SOCIETY HISTORY

In June 2015, we changed our name to Manor Musical Theatre Company to attract younger members and to focus on performing a wider variety of musicals.

Over the years, the company has built a strong reputation for delivering high‑quality productions. But our roots go back even further. By 1951, Sutton Coldfield had only one operatic society – the Emily Broughton Players – who specialised in Gilbert and Sullivan, along with productions such as Tom Jones, Rebel Maid, The Grand Duchess and Cav and Pag.

The Sutton Operatic Society, which had performed grand opera under the direction of Victor Fleming and his wife, had sadly closed in the late 1940s. Many former members felt there was room for a new operatic society. A preliminary meeting was held in July 1952 at the home of Harold Burke, attended by eleven enthusiastic founding members: Harold, Ivy and Cecily Burke, Dorothy Lewis, Norman Fairey, Stan Finchett, Tommy Dobbin, George Marriott and Ted Vaughan Jones. Many of them went on to become long‑serving and distinguished members of the society.

After considering many possible shows, the company chose A Country Girl by Lionel Monckton as its first production. It was musically engaging but not too demanding for a brand‑new society. The show was performed at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall from 12–16 May 1953, with members of the cast of The Archers in attendance. The production was well‑received, financially successful, and raised 75 guineas for the Infantile Paralysis Fellowship – a generous donation at the time.

Since that first show, we have continued to produce affordable, high‑quality entertainment while supporting a variety of charitable causes – values that remain at the heart of Manor Musical Theatre Company to this day.