The great and the good of Cowes gathered on Wednesday, November 2nd at Trinity Theatre Cowes to celebrate 125 years of Cowes Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society [CAODS].
Launched in 1897 CAODS has been an amateur community theatre since day one. The historic and beautiful Trinity Theatre, built in 1914 as a Church Hall for Trinity Church, was purchased by CAODS in 1978
An enthusiastic audience heard Edna Crosbie, President OF CAODS, speak about the long and successful history of CAODS shows from the patronage by Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Beatrice, of the annual Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas, through to the Broadway musicals of the 50s, 60s and 70s, and then to the present day’s comedic plays such as the recent and successful WIFE AFTER DEATH, which, Edna announced, will move to the Shanklin Theatre in March 2023.
A collection of costumes, props, programmes, posters, and press articles from over the years was prominently displayed. And Volunteers were asked to come forward to help catalogue and digitised all the other Theatre archive materials not on show!
Lynn Narraway, VP of Seabourn, UK and Europe, hosted the evening and explained as a “Newbie to Cowes and to CAODS” she had decided to become involved to try to help raise the £150,000 needed to carry out necessary repairs to the roof.
Lynn invited long standing member of CAODS, Joan Finch to join her on stage and share tales of fun and the occasional “Glitch“ experienced in theatre productions. Joan told of how the Sun Newspaper once wrote how Rosie Collard, the star of the Humpty Dumpty Pantomime Joan was Directing, fell off the set she was painting, broke her leg and, as the Sun wrote:
“All the King’s horses and all the King’s men couldn’t put Rosie together again”.
Lynn closed the evening by thanking all attendees including Susie Sheldon Lord Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight, Councillor Paul Bertie, Mayor of Cowes, Local Councillor Michael Paler, and double Olympic medallist, and Deputy Lord Lieutenant Shirley Robertson, for coming to the Open Evening. There was a big round of applause for all the CAODS volunteers who work tirelessly to put on shows, evenings and community events
Tickets are available on-line from the CAODS website now
