A drama group in Frome is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, entertaining audiences in the town for eight decades.
Frome Drama was founded as Frome and District Dramatic Society in 1946 and now has 130 members. This year it is performing two anniversary shows to mark the occasion.
The group regularly puts on performances in Frome, aiming for three productions a year, including two full-length plays and one as part of the Frome Festival. It also runs workshops and holds monthly play readings.
Celebrating 80 years in style, the first of the group’s anniversary shows, Jack Absolute Flies Again, is set during the Battle of Britain and will take place in April.
“A fitting play to begin our 80th year,” said Roo Kapadia, chairperson of the group.
“We’re going to have bunting everywhere; it’s a very funny play and we’re all really enjoying rehearsals.”
Recognised for its high standards, Frome Drama was nominated for a local drama prize for its performance of A Bunch of Amateurs in 2024.
Roo said, “Whilst we have had some amazing productions, what is most important for us as a club is for anyone interested in theatre to be able to take part in activities, whether as part of a production, at one of our monthly play readings, or in a workshop or theatre visit.
“We are proud of the standard of our productions but there is a huge element of creating an environment whereby people can learn new skills and be part of building something together, whether onstage or off.
“Frome has such great community involvement. Community theatre brings out different aspects of people. It’s a chance for you to explore different personalities and things if you are on stage. It’s about working on something together and harnessing what people are good at and enthusiastic about and bringing that together in one production.
“If you think about it, every night you work for three months towards something, you have people painting, making something, investigating hairstyles and finding the right shade of paint for the set, and that all comes together at 7.30pm when the curtain comes up.”
‘Jack Absolute Flies Again’ will be held at the Merlin Theatre from 16th to 18th April. To book tickets visit https://merlintheatre.co.uk/
