Our History
For over 50 years TADLOP has been bringing the magic of musical theatre to Telford. We our proud of our humble beginnings and all the people who made TADLOP what it is today!
In 1972 at Shirlee Gaston's Dance Studio in Wellington a group of parents and like-minded people held a meeting. They felt that the fast-growing new town of Telford lacked an organisation to produce and perform quality light opera and musicals. They needed a society that would bring "a little of the West End" to the area.
Within two weeks Telford And District Light Operatic Players (neatly abbreviated to TADLOP) was formed and almost 50 people had expressed interest in performing in the first show: Calamity Jane, in which Shirlee Gaston herself played the lead. It began with a donation of just £5, the show cost in total £500. Tickets were 30p and programmes just 5p. It played at Oakengates Town Hall for three nights and was a great success, making a profit of £25.
Since 1972 TADLOP has gone on to stage nearly 100 full-scale musical productions as well as numerous concerts, cabarets and community events. We have given over 900 Telford locals the opportunity to perform, and many thousands more have attended and enjoyed our productions.
