A scene from Beauty and the Beast, 2012 (2)

Adapted from the 1991 Walt Disney film of the same name, the Beauty and the Beast musical follows the unfolding love story between Belle and a cold blooded prince who has been transformed into an ugly beast as punishment for his selfishness. The musical first opened in 1994 and ran until 2007, becoming Broadway’s 10th longest running production in history. The T.A.O.D.S staged their own production of Beauty and the Beast in 2012 at Hall for Cornwall. This photograph of a scene from the performance captures the production’s extremely detailed set and costume designs.

Backstage at City Hall

The White Horse Inn is a musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz who adapted it from Oscar Blumenthal’s original play. It follows the story of the head waiter of the White Horse Inn who is desperately in love with it’s owner. The T.A.O.D.S staged their own production of the musical in 1965 at City Hall Truro.

A scene from Showboat, 1992

First produced in 1927, the Showboat musical follows the lives and loves of the workers aboard the Cotton Blossom travelling showboat. The T.A.O.D.S performance of the musical ran at City Hall Truro between the 2nd and 7th of November 1992, although it had been produced by the society for decades. Joan and John Boreham produced this particular performance, with Joan also directing the choreography.

Costume making

This is a photograph of costumes being sewn for a T.A.O.D.S production of The Sound of Music. Although costumes sometimes came with the set designs during this period, a lot of the outfits that were used for T.A.O.D.S performances were made by the family and friends of society members.

West Side Story, 1992

West Side Story is a musical by Laurents, Bernstein and Sondheim and is set in the mid 1950s in New York City’s Upper West Side. Inspired by Shakespear’s Romeo and Juliet, it follows the unfolding rivalry between two teenage street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The original 1957 production of the musical was Sondheim’s Broadway debut. Running for 732 performances before touring, the production was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1958. The musical’s London production ran for even longer before it was eventually adapted into film in 1961. This black and white photograph features some of the cast of the T.A.O.D.S production of the musical at City Hall in 1992.

A scene from West Side Story, 1992 (1)

West Side Story is a musical by Laurents, Bernstein and Sondheim set in the mid 1950s in New York City’s Upper West Side. Inspired by Shakespear’s Romeo and Juliet, it follows the unfolding rivalry between two teenage street gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. The original 1957 production of the musical was Sondheim’s Broadway debut. Running for 732 performances before touring, the production was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical in 1958. The musical’s London production ran for even longer before it was eventually adapted into film in 1961. This photograph captures a scene from the T.A.O.D.S production of the musical at City Hall in 1992.