Amateur operatics has long held a place in the heart of Hinckley folk. This love affair started in the early 1900’s with the formation of the “Hinckley Musical and Dramatic Society”.

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With a break for the years of the First World War, the society continued until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.

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Due to wartime constrictions life was sombre and there was very little on offer in the town in the form of entertainment to keep up the spirits. In November 1941 a meeting was called by Mr A. Shirley Atkins, a very prominent local citizen, who, amongst other things, was Clerk to the old Hinckley Urban Council for 46 years.  He had a great interest in amateur theatre.  Also present at the meeting were the Vice Principal of the College of Further Education, W. Powell, the Vicar J. Featherstone, Eric Cotton and other prominent members of the community.

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Evolving from this meeting, The Hinckley Community Guild was formed in 1942. The first President was Christopher Turner, the Vicar, and he was followed by W. Powell, Principal of the College of Further Education. This was the beginning of a long association between the Hinckley College and The Guild, which continued well into the 80’s, when with the College becoming short of space the amateur operatics section moved to alternative rehearsal facilities at the Concordia Theatre.

Originally The Guild comprised seven various arts and crafts sections. 

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The Drama Section was the first to be formed with its opening production of Dear Brutus and then in 1946 the Operatic Section picked up the traditions of the former Hinckley Musical and Drama Society, staging their initial production of The Mikado in the Working Men’s Club Hall. The scenery was built and constructed by Guild members and despite the cramped conditions and the pocket sized stage, memorable evenings were had with the excellent singing voices so long associated with the society. The cast included such notables as Gertrude Millington and Stan Faulkes and the Musical Director was the late Alex Stanley (who later went on to form the Stanley Opera Company after producing Carmen with The Guild in 1972).  In 1951, The Guild broke away from the Gilbert & Sullivan operas and staged The Arcadians.  Equally outstanding successes followed with The Desert Song (1953) and White Horse Inn (1958). 

With the gradual change of social interests, most sections of the arts and crafts side diminished in members and ultimately folded, leaving only the operatic section of the Community Guild.  A new constitution brought a change in name and the am dram section became The Hinckley Community Guild Amateur Operatic Society. 

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The society is rightly very proud that many illustrious names were associated with and also first trod the boards via the Community Guild. These included Joe Payne (Paynes Garages) who was a founder member and secretary and trustee of the overall society for many years until his retirement; Gertie Millington (of Millingtons Bakers – now long gone from the town), Gertie’s son was a member of the drama society and also produced productions, the last of which was Kismet in the early 80’s.  Many members of the other theatre affiliated societies commenced their am dram lives with The Guild. Originally specialising in Gilbert and Sullivan and light operatic productions, with changes of production teams and audience requirements over the years, the repertoire has widened to include general musical productions but The Guild still remains the G&S Society of the Concordia Theatre. Indeed, very appropriately, the first Guild production at the Concordia was The Mikado.

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The company has always been renowned for its voices hence the ability to tackle successfully such difficult and versatile scores as The Most Happy Fella, Kismet, Sweeney Todd and Chess to name but a few of our challenges.

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