Julian Operatic - Company History

The Julian takes its name from Julian Avenue in Acton where Margaret Bannon lived with her father Dave Whiteaker (founding Chairman) and mother Mary (founding Secretary). The Society was thus very much a family affair for the first 25 years, when two shows a year were performed – mainly at the Acton Town Hall. The Society departed from G & S in 1966 with Strauss’ The Gypsy Baron and since then the repertoire has varied over the years to encompass other popular light operas such as Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Lehar’s The Merry Widow, and various shows from Offenbach such as La Belle Helene and Orpheus in the Underworld.

The Society continued to perform at the Acton Town Hall until 1973, but transferred to the newly built Greenford Hall in 1974. With rising costs and reducing audiences due to demographic changes the number of full productions was reduced from two a year to three every two years, and from 1998 only one major show has been staged each year – in the autumn – with an intermediate concert in the spring. A further significant change took place in the Society's history in 2002 when they performed for the first time at Questors Theatre in Ealing. A "Thrust" stage is popular at this theatre which has become the new home for major productions.