Have you heard of SOS Presents?

Well, it’s Southampton’s oldest established musical society, marking 100 years since its foundation in 1924, with a summer production at MAST Mayflower Studios of Guys and Dolls.

Southampton Forward and the Daily Echo are on the hunt for the city’s best kept secrets and hidden gems when it comes to the arts and culture, and SOS Presents certainly has a lot to shout about.

‘SOS Presents’ is the performing name of Southampton Operatic Society, the city’s oldest musical society, and it is celebrating its milestone centenary this year. Having performed shows at the Guildhall, the Mayflower, and the Nuffield Theatre in the past, SOS adopted the wonderful MAST Mayflower Studios as its new theatrical home in 2022.

SOS Presents chair, Dr Brigitte Lavoie, said: “Southampton has a really rich history when it comes to the SOS, we’re a very active group and one that has so many talented singers. This year we want to celebrate all of that history and talent as we enter our centenary year.”

The Society has performed five shows at MAST to date, two of which have won NODA (National Operatic & Dramatic Association) Accolades of Excellence Awards and the most recent (Spamalot, January 2024) enjoyed full houses and glowing reviews.

To mark its 100-year anniversary, SOS has chosen the well-loved musical comedy, Guys and Dolls, for its summer production.

Back at the MAST Mayflower Studios, and with the same director and choreographer responsible for their award-winning Seussical the Musical in June 2023, the performance is set to be the perfect entertainment for Southampton theatre lovers in July.

Show director Sophie Barnard, said: “Guys and Dolls is one of the best-loved romantic comedies from the Golden Age of Broadway Musicals. It’s a show that never goes out of style and we can’t wait to put our own creative spin on it.”

Brigitte added: “SOS provides a creative outlet for up to a hundred local people, which includes those working on stage, behind the scenes and in the band, and we entertain thousands more!

"We work hard to achieve our exceptionally high production standards, but we also have a lot of fun and have regular social events including a weekly pub club.

"We audition for new members in September and January, and we’re always delighted to see new people wanting to get involved.”

Southampton has a rich and varied cultural heritage and SOS is delighted to still be right at the heart of it.

Unfortunately, the cost-of-living crisis has hit amateur theatre hard, and the Society is keen to attract a local business sponsor to enable them to keep doing what they do so well.

If any business would consider supporting this hard-working, multi-award-winning community group, please contact the Business Team at: advertise@sospresents.org.

The summer Guys and Dolls production will take place July 10-13 at MAST Mayflower Studios and tickets are available from the Box Office 02380 711811 or online at mayflower.org.uk/whats-on/guys-and-dolls-2024.

  • SO: Cultured is our regular feature in partnership with Southampton Forward.