Southampton Musical Society is Southampton's premier amateur musical society bringing musical theatre to Hampshire since 1928.
Currently rehearsing: Into The Woods
26th - 29th March 2025, The Point Eastleigh
26th - 29th March 2025
The Point, Eastleigh
One of Stephen Sondheim's most popular works, the story follows a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King's Festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk.
When the Baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. Everyone's wish is granted, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later with disastrous results.
SHOW TIMES
Wednesday 26th March
7.30pm
Thursday 27th March
7.30pm
Friday 28th March
7.30pm
Saturday 29th March
2.30pm
Saturday 29th March
7.30pm
COMING SOON
Keep an eye on our website and our Social Media to find out what shows are coming next
THANKS TO OUR PATRONS!
.png?etag=%222476b-64f20f01%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=379%2B379&extract=71%2B128%2B235%2B118)
.png?etag=%22a95e-64f20f01%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=412%2B412&extract=128%2B139%2B160%2B144)
OUR LAST SHOW
School Daze, in association with Gantry Youth Theatre
Director - Adrian Jones
Assisatnt Directors - Dotty Evans and Sophie Chambers
Producer - SMS Committee
Choreographers - Dotty Evans, Ellen Goggin and Fi Wyatt
RECENT SHOWS
.png?etag=%22edf79-664242ef%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&quality=85 "5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (2024)")
.png?etag=%226684c-66423fbb%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&quality=85 "A Note In Time (2018)")
.png?etag=%22b868d-66423fba%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&quality=85 "Rent (2018)")
2017 Made in Dagenham
2016 Rock of Ages
2015 West End Exchange
2015 Our House
2014 The Wedding Singer
2014 Copacabana
2013 Big Screen to Broadway
2013 Jekyll and Hyde
2012 The Producers
2011 The Best of Times
2011 Boogie Nights
2010 Dick Whittington
2010 The Great American Songbook
2010 Up Among the Stars
2009 Crazy For You
2009 The Broadway Collection
2008 Me and My Girl
2008 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
2007 The Boyfriend
2007 West Side Story
2006 Calamity Jane
2005 Carousel
2005 Anything Goes
2005 Concert 2005
2004 42nd Street
2003 Creation to Crazy
2003 Crazy For You
2002 Copacabana
2002 Sweet Charity
2001 Little Shop of Horrors
2000 Cabaret
1999 South Pacific
1999 Pal Joey
1998 Oklahoma!
1998 The Sound of Music
1997 Annie
1997 Chicago
1996 42nd Street
1996 Some Enchanted Evening
1995 Kiss Me Kate
1995 Golden Showstoppers
1994 The King and I
1994 Guys and Dolls
1993 La Cage Aux Folles
1993 Anything Goes
1992 Half a Sixpence
1992 Red, Hot and Cole
1991 Brigadoon
1990 Showboat
1990 Irene
1989 My Fair Lady
1989 My Cinders
1988 South Pacific
1988 Annie Get Your Gun
1987 Hans Anderson
1987 Camelot
1986 Cabaret
1986 Dick Whittington
1985 Oliver!
1985 Annie
1984 The Sound of Music
1984 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
1983 Paint Your Wagon
1983 Hello Dolly
1982 West Side Story
1982 Gigi
1981 Carousel
1981 Kismet
1980 Guys and Dolls
1980 Cinderella
1980 The Wizard of Oz
1979 Oklahoma!
1979 The Wizard of Oz
1978 Calamity Jane
1978 Pickwick
1977 Viva Mexico
1977 Mame
1976 Brigadoon
1976 The Great Waltz
1975 Oliver!
1975 The Pyjama Game
1974 Half a Sixpence
1974 The New Moon
1973 Camelot
1973 Fiddler on the Roof
1972 My Fair Lady
1972 Flower Drum Song
1971 South Pacific
1971 Kiss Me Kate
1970 Oklahoma!
1969 The King and I
1968 Rose Marie
1968 Song of Norway
1967 The Merry Widow
1967 Bless The Bride
1966 Carousel
1965 Chu Chin Chow
1964 Show Boat
1963 The New Moon
1962 The Dancing Years
1961 The Desert Song
1960 The Merry Widow
1959 The White Horse Inn
1957 Rose Marie
1957 Oklahoma!
1956 Goodnight Vienna
1955 Lilac Time
1954 Floradora
1953 Merrie England
1952 Waltz time
1951 The Vagabond King
1950 The Geisha
1949 The Arcadians
1948 A Country Girl
1938 Goodnight Vienna
1937 The Quaker Girl
1935 Tom Jones
1934 Hiawatha
1932 Elijah
1931 Hiawatha
1929 Messiah
1928 Haydn's The Creation
SEE US IN ACTION:
.jpg?etag=%221dcabf-62a88b69%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1090&quality=85 "2016 Rock of Ages (27)")
.jpg?etag=%222bd3cf-62a88b79%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1573&quality=85 "2018 Note in time (14)")
.jpg?etag=%221ed8ad-62a88b6c%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1068&quality=85 "2017 Made in Dagenham (2)")
.jpg?etag=%22277a04-62a88b6f%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1569&quality=85 "2017 Made in Dagenham (16)")
.jpg?etag=%22102b99-62a88b67%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1236&quality=85 "2016 Rock of Ages (16)")
.jpg?etag=%221e5812-62a88b66%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1265&quality=85 "2016 Rock of Ages (3)")
.jpg?etag=%2229d409-62a88b72%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2500,1380&quality=85 "2017 Made in Dagenham (19)")
.jpg?etag=%221c60da-62a88b74%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,955&quality=85 "2018 Note in time (7)")
.jpg?etag=%2220b71b-62a88b77%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,808&quality=85 "2018 Note in time (12)")
.jpg?etag=%222a7a5d-62a88b7f%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,1513&quality=85 "2018 Note in time (28)")
.png?etag=%2287c4b-62a88b80%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&quality=85 "2019 Magic Touch (1)")
.png?etag=%22890d9-62a88b81%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fpng&quality=85 "2019 Magic Touch (8)")
.jpg?etag=%221da31f-62a88b7c%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fjpeg&ignoreAspectRatio&resize=2000,875&quality=85 "2018 Note in time (17)")
THE SOCIETY
Southampton Musical Society has been performing in the Southampton and Winchester area for nearly 100 years. Our previous shows range from the traditional such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Me and My Girl to more recent releases including the discotastic Boogie Nights and the hilarious The Producers!
We also put together regular concerts which has a dual purpose of raising money for the society and to allow members to perform great songs from musicals that aren't often available to amateur groups.
We are lucky to have a great range of ages in our membership allowing us to tackle some great shows and numbers. We also are lucky to have directors and choreographers in the society who are up for any challenge we give them.
We are a very a sociable society, holding regular events including summer BBQ's, fundraising balls and karaoke nights.
We rehearse on Tuesday's and Thursday's at 7:30pm to 10:00pm at St Mark's Institute, Victoria Road, Woolston (the hall with the red door, just up the road from Masala Indian Restaurant).
THE COMMITTEE
Officers
General Committee
THE HISTORY OF SMS
A little shy of a century ago, in 1927, Southampton Musical Society was formed under the musical direction of Arnold Williams with the intention of broadening the local musical repertoire.
SMS, as the Society is more fondly referred to, held its very first performance of Haydn's The Creation on the 26th September 1928 at the Central Hall, Southampton.
1931 saw SMS broadening its horizons by showcasing Hiawatha, the premiere for the show outside of London. And from 1935 the Society performed numerous operettas, at the Palace Theatre, Above Bar, Southampton.
The Second World War had a major impact on front line Southampton and destroyed many iconic buildings including the society’s home, The Palace Theatre. As a result, SMS did not return to the stage until 1948. However, the Society returned in style with a performance of The Country Girl boasting a lavish set and elegantly dressed cast.
Following the aftermath of the war the next two decades saw SMS host one major show a year; performing in a series of venues, including the Royal Pier Pavilion and the Plaza Theatre.
In 1960, financially strong from its steady success through the 1950s, SMS arrived at the 2,000+ seated Gaumont Theatre. Under the direction of long standing members Dorothy Snook and Frederick Duerden, SMS performed for the first time Lehar's The Merry Widow. The Society grew from strength to strength and under the direction of Charles Rose between 1963 and 1971, and large scale productions were staged biannually at the Gaumont Theatre (now the thriving Mayflower Theatre).
In 1972 SMS took a new direction, employing professional producers who staged classics such as My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Showboat and Cabaret. The Society also became renowned for staging innovative productions which included the spectacular La Cage Aux Folles, Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors and the South Coast premiere of Copacabana.
In 1999 SMS staged South Pacific, its final performance, at the Mayflower Theatre. The difficulty in competing with touring professional companies and ever rising costs meant SMS had to move on. The Society performed regularly with great success at the Nuffield Theatre, Southampton with shows including Sweet Charity and Return to the Forbidden Planet.
In 2004 SMS commenced their 10-year residence at Theatre Royal Winchester, with the Society’s second performance of 42nd Street. Over the coming years a number of shows including West Side Story, Boogie Nights, Copacabana and the Producers drove the success and reputation of the Society within local musical theatre scene. In 2014 The Wedding Singer became the last show performed by SMS at Theatre Royal Winchester after which the society moved to The Berry Theatre, Hedge End to showcase successful productions of Our House and West End Exchange.
Increasing in number, SMS continues to evolve with enthusiasm using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to drum up a strong following with both new members and audiences. SMS continues to perform at The Point in Eastleigh and it’s sister theatre The Berry in Hedge End.
Nearly 100 years on from the first curtain up, SMS continues doing all it can to keep amateur musical theatre alive in Southampton.
WANT TO JOIN?
Interested in becoming a member? You will need to audition, but don't worry, it isn't scary, it just allows us to see what you can do.
At the audition you will:
- Sing a song of your choice. You will need to provide a backing track on mp3 or you can even sing a capella!
- Act out a small piece of script we will give you on the night.
- Perform some simple movement that we will teach you on the night.
The application form and fact sheet can be found below. If you have any further questions or wish to confirm your attendance at our next audition, contact us on Facebook or complete the contact form. You must let us know you are intending on auditioning before you arrive.
We usually hold new member auditions twice a year before launching our next show.
