Our History

Brighouse Light Opera Society has came a long way since its beginning in 1924 as St James Operatic and Dramatic Society. Show venues have changed over the years - the Sugden Memorial Hall, the Parish Hall and the Albert Cinema, with a feel of theatre, from 1948 to 1970. Then it was back to the Parish Hall under its new name of Rydings Hall and latterly to our present home in the Brighouse Civic.

Concert parties were a large part of the Society's past and there was hardly a church in the Brighouse area that did not receive a visit from the BLOS Concert Party for its Autumn Bazaar, Spring Fayre etc.

Hospitals were not neglected and in the days when none of us had cars, a Huddersfield Corporation bus provided concert party members with transport to Huddersfield and then out to Mill Hill and Dene House Hospitals. This is a tradition which the Juniors kept alive with their regular visits to Kenmore Cheshire Homes.

Brighouse Theatre Productions was established in 2005 by the merger of two long established musical theatre groups, Brighouse Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society and Brighouse Light Opera Society. Both of these organisations, which had been in existance for over eighty years, first came together to jointly lease and manage their present headquarters at Wilkin Royd Mill. Despite misgivings by some members of both societies, the formal merger in May 2005 was seen as a logical extension of this period of close cooperation.

The objectives of the newly established organisation remain essentially those of its predecessors. That is to promote live theatre, with particular emphasis on musical theatre, for the benefit of the local community. Thus members of the local community are encouraged to either join the society - to perform or assist back-stage - or simply to attend and be entertained by our productions. Whilst a full programme of future events has yet to be determined, it will certainly involve the annual production of a major musical. The presentation of an annual Carol Concert will also figure and consideration is also being given to the staging of a secondary musical, play or pantomime as components of the programme for future years. A variety of social and fund raising events, such as the highly successful "Antiques and Craft Fair" will also form part of our annual programme.

The society rehearsed at Wilkin Royd Mill which was conveniently located near the Town Centre and provide rehearsal and committee rooms together with extensive facilities for the storage of stage properties, costumes and scenery. In addition, the premises enabled much of the scenery for productions to be constructed and painted by members of the society.

In 2007 the society moved to new rehearsal facilities at Brighouse Arts Centre located in the town centre, above the Abbey Bank. Due to the limited space available scenery is stored off site and brought to the theatre for productions.

Negotiations with Calderdale MBC to transfer all our activities to Brighouse Civic Hall have been underway for seven years, so far without a successful conclusion.