WLOC - All about WLOC

All About WLOC

Worthing Light Opera Company was formed in 1972 and under the original chairman David Turner soon gained momentum. The first show 'Glamorous Night' was staged at the Pier Pavilion in June 1973 - the venue which is now our regular home. Of course the company was not large at first - The Militza Guards were composed of both men and ladies of the chorus - but following the first success the company soon grew by reputation and currently has about 60 active members.

WLOC now regularly stages two full productions each year in March and September and our musical tastes are fairly varied. We now have experience of approximately sixty shows spanning various genres: Light Opera, Operetta, Musical Theatre, Musical Comedy and Gilbert & Sullivan. Although the 'Old Favourites' are always popular with both cast and audiences it is also exciting to put on on new material and in the last few years we have been able to include shows not seen before in the Worthing area.

Our 20th Anniversary Show 'A Musical Score' was staged in October 1992 and featured highlight from many of the past performances. More recently the Company's 30th Anniversary was marked by a special Dinner Dance.

We use professional theatre staff, production team and orchestra - but the singing, dancing and acting is all down to us! Each hectic production week is preceded by more than a year of planning, nearly six months of rehearsal and loads of fun! The busy committee are aided by many helpers including dedicated 'non-acting' members.

Production costs can be high due to our high standards for Orchestra, Sound, Costume and Scenery. Also there is particular competition in the area for Musical Theatre. (Whilst most towns this size usually have at least one company staging Musical Theatre productions - Worthing can boast at least half a dozen!) Making ends meet therefore means additional activities for fund raising and the society has an active Social Events programme. Nevertheless time is also made for additional concerts and charity events. A recent highlight included being invited to perform with other groups at the Royal Albert Hall, London as part of an event organised for Cancer Research.

Do enjoy browsing around our web site where you will find various information about WLOC activities - especially current and past shows. Pages describing recent performances include plenty of photo galleries with publicity shots and images straight from the stage.

Correspondence is welcome concerning WLOC or our web site (see email address below). Otherwise we look forward to seeing you in Worthing at our next production!

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