A Brief History

On a Sunday evening in January 1979, two members of the cast of the Imperial College Operatic Society production of The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein went to the ladies' loo. They began to discuss a problem in the society: many of the roles, both principal and chorus, were being filled by ex-students, rather than current ones. They came up with the solution that "people who have left College should do the decent thing: leave, and form their own group." So, Imperial Opera was born.

From such a humble origin, the group has grown, drawing members from across London, as well as keeping strong connections with its sister group, now the Imperial College Union Musical Theatre Society, and mutually maintaining their love affair with the Devon town of Budleigh Salterton.

In June 2004, Imperial Opera celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a gala concert at the London Oratory School, and in 2007 the company changed its name to Imperial Productions. The new name better reflects the progressive style and wide-ranging repertoire that makes the group what it is today.

Imperial Productions is still faithful to its original agenda: to present a diverse (not to say eclectic) programme of rare, unusual, overlooked or forgotten works, and encourage creative and innovative interpretations and performances. To date, productions have included the works of Mozart, Gilbert & Sullivan, Offenbach, Shostakovich, Britten, Sondheim, Coward, Porter, Weill, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Long live the rich variety of Variety!