Our
Story
Founded in 1898, Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society originally performed Light Operettas and then Gilbert & Sullivan. The society has posters dating back to the early 20th century which indicate that they once performed a different operetta on alternate nights, with the cast switching between leading parts and chorus!
The society has a virtually unbroken history of performances since its inception except for a short break at the end of WW1 and a longer break during 1941 – 45 when many of the 50+ strong chorus were actively involved in other equally dramatic events.
Having played for many years at the Theatre Royal and then the Hippodrome in Rochdale, the Society moved to a temporary home at the ABC cinema before moving to The Gracie Fields Theatre in 1977.
In 2015 the society changed its name to Rochdale Musical Theatre Company (RMTC) as, in more modern times, productions have been musical theatre rather than of an operatic nature. The new name is also a more accurate reflection of the professional nature of the company’s productions.
In October 2021, RMTC found their new home at the iconic town centre venue Champness Hall and brought theatre back to the heart of Rochdale, with the hugely successful, sell out production Legally Blonde. This was followed in May 2022 with the equally successful Broadway musical comedy The Producers.
1898 –2023
MEMORY LANE
1898 ​Rochdale Amateur Operatic ​Society Formed
1899 ​The Mikado
​Iolanthe
1900​ Yeomen of the Guard
​Pirates of Penzance
1901 ​Gondoliers
​Patience
1902​ Iolanthe
​Sorcerer
1904​ Dorothy
​The Gondoliers
1906​ Merrie England
1907 ​Dorothy
​Vicar of Bray
1908​ Mikado
​Yeomen of the Guard
*Suspended during the war
1922​ The Gondoliers
1923​ Iolanthe
1924​ Merrie England
1925​ Utopia Limited
1926​ Cavalleria Rusticana
​HMS Pinafore
1927​ Dorothy
1928​ Tom Jones
1929​ The Mikado
1930​ The Arcadians
1931​ Katinka
1932​ Duchess of Dantzig
1933​ The Desert Song
1934​ Student Prince
1935​ Gipsy Love
1936​ Goodnight Vienna
1937​ The New Moon
1938​ No, No Nanette!
1939​ Waltzes from Vienna
1940​ Lilac Time
*Suspended during the war
1946​ Student Prince
1947​ The Vagabond King
1948​ Wild Violets
1949​ Showboat
1950​ Hit the Deck
1951 ​Arcadians
1952​ Magyar Melody
1953​ The Dancing Years
1954​ Brigadoon
1955 ​Goodnight Vienna
1956​ Oklahoma
​Merrie England
1957​ The White Horse Inn
1958​ Carousel
1959​ Summer Song
1960 ​Maid of Mountains
​Paint your Wagon
1961​ The Merry Widow
1962​ South Pacific
​The Lilac Domino
1963​ Viktoria and her Hussar
​Annie Get Your Gun
1964 ​The Desert Song
​The Quaker Girl
1965​ Chu Chin Chow
1966​The Student Prince
1967 ​The Most Happy Fella
​Kings Rhapsody
1968​ The Count of Luxembourg
1969 ​Kismet
1969 ​Carousel
1970​ The Merry Widow
1971​ Kiss Me Kate
1972​ The Desert Song
1973​ Finian’s Rainbow
1974 ​The Land of Smiles
​The Student Prince
1975​ Brigadoon
1976 ​The Waltz Dream
1977 ​Bitter Sweet
​South Pacific
1978​ The Quaker Girl
​Calamity Jane
1979 ​Rose Marie
​Robert And Elizabeth
1980​ Oklahoma
1981​ The Great Waltz
​The Pajama Game
1982​ My Fair Lady
1983​ Summer Song
​Guys And Dolls
1984​ The Merry Widow
1985​ Irene
​Fiddler on the Roof
1986​ The King and I
1987​ Hello Dolly
​The Sound of Music
1988​ The Music Man
1989 ​Finian’s Rainbow
​Camelot
1990​Annie Get Your Gun
1991 ​Kismet
​Half a Sixpence
1992​ Calamity Jane
1993 ​West Side Story
1994 ​Anything Goes
​Annie
1995​Sweeney Todd
​Sweet Charity
1996​My Fair Lady
1997 ​Me and My Girl
1998​ Pirates of Penzance
​South Pacific
1999 ​Oklahoma
​Guys & Dolls
2000 ​Mack & Mabel
​Gala 2000
2001 ​Kiss Me Kate!
​Oliver
2002 ​Crazy for You
2003 ​The Music Man
2004 ​The Scarlet Pimpernel
​The Giants of Broadway (Concert)
2005 ​Titanic
​Magic of the Musicals (Concert)
2006 ​Chess
​Jekyll & Hyde
2007 ​Broadway & Beyond (Concert)
​Annie
2008 ​An Evening of Song & Dance
​(Concert)
​Hello Dolly
2009 ​Another Evening of Song & Dance
2010 ​Copacabana
2011 ​Sweeney Todd
2012 ​The Sound of Music
2013 ​Witchfinder
2014​ When The Lights Go On Again
2015​ Oliver!
*Changed name to Rochdale Musical
Theatre Company
2016​ A Tale of Two Cities
2017​ The Full Monty
2018​ RENT
2019​ Showcase
2021​ Legally Blonde
2022 ​The Producers
2023 Grease The Musical