News

St Austell AOS was approached by Cornwall Libraries to enquire whether we would like to contribute to National Story Telling Week, which ran from 27th January to 4th February 2024. The book, chosen by Karen Burdon, was The Baddies by Julia Donaldson. St Austell AOS prides itself on working in,...

It’s been almost a year and a half since I became a NODA representative. I had no real idea what it involved. Each area is divided into regions and regions into districts. As a rep, I had 18 different groups. I had no idea there were so many and most...

In a village just outside Kendal, Cumbria a group of enthusiastic performers are beginning rehearsals for Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe. Staveley Amateur Operatic Society are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this year, and what better way than giving a comical nod to the election, by proving that fairies can influence parliament!...

When Six: Teen Edition was released for amateur Youth Theatre Societies, I am sure the excitement that we felt in Johnstone was experienced across many youth societies up and down the country. The screams of excitement that rang out from our members, and the shock on their faces when we...

At NODA North East Gala Weekend in Bridlington in April, young people from around the region were invited to spend the day with us and experience some of what Gala Weekend has to offer. Those attending had the opportunity to join workshops with other weekend participants including dance and puppetry,...

As I continue my wanderings up and down the country, I continue to be so impressed with, well just everything! The unusual venues, the truly fantastic shows, the absolute dedication of performers, - and ‘the small army of enablers’, who sometimes outnumber the performers on the stage, but without the...

The countdown is on to one of the most unusual and entertaining theatre productions of the year, BARNUM! StagedRight Youth Theatre has presented its annual musical at The Sands Centre every July for the past 18 years, but, due to issues concerning concrete in the roof, the group was almost...

In November, the Watlington Players in Watlington, Norfolk, will pick up the gauntlet to create a show in 24 hours – with an adult pantomime as their preferred presentation. A member of the Players has written an original panto for the group and its over-18s, but Director, Kevin Rooney, isn’t...

It’s a fund-raising idea that could have come straight from the imagination of the fun-loving vicar of Dibley, Geraldine Granger, herself. To raise money for their theatre in Manningtree, Essex, the Manifest Theatre Group challenged themselves to create a stage production of the much-loved TV series, The Vicar of Dibley,...

I talk about the benefits of NODA Theatre Summer School endlessly – but I think it is even more powerful to hear it from the point of view of those that attend. The students who have contributed to this article are just a few of many. They have all reaped...