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Bottesford haad a thriving amateur operatic society before the second world war. This page shows pictures of the casts of three shows and the front of the programme for The Mikado, 1929.

The Bottesford Amateur Operatic Society remembered

Community theatre in the 1920s and 30s
By Neil Fortey

Bottesford boasted an active and ambitious operatic society during the 1920s and 30s. Photographs show the casts made up of local people enthusiastically mounting productions of Gilbert & Sullivan works well supported by local shops and businesses. These pictures are from productions of The Mikado, HMS Pinafore and Trial by Jury. Does anyone have pictures or programmes from other productions that were put on?

Janet Peet (nee Tinkler) has contacted us to tell us about her mother's part in these performances (see Comments, below.) Can anyone else identify the performers in these splendid productions?

Photo:Programme cover from 1929

Programme cover from 1929

By permission of Mrs Dorothy Beedham

Photo:Cast of The Mikado, 1929

Cast of The Mikado, 1929

By permission of Dorothy Beedham

Photo:The cast of HMS Pinafore

The cast of HMS Pinafore

By permission of Mrs Dorothy Beedham

Photo:The cast of Trial by Jury

The cast of Trial by Jury

Photograph belonging to Mr Mike Saunders

Photo:Mr Bill Sutton (Snr)

Mr Bill Sutton (Snr)

From the Collection of Mr and Mrs Bill Sutton

Photo:Elsie Tinkler (nee Dunsmore) in The Mikado, middle row, 10th from left

Elsie Tinkler (nee Dunsmore) in The Mikado, middle row, 10th from left

Thanks to Janet Peet for contacting us.

Photo:Elsie Tinkler (nee Dunsmore) in H.M.S. Pinafore, middle row, 6th from left.

Elsie Tinkler (nee Dunsmore) in H.M.S. Pinafore, middle row, 6th from left.

Thanks to Janet Peet for contacting us.

Audio transcripts

This page was added by Neil Fortey on 24/03/2007.

Comments about this page

My Mother, Elsie Tinkler, Nee Dunsmore was a memeber of the operatic society along with her brothers Charles and Henry and Frank Dunsmore. She had a fine soprano voice which she had professional training for. She is on the middle row of the Mikado, 10th from the left and middle row of HMS Pinafore, 6th from the left.

By Janet Peet Nee Tinkler
On 17/07/2007

Mrs Ada Bond recalls that the cast of the Mikado included the following people; Miss Richardson; Mr Willocks; Fred Bend (Jnr); Dr. Royle; Miss Whitmore; Mr. Bend (Snr); Iris Taylor; Mrs Briggs (Redmil Post Office); Mrs Samuels (Snr); Miss Firth; Maud Barnes; Madge Taylor; Marjorie Norris; Flo Barnes; Mrs Phillips; E. Dunsmore; E. Tinkler; Mr. Edgar Culpin; Tom Robinson; Mr Bend.

By Sue Middleton
On 17/01/2008

Other productions referred to in the 1926 programme for 'The Pirates of Penzance':

1921 - Sherwood's Queen; 1922 - Pearl the Fisher Maiden; 1923 - Phillida; 1924 - Mikado; 1925 - Iolanthe; 1926 - Pirates of Penzance

By David Middleton
On 19/08/2008

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