History

Back in late 1929 'Pop Holland' decided to raise funds to purchase football kit for his choir boy team. He would get them to perform a musical in the church hall. It was said that the real reason was to keep them off the streets on a Saturday morning.

March 1930 saw the show 'Pirates of Penzance' put on by St Mary's Athletic Club with a budget of £23. Entrance was by donation so that copyright did not have to be paid. They ended up with a profit of 2/6 (12 1/2p)

In 1932 the name was changed to ST Mary's Club and again in 1937 to St Mary's Amateur Operatic Society and stated performing at the Laindon High Road School (now demolished)

In 1947 after being closed due to the war (most of the members were in the services) they started again and once more changed the name to Laindon & District Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society to show that the represented the whole area and not just St Mary's Langdon Hills. The rehearsal;s took place on a Tuesday evening at the old Langdon Hills Primary School in the High Road and Tuesdays have remained the rehearsal day to the present time.

In 1961 a change of venue with performances taking place at the old Laindon Community Centre.

In 1963 due to the encroaching New Town and to stop competition, the name changed once again, this time to Basildon Amateur Operatic Society.

In 1969 the society began performing at the much missed Basildon Arts Centre, and then in 1976 at the new Towngate Theatre.

In 1991 yet another name change by dropping the 'amateur'  to just Basildon Operatic Society as we believed that patrons were put off by the title and has remained that to this day.

Due to the closures of the Towngate, the society has performed at various venues, including Fryerns School, Woodlands School, Thamside Theatre in Grays and Eastwood Theatre School.

Today the society has a membership of approximately 60 people of all ages and not only perform a full sized musical, but a cabaret or play and a series of Christmas concerts each year. In 2004 a logo of BasOp (the Society for Musical Theatre in Basildon) was introduced which you will see on our posters etc.

A few of our members have gone on to perform on the West End stage, films and even Glyndebourne Opera, most notably Joan Sims of 'Carry On' fame.