It all began in 1927 when Harry Stanley moved to Redcar from Darlington, found he missed his local Operatic Society and with Arthur Lewis decided to form a new society.

They held a meeting at the Lonsdale Cafe which attracted 12 other members and also the interest of Mrs Lonsdale. She became a "fairy godmother" to the new company allowing them to use her cafe for a rehearsal room for the first few shows.

The old Arcadia Theatre in Wilton street, now a car park, was the venue for the society's first production in 1928, 'The Pirates of Penzance', followed in successive years by 'The Gondoliers' and 'The Mikado'.

In 1932-33 the group had a disastrous gamble when they attempted to produce Merrie England for Redcar Council, which was to be staged in a new open air theatre. Unfortunately the theatre was never built.

Over the next few years productions were staged at The Palace, New Pavilion and The Regent before the War intervened. On 21st October 1941 four key members of the society were killed when the Zetland Cafe at the corner of Pierson Street and Elliot Street was bombed and as a sad reminder their poster advertising their production of 'Gypsy Love' remained on the ruined wall until the end of the war.

In 1998 a plaque was mounted on the wall of the building next to where the club stood, commemorating this tragic event and the present members attended the dedication ceremony, followed, as is our practice, with supper and some songs in the Coatham Memorial Hall.

In 1946 the remaining members re-grouped and started to stage shows, pantomimes, revues and concerts and £600 was raised for charity. After this, most of the society's money went into keeping it solvent as the costs of production soared.

The production of 'Orpheus in the Underworld' in 1977, the society's 50th Anniversary, cost £4000, money that could not be recouped at the box office.

The society still tried to help needy causes by giving concerts, as they do to this day.