A THEATRICAL group from Horndean could turn back the clock when it celebrates a major milestone in 2018.
Next year is a big one for the Horndean Amateur Theatrical Society (HATS) as it’s their 70th in business, having being founded in 1948.
Members have been thinking of resurrecting The Dear Departed to mark the big occasion as the Stanley Houghton play was the first the group performed.
They’ve only just closed the curtain on their latest production, Ghosts in the Grange, but the looming milestone is exciting members.
“We’re going to do an Easter production but in the summer we want to do a review to mark our 70th anniversary,” said HATS member Stuart Dickenson, who plays a ghost in their latest production.
“There’s also a possibility of doing the first ever play we did in 1948 and a combo of key acts from plays throughout our 70 years.
“We’ve got a good, strong group of over 20 people while our youngest member is 25 and our longest serving is Betty, who is 89.”
Betty Perryman has been a HATS member for 67 years, having joined just three years after their launch.
They rehearsed and performed in Cadlington House when it was still the home of Admiral Murray.
“We used to go out and make tea in their kitchen and he would be sitting there eating supper,” said Betty, who made her HATS bow in The First Mrs Fraser in 1951.
“I think it’s the friendship and company which keeps bringing me back. I also really enjoy acting and I took part in the last show.”
While the first HATS production was in 1948, the foundations were laid two years before when a group of theatrically-minded villagers performed a one-act play at a summer fete at Cadlington. Their 100th production was Surprise Package in 1985 with the group preferring comedies and farces these days.
For more details about HATS and their forthcoming productions visit www.horndeanamdram.com