Devizes Musical Theatre began its life as Devizes Light Operatic Society on 21st October 1965, the vision of its co-founders, the late Graham Hutton and Haydn Howells, who had written to the Gazette and Herald to invite local people to an open meeting to discuss the possibility of forming a society.
Within a few months the first fully costumed, fully staged show (HMS Pinafore) was performed
Initially the Society performed only Gilbert and Sullivan operettas but soon branched out into other examples of light opera of such as Merrie England and Orpheus in the Underworld. 1977 saw the Society’s first production of Oklahoma (complete with a moving surrey with a fringe on top!). This began the transition into performing many of the most popular musicals.
The Society was re-branded in 2009 as Devizes Musical Theatre, updating its name to signify its current genre of musical performances.
Back in 1981 the Society produced an autumn show (Cox and Box with Trial by Jury) as well as its usual spring performance. Autumn shows have become part of our pattern again since 2013, with the staging of Bugsy Malone, Fame and Les Miserables, by our dedicated youth section (DMT Footlights).
We have also performed regular concerts, not only in Devizes but in other Wiltshire venues and even in Waiblingen in Germany through the Twinning Association (The Sorcerer 1976). The Society notably joined forces with D’Oyly Carte for concerts in 1977, 1978 and 1980. The association with D’Oyly Carte was marked by the willingness of Kenneth Sandford to be the Society’s first President.
As well as encouraging local talent on stage, the Society has always been well supported by an orchestra of local people, stage crew / scenery builders, technical team, costume team etc, and has seen many of its young people move on to studies and careers in music and drama.
As Devizes Musical Theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary, we are proud to thank each and every person who has made our productions possible, both on stage and behind the scenes – well over 1100 people!
Devizes Musical Theatre continues to strive for high standards as an amateur organisation, entertaining the public with fully staged shows as well as concerts, encouraging local talent and fulfilling musical dreams.