Events
DODS Dinner & Dance 2008
AwardsLyn Jones Memorial Award Craig HewlettClark Crystal Paul StewartSkinner Backstage Award Sarah HodgeRichard Watts Memorial Award Kathryn WhiteWood Operatic Award Emma HitchingsJackson Drama Award Emma Hitchings & Craig HewlettStower Panto Award Stuart WhitmanJunior Award David Hamilton
DODS Celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2003
In May 2003 The DODS held a 50th jubilee dinner and dance at The Hare and Hounds Hotel, Westonbirt for members, pasty and present and a further award party for current members is being held at Kingshill House. More than 100 members, past members, friends and family came together for a very enjoyable evening, with music provided by the combo “Manhattan”. Society President Mary Clark and Past-President Ken Hitchings gave wonderfully amusing speeches (not too long!) and the society gave special recognition to Mary Clark who has been with the DODS just about from the beginning.
The Society’s first production was Pirates of Penzance in 1953. Further Gilbert and Sullivan shows were put on at Highfields School until in 1959 it broke away from this tradition with Merrie England, continuing with operetta until 1964 when Merry Widow was the last show to be performed up at Highfields.
An ambitious move to Lister Hall with a bigger stage and more audience capacity was successfully completed with a production of White Horse Inn in 1965. A semi-circular, two-layer apron was added to enlarge the stage further - this could be lethal if you normally wore glasses! This was again altered in 1983 for Hello Dolly to a large rectangular apron and since then we have experimented with thrust stages and various forms of balconies, towers and levels - memories of West Side Story when the set was built entirely of scaffolding.
As the Society moves into its second half-century we are continuing in this fine tradition of enthusiasm and ambition. Productions for 2004 include a wholly new pantomime “Humpty Dumpty Rules OK?” with a cast of 53, the ever-popular musical “Calamity Jane”, a Junior production of Willy Russell’s “Our Day Out” and the ecclesiastical murder mystery “Murder at the Cathedral”.