Canterbury Operatic Society
Musical theatre in Canterbury for 104 years. And counting...
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Canterbury Operatic Society has been a part of the city for over 100 years.  The membership is drawn from all walks of life and the Society contributes to local charities as well as providing entertainment for thousands of local residents.  Our members include performers and people who work in various capacities backstage and front of house, making sure that our productions run as smoothly as possible.
 
100 years
 
The Society was founded in 1906 by a group of local businessmen.  Initially performing the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, the repertoire has expanded over the years to include many operettas, reviews and popular musicals.  See the Previous Shows page for a list of all the Society's shows so far.
 
Initially, the shows were performed at the long-gone Theatre Royal in Guildhall Street.  World War One caused a hiatus in performing, with the Society regrouping in 1922, moving to the St. George's Theatre, Lower Bridge Street, two years later.  This theatre closed in 1934, sending the group into a hibernation which was extended by World War Two.
 
In 1951, the council converted the city's Central Cinema into the Marlowe Theatre, and in 1952, it became the Society's performing home for three decades until the building's demolition.  Two years in the Gulbenkian Theatre followed before the new Marlowe opened.  The Society performed there from 1985-2008.  However, major rebuilding work began on this new Marlowe in 2009, so the Society has returned to the Gulbenkian Theatre.
 
In 2006, we celebrated our centenary year with a variety of events, including a concert which looked back over the many shows that have come and gone, which was attended by many members and friends, past and present.
What Others Say
 
In his centenary message, The Right Worshipful, The Lord Mayor of the City of Canterbury, Cllr. Lewis Norris, JP called COS "a great asset to the region" and praised our ability to "recruit young people into its fold year after year whilst still holding the enthusiasm of its older members".
 
Speaking of our 2006 production of Me and My Girl, Constance Lee of the Canterbury AdScene said we achieved "the holy grail of am-dram groups: the audience forgetting they were amateurs."