About CADOS
CADOS is a friendly North-East London Amateur Dramatic group, founded over six decades ago. Literally hundreds of productions later (check out the Past Productions section!), we are still going strong! Based at Mornington Hall (The Green Walk, North Chingford), we put on four main productions annually (two musicals and two plays), with two to three additional shows from our Junior Theatre Groups. We have chorus rehearsals every Monday, principal musical rehearsals Wednesdays and play rehearsals Thursdays. There are so many ways to get involved with the society; from performing in the shows, to making costumes, painting scenery and helping out Front of House. We are always happy to see new faces on board! For more information visit the Become a Member section.
History
Chingford Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (or CADOS as it is usually known) was founded in 1945. Initially set up under the name of the Chingford Arts Circle (CAC), annual membership cost just two shillings and sixpence (that’s 12½p to our younger readers)! The Circle was divided into various sections: the music group, the literary and discussion group, the musical appreciation and gramophone records group, the drama group, and the fine arts group. The very early rehearsal rooms were private houses, Richmond House School and the Canteen at Chingford Laundry, until the Club House was opened in 1947.
In 1954 it was decided that the company would focus all their energies on giving performances of operas and plays, as many of the original ‘Arts Circle’ groups had already folded, so the new name ‘CADOS’ was born. In 1956 rehearsals moved to Chase Lane School to cope with increased membership numbers. During the late 1950s and first half of the 1960s, the company took eight different musical shows to the Scala Theatre (in London’s West End), having previously used local school halls as performance venues. The seating capacity at the Scala was 1,100 and the first performance there of ‘Love from Judy’ in 1957 cost a staggering £1,000, equivalent to over £16,000 today!
Meanwhile the rehearsal venue had changed again to the Friday Hill House, Simmons Lane and as of the early 1960s, the group was also putting on regular plays at the newly opened Chingford Assembly Hall.
The years went on and the rehearsal venue underwent another change, this time to Chepping Hall, Sewardstone Road, which remained the home of CADOS until very recently. The group continued to use the Chingford Assembly Hall as their main performance venue, with a few shows at the Kenneth More Theatre in Ilford, smaller scale performances at Chepping Hall, and one performance of ‘Half a Sixpence’ even making it all the way to Malta in 1987!
In 1983, the then Artistic Director, Janet Roust, set up the Junior Theatre Groups, which are still thriving today.
In 2004 CADOS moved their official ‘home’ to Mornington Hall where they have been rehearsing and performing ever since.
