About Us
Welcome to Curtain Up!
We love putting on a show!
Curtain Up! Productions is a friendly, award-winning amateur theatre company with a history stretching back more than 90 years. Originally founded as Denmead Operatic Society in 1933, we’ve changed quite a bit since those early days, but one thing hasn’t changed – our enthusiasm for bringing people together to create great theatre.
Today, our members come from across Hampshire and include people of all ages and backgrounds, brought together by a shared love of performing, music and theatre. From big musicals and comedies to concerts, plays and special events, we love taking on something new. Our full-scale productions combine talented performers with live music, imaginative sets, costumes, lighting and sound to create memorable shows for our audiences.
And while we take our productions seriously, we certainly don’t take ourselves too seriously. For us, being part of Curtain Up! is about making friends, having fun and enjoying the experience just as much as the final performance.
Our Productions
We’ve staged an enormous variety of productions over the years, from Gilbert & Sullivan and classic Broadway musicals to contemporary shows, comedies and original productions.
Past favourites include Guys and Dolls, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Anything Goes, Mack and Mabel, Acorn Antiques The Musical and The Vicar of Dibley.
Our production of Titanic The Musical received a NODA Accolade of Excellence, and in 2023 we were delighted when our production of Honk! received the NODA South East Regional Award for Best Musical – an achievement of which we’re incredibly proud.
In 2025 we took audiences on another adventure with The Wind in the Willows: The Musical.
And the story continues…
In November 2026, we’re back at Petersfield Festival Hall with our next full-scale production, Nativity! The Musical.
For a complete list of our productions over the years, visit our Archives.
There’s More to a Show Than Being on Stage
You don’t have to be a singer, dancer or actor to be part of Curtain Up!
Behind every production is a team of people helping to make the magic happen. From lighting, sound and stage management to scenery, props, costumes, set building, front of house and production support, there are plenty of ways to get involved.
So whether you love being centre stage, prefer working behind the scenes or simply fancy trying something completely new, we’d love to hear from you.
Experience isn’t always necessary – enthusiasm is much more important!
More Than Just Rehearsals
Curtain Up! isn’t only about putting on shows.
We’re a friendly group and enjoy getting together away from rehearsals too. Over the years we’ve organised everything from Murder Mystery evenings and quiz nights to social events, outings and theatre trips.
Some of our Murder Mystery evenings have even been specially written for Curtain Up!, giving our members another opportunity to perform – and our audiences the chance to put their detective skills to the test!
What Are We About?
Our aims are actually very simple:
To promote drama, music and musical theatre through performances, concerts and workshops.
To encourage and develop the talents and skills of our members.
To produce high-quality theatre that our audiences love to watch.
To give people opportunities to try something new and be part of a team.
And, most importantly, to enjoy what we do!
Fancy Joining Us?
We’re always happy to welcome new faces.
Perhaps you’ve performed before and would love to get back on stage. Maybe you’ve always fancied giving theatre a try but have never quite had the courage. Or perhaps performing isn’t your thing at all, but you’d love to help backstage. Whatever brings you through the door, you’ll be very welcome.
We rehearse on Tuesdays at the Church Hall, St John’s Church, Rowlands Castle from 7:30pm to 9:45pm, with additional rehearsals as productions get closer.
If you’d like to find out more about joining Curtain Up! Productions, Click here to get in touch and come and meet us. You never know – it could be the beginning of your own Curtain Up! story.
Our Story
Curtain Up! Productions actually began life as Denmead Operatic Society, founded in October 1933. Our first performance took place at the Denmead village fete in August 1934, followed later that year by our first full-scale production, Maritana.
The Society continued producing shows until the Second World War, reopening in December 1945 and beginning a new era of plays, pantomimes, nativity plays and musical evenings.
In 1952, we began concentrating on the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, starting with HMS Pinafore. For many years, Denmead Operatic Society became well known locally for its productions of these wonderful comic operas. As the Society grew, so did our ambitions. We moved from our original home at Denmead War Memorial Hall to larger venues and, in 1991, took another major step by presenting Patience at Portsmouth’s New Theatre Royal, complete with a traditional chorus and full orchestra.
In 1993 we became a Registered Charity and celebrated our 60th anniversary with a special production of The Gondoliers.
Over the following years, our repertoire continued to grow. Gilbert & Sullivan was joined by plays, comedies and musicals, and our productions travelled to venues across Hampshire and West Sussex.
A New Name for a New Chapter
By 2015, Denmead Operatic Society had become a very different company from the one established more than eight decades earlier. We weren’t based solely in Denmead, our members came from a much wider area and our productions now included everything from Broadway musicals and comedies to plays, concerts and Murder Mysteries.
It was time for a name that reflected who we’d become. And so, after 82 years as Denmead Operatic Society, Curtain Up! Productions was born.
Acorn Antiques The Musical became the first full-scale musical performed under our new name and marked the beginning of another chapter in our history. But although the name changed, the heart of the Society didn’t. More than 90 years after that first performance in Denmead, we’re still bringing people together, making friendships, taking on new challenges and creating theatre for our local community.
We’ve come a long way since 1933.
And we’re certainly not finished yet…
Affiliations
Curtain Up! Productions is affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association – NODA.