 2 2005 MIK 3 2005 MIK 4 2005 MIK 5 2005 MIK 6 2005 MIK 7 2005 MIK 8 2005 MIK 9 2005 MK 10 2005 MIK 11 2005 MIK 12 2005 MIK 13 2005 MIK 14 2005 MIK 15 2005 MIK 16 2005 MIK 17 2010 Little Shop 2010 Little Shop 2 LSOH 3 LSOH 4 LSOH 5 LSOH 6 LSOH 7 LSOH 8 LSOH 9 LSOH 10 LSOH 11 LSOH 12 LSOH 13 LSOH 14 LSOH 15 2011 Hello Dolly Hello Dolly 2 Hello Dolly 3 Hello Dolly 4 Hello Dolly 5 Hello Dolly 6 Hello Dolly 7 Hello Dolly 8 Hello Dolly 9 Hello Dolly 10 Hello Dolly 11 2011 Musical Magic MM2 MM3 MM4 MM5 MM6 MM7 MM8 MM9 MM10 MM11 MM12 MM13 MM14 MM15 MM16 MM17 2012 Red Hot and Cole RHC 1 RHC 2 RHC 3 RHC 4 RHC 5 RHC 6 RHC 7 RHC 8 RHC 9 RHC 10 RHC 11 RHC 12 RHC 13 RHC 14 RHC 15 RHC 16 Hello Dolly 12 Hello Dolly 13 Helly Dolly 14 Hello Dolly 15 Hello Dolly 16 Hello Dolly 17 Hello Dolly 18 Hello Dolly 19 Hello Dolly 20 Hello Dolly 21 Hello Dolly 22 Hello Dolly 23 2012 Pride and Prejudice P&P 1 P&P 2 P&P 3 P&P 4 P&P 5 P&P 6 P&P 7 P&P 8 P&P 9 P&P 10 P&P 11 P&P 12 P&P 13 P&P 14 P&P 15 P&P 16 P&P 17 P&P 18 P&P 19 P&P 20 P&P 21 P&P 22 P&P 23 P&P 24 P&P 25 P&P 26 P&P 27 P&P 28 2013 Oklahoma! 2013 Into The Woods Oklahoma 1 Oklahoma 2 Oklahoma 3 Oklahoma 4 Oklahoma 5 Oklahoma 6 Oklahoma 7 Oklahoma 8 Oklahoma 9 Oklahoma 10 Oklahoma 11 Oklahoma 12 Oklahoma 13 Oklahoma 14 Oklahoma 15 Oklahoma 16 Into the Woods 2 Into the Woods 3 Into the Woods 4 Into the Woods 5 Into the Woods 6 Into the Woods 7 Into the Woods 8 Into the Woods 9 Into the Woods 10 Into the Woods 11 Into the Woods 12 Into the Woods 13 Into the Woods 14 Into the Woods 15 Into the Woods 16 Into the Woods 16 Into the Woods 17 Into the Woods 18 Into the Woods 19 Into the Woods 20 Into the Woods 21 Into the Woods 22 Into the Woods 23 Into the Woods 24 Into the Woods 25 2014 The Wiz Sister Act 1 Sister Act 2 Sister Act 3 Sister Act 4 Sister Act 5 Sister Act 6 Sister Act 7 Sister Act 8 Sister Act 9 Sister Act 10 Sister Act 11 Sister Act 12 Sister Act 13 Sister Act 14 Sister Act 15 Sister Act 16 Sister Act 17 Sister Act 18 Sister Act 19 Sister Act 20 Sister Act 21 Sister Act 22 Sister Act 23 Sister Act 24 Sister Act 25 2015 Sister Act The Wiz 2 The Wiz 3 The Wiz 4 The Wiz 5 The Wiz 6 The Wiz 7 The Wiz 8 The Wiz 9 The Wiz 10 The Wiz 11 The Wiz 12 The Wiz 13 The Wiz 14 The Wiz 15 The Wiz 16 The Wiz 17 The Wiz 18 The Wiz 19 The Wiz 20 The Wiz 21 The Wiz 22 AGNFS 2 AGNFS 3 AGNFS 4 AGNFS 5 AGNFS 6 AGNFS 7 AGNFS 8 AGNFS 9 AGNFS 10 AGNFS 11 AGNFS 12 AGNFS 13 AGNFS 14 AGNFS 15 AGNFS 16 AGNFS 17 AGNFS 18 AGNFS 19 AGNFS 20 AGNFS 21 Into The Woods 1 Into The Woods 2 Into The Woods 3 Into The Woods 4 Into The Woods 5 Into The Woods 6 Into The Woods 7 Into The Woods 8 Into The Woods 9 Into The Woods 10 Into The Woods 11 Into The Woods 12 Into The Woods 13 Into The Woods 14 Into The Woods 15 Into The Woods 16 Into The Woods 17 2014 A Grand Night for Singing 2016 Thoroughly Modern Millie Thoroughly Modern Millie 2 Thoroughly Modern Millie 3 Thoroughly Modern Millie 4 Thoroughly Modern Millie 5 Thoroughly Modern Millie 6 Thoroughly Modern Millie 7 Thoroughly Modern Millie 8 Thoroughly Modern Millie 9 Thoroughly Modern Millie 10 Thoroughly Modern Millie 11 Thoroughly Modern Millie 12 Thoroughly Modern Millie 13 Thoroughly Modern Millie 14 Thoroughly Modern Millie 15 Thoroughly Modern Millie 16 Thoroughly Modern Millie 17 Thoroughly Modern Millie 18 2016 The Full Monty The Full Monty 1 The Full Monty 2 The Full Monty 3 The Full Monty 4 The Full Monty 5 The Full Monty 6 The Full Monty 7 The Full Monty 8 The Full Monty 9 The Full Monty 10 The Full Monty 11 The Full Monty 12 The Full Monty 13 The Full Monty 14 The Full Monty 15 The Full Monty 16 The Full Monty 17 The Full Monty 18 The Full Monty 19 The Full Monty 20 The Full Monty 21 The Full Monty 22 The Full Monty 23 The Full Monty 24 The Full Monty 25 The Full Monty 26 The Full Monty 27 The Full Monty 28 The Full Monty 29 The Full Monty 30 The Full Monty 31 2017 What A Wonderful World What A Wonderful World 1 2018 Pirates of Penzance

ROS StageWorks / ROS StageWorks Summer School

Theatre workshops for young people

An introduction – for anyone aged 7 to 17 – to the art of performing. Learn to act, sing and dance, regardless of any previous experience, in a safe, supportive environment.

Meeting every Saturday morning, contact Malcolm Unwin on 020 8866 3110 or click on the link below for more details.

Summer School for young people

ROS StageWorks Summer School ran from 2006 to 2016 and gave young performers the chance to take part in a specially adapted (junior) version of a well known musical, after a week of rehearsals and workshops.

Contact us

We’d like to hear from you

If you have a query, comment or enquiry, please contact the relevant person listed in the box to the right. If you don’t know who to contact please email the general address and we’ll make sure the right person sees your message.

ROS StageWorks Summer School