HAODS - For the best entertainment in live theatre, together with top quality drama - amdram at its best, Henley Operatic & Dramatic Society has it all. Performing at the Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames, NODA award winning HAODS musicals and plays are renowned for excellence.

The Kenton Theatre is the fourth oldest working theatre in the country. A Regency gem, set in the heart of Henley-on- Thames, it has a warm, friendly, cosy intimacy that makes you want to come back. Since its rescue in the 1960s, the theatre has been in the hands of the Charity Commissioners, who agreed to allow it to be run as a theatre, provided that HAODS were involved. For many years, anyone who was on the HAODS committee was automatically a director of the theatre, too. However, this arrangement became increasingly untenable as the theatre became more and more active, so late in the last century, a new and dynamic management company took over and set their sights on the freehold of the property in order to ensure the future of the theatre. Late last year, the Kenton for Keeps campaign was launched and I am delighted to announce that Board of Trustees have entered into an option to purchase agreement to buy The Kenton. They have just six months from 26 January 2010 to raise £350,000 to secure the freehold. Run entirely by volunteers, the theatre aims to provide enjoyment and opportunity for all, whether as a patron, treading the boards, or working behind the scenes or front of house. If you enjoy our theatre, and you have some time on your hands, why not volunteer ... or even contribute to the Kenton for Keeps Campaign. Now to our current show.

The Boyfriend was originally written in 1952 for The Players’ Theatre Club as a pastiche of musical shows of the 1920’s and only lasted an hour and a half, but when the curtain fell on the first performance, it was obvious to the author, Sandy Wilson, that he had created something which somehow had to last longer than the scheduled three weeks. So, after it was expanded to a full length show, It opened at the Embassy Theatre on December 1st 1953 for the Christmas season to a unanimously enthusiastic press. The next day The Players' Theatre were deluged with bids and decided to accept Sir Bronson Albery's offer of Wyndham's Theatre where The Boyfriend opened under their management on January 14th, 1954. It has been an enduring vehicle for delightful songs such as All I Want is A Room in Bloomsbury, It’s Never Too Late To fall In Love and of course, the show-stopper Poor Little Pierrette – which I have the honour to sing in this production. Despite early casting difficulties, with the usual AMDRAM problem of the lack of young men, we are delighted with the production and can promise you a fun-packed evening. We have all laughed so much during rehearsals as Director Raymond Burton has concentrated on binging out all the comedy in the script. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed the journey to this our first production of 2010.

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