ABOUT US

Leeds Gilbert and Sullivan Society was first known as Hunslet St Silas Choral and Operatic Society and it began its life over 100 years ago - in 1909 to be precise. A group of young people decided to support the local church “as a means of healthy recreation and to foster and develop a love of music in Hunslet.” This area of Leeds was at the time a thriving centre for the engineering industry in Leeds and the Society had many members who were, by day, involved in some way or another, with that industry. 

The Society not only survived through two world wars, economic depression and major slum clearance in Hunslet but still went from strength- to- strength, producing Gilbert and Sullivan shows, other musicals and choral work. In 1953 the Society took their production of HMS Pinafore to the Leeds Civic Theatre and in 1954 was granted permission by Leeds City Council to use the Leeds Coat of Arms on its stationery. That same year the name of the Society was changed to The Leeds Gilbert and Sullivan Society. 

The Society continued to enjoy enormous success at the Civic Theatre and then more recently at the Carriageworks Theatre in the centre of Leeds, winning many awards.  Leeds Gilbert and Sullivan Society (like the character in The Mikado) has always been the ‘Go-To’ Society for quality productions. The Society continues to offer “healthy recreation”, on and off stage, to our 90+ members whilst sharing a passion for Gilbert and Sullivan and many other forms of Musical theatre. In 2016, we produced Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld and other smaller recent productions have included I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Into the Woods and She Loves Me.