A Brief History of MOS Productions

When you first hear the name ‘Margate Operatic Society’, you could be forgiven for expecting to hear strains of Carmen or Nessun Dorma pouring forth. However, the Society is in fact a Musical Theatre company which has been presenting high-quality musical productions to audiences across Thanet for nearly one hundred and twenty years. MOS, as they are commonly known, have been a constant presence in Margate’s entertainment calendar. From its origins in Edwardian England, performing shows by Gilbert and Sullivan, the Society has followed the changes in musical taste for over a century.

Amateur operatics arrived in Margate in 1902, with the creation of the Thanet Operatic and Dramatic Society. Their first production was ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ in early 1903, and took place at the Grand Theatre in Cecil Square (renamed the Hippodrome in 1905 and demolished in 1967). By 1907, some of the members had decided to go their own way, and Margate Amateur Operatic Society was born.

In the early days, shows were performed at the Hippodrome and the Theatre Royal, and included such delights as The Gondoliers and The Mikado. The Society was forced to pause during the First World War, and the subsequent closure of Margate’s theatres. Fortunately, they were able to revive in 1920 with another production of Pirates of Penance. In 1921, the Society was obliged to move to the Winter Gardens for its performance, which, at that time, was a concert hall rather than a theatre, without a stage or proscenium arch. Following the closure of the Hippodrome in 1958, the MOS were privileged to perform on the main stage of Margate Winter Gardens for many decades. Beginning in the early 1970s, a Summer Showtime was also performed at the Lido in Cliftonville, both for local residents and for visitors to the popular seaside resort of Margate.