History | Previous Productions
Wakefield Gilbert and Sullivan Society recently celebrated its Silver Jubilee. The Society has now been promoting Gilbert & Sullivan in the Wakefield District for over twenty five years.
Our annual production is one of the fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan Operas. This is carried out in the spring at the Theatre Royal, Wakefield. This costs the Society around £12,000 per season. Most of this cost is covered by our ticket sales, but the Society has to raise the remaining funds by a variety of means.
The Society has performed at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival at Buxton in 1995, with a production of Patience. Several of our Society members appeared in the Gilbert and Sullivan Extravaganza at the Bradford Alhambra on 27th June 2003, as featured on Yorkshire TV’s Calendar.
Graham Weston - Artistic Director
Artistic Director – Graham Weston
Graham’s involvement in the theatre began at an early age and his love of Gilbert and Sullivan has led him to play patter parts in many theatres. While he was a member of Wakefield Gilbert and Sullivan Society, he won ‘Best Supporting Actor’ at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival for his portrayal of ‘Ko-Ko’ in The Mikado. Graham took this part to great acclaim with Wakefield Gilbert and Sullivan Society in 2009, as well as directing.
In 2006 he was invited to perform in the part of Robin Oakapple in a special production of ‘Ruddigore’ at Buxton Opera House, which opened the 13th Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. He has also performed with or directed for several local societies in the Yorkshire area, and has also worked as Assistant Director to Alistair Donkin, former patter-man for the original D’Oyly Carte Company. After recently performing in York with Markman Productions, future projects include ‘Anything Goes’, ‘Calamity Jane’ , professional pantomime and, of course, more Gilbert and Sullivan.
Musical Director – James Newby
Jim Newby - Musical Director
The Society is fortunate to have secured the services of James Newby as Musical Director. James is a highly respected musician and renowned across the north of England, having won the Best Musical Director award in festivals in Wales and Ireland. He has a distinguished career as both producer and musical director of Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas.
He was the first musical director of the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan festival and has been the musical director for Harrogate Gilbert and Sullivan Society and for the West Yorkshire Savoyards as well as working with Wakefield Gilbert and Sullivan Society in recent years.
He has twice produced and been musical director for the Nomads, taking a production of “The Yeomen of the Guard” to Waterford and opening the Buxton Gilbert and Sullivan festival with “Ruddigore” in 2006. Additionally, one of his productions of “Patience” won first prize in the prestigious Waterford Festival.
James has scored all the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas for a reduced orchestra of 13 players and is currently in the process of rescoring a number of the operas for schools. His arrangements are available for hire and have been used by companies as far afield as America, South Africa and Australia.