Glastonbury & Street
Musical Comedy Society

About Glastonbury & Street Musical Comedy Society

There were theatrical precursors in the form of historical pageants, miracle plays, and pantomime clubs, but this Society was started by a group of enthusiasts in 1930 and was named Glastonbury Operatic and Dramatic Society. Shows were put on in Glastonbury Town Hall which had a small proscenium stage and some basic lighting equipment. Dressing room space was short and players often had to scurry outside the building to change in the Council Chambers above the front entrance.

In 1963, Strode Theatre was completed as part of the Strode College complex in Street and through the 60's it developed into a popular venue both for for film and stage theatre. A faction of the Society proposed moving their productions from the Glastonbury Town Hall to the Strode Theatre where there were much better facilities. This was fiercely resisted by others who felt the Society would lose its Glastonbury identity and who had great attachment to the old building in spite of its inconvenience.

There were strong disagreements and some resignations but in 1973 the last performance took place in the Town Hall (Half a Sixpence) and in 1974, the first in Strode Theatre, (Hello Dolly). At the same time, the name was changed from 'The Glastonbury Operatic and Dramatic Society' to 'Glastonbury and Street Musical Comedy Society', the new name more accurately reflecting the offering.

There was a break from 1940 to 1946 but apart from that, musical productions have been staged every year up to the present, with the Society collecting awards and enthusiastic audiences along the way.

In 2010, in response to the cut-backs in Arts Funding, the society embarked on a joint venture with the Strode Theatre to present an annual Christmas pantomime with profit-sharing helping to offset the funding losses suffered by the theatre. The 2010 production was extremely well received and the 2011 offering attracted sell-out audiences. So far, mission accomplished!