The Dursley Operatic & Dramatic Society are to perform two shows in successive weeks later this month.

On 7th July the junior section of the DODS will be performing ‘Cats’, the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history, while the following week their adult counterparts will be taking to the stage at Dursley’s Chantry Centre to perform ‘Rent’. James Easey, chairman of the DODS, says the excitement is building ahead of what promises to be the busiest week of the year for the performance group. He said: “Our thriving junior section are really looking forward to performing ‘Cats’ and have been rehearsing for months ahead of the opening night. We’ve got children aged eleven right through to some of the older members who are eighteen. The enthusiasm and passion of these children is to be commended, they’re a total joy to work with and we can’t wait to see their show.”

As soon as the curtain goes down on the final performance of ‘Cats’ the spotlight will then turn to the adult members of the DODS who will be performing ‘Rent’ at the same venue a week later. The performances have been organised by the amateur dramatic society to help raise money towards improving their long-time performance venue – the Chantry Centre in Dursley. James continued: “We’ve been performing since the 1960s. Each year we nominate a charity to support, this year we’re fundraising to support the team at the Chantry Centre in their aim to improve the facilities there. We’re extremely lucky to have such a good following in the community so it would be great to think we can raise a significant sum of money that will go towards such an important cause.

“Rent is such an iconic musical, one of the longest running shows on Broadway, and our adult section have been rehearsing since late January so it’s all systems go now in the lead up to opening night. We’ve got all ages represented, from teenagers right through to people in their eighties and nineties. It’s a huge team effort and it’s important to remember the guys on stage are only half the story, there’s a whole team of volunteers who work in the production of the play, whether designing costumes or operating the stage lighting and sounds.”

The members of the Dursley Operatic & Dramatic Society won’t be able to bask in the glory of another successful show for too long, as soon as they finish their final performance of ‘Rent’ it will be straight into rehearsals for their autumn play which begins in October. James added: “This year we’re performing ‘Blackadder’, with episodes specifically from the second series, which promises to be a lot of fun. It’s a great thrill to be a part of such an enthusiastic group, we love what we do and are always working hard towards our next performance.”