The Dorothy Lawson G&S Award for Best Gilbert & Sullivan Production ...

 ...and Johanna Chambers and Kevin Chapman picked up a pair of Malcolm Rose awards for Best Male and Female Performers in a G&S, for their performances as Frederic and Mabel. (That's Jo's third NODA award in three years!)

This year's NODA award ceremony, on Sunday 14 June, will be held online - we'll publish the details when we know more. 

Patrick (pictured left in the 2019 production of 'The Pirates of Penzance', his last stage performance) had been Treasurer of HLO Musical Company for the best part of 20 years. Famously grumpy, but also unfailingly kind, courteous and generous, his attention to detail and enthusiasm for maintaining and improving our financial position had a lot to do with HLO's financial stability.

Patrick was a fine baritone and accomplished comic actor who was up for anything, particularly in farce: who can forget him as Bill in 'It Runs in the Family' tightrope-walking along a windowsill in his pyjamas, or Uncle George in 'Cash on Delivery' running around in his underwear with a bed attached to his back? He was particularly fond of the songs of Flanders and Swann, and his rendition of 'The Armadillo' at a members' evening had most of the audience injuring themselves with violent laughing.

The loss of Patrick leaves a big hole in our lives and we will miss him tremendously. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to his sons Graham and Andrew, and his many friends in the local community groups he was active in. 

Geoffrey Farrar as Sir Despard Murgatroyd

(A Swan award to add to his NODA award!)

The judges said: 

'Geoffrey as Sir Despard Murgatroyd played his part to comic melodramatic perfection. Whilst staying within the mood of his evil character, he delivered his humorous asides with aplomb, even when passing on the doomed curse of his baronial duties. With effective mannerisms, baddie cloak aswirl and an air of amusing menace, Geoffrey's performance was a tour de force.'

So here we are, on a glorious Bank Holiday Saturday, being Osterley Park's 'Summer Music' at the Temple of Pan. Pirates of 'Pan' zance anyone? 

Cast members in evidence: far left, Johanna Chambers (Mabel), third from left, Andrea Wilkins (Edith), third from right with book, Paul Chambers (Sergeant of Police), second from right between pillars, Paul Huggins (Samuel), far right, Tony Cotterill (Major-General). 

Singing in the Stable Yard - members of HLOC serenade visitors to Osterley Park on Sunday 16 December 2018.

As well as singing carols, HLOC contributed a musically-themed Christmas tree to St Stephen's Church Christmas Tree Festival on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 December.

Here's a picture of our lovely tree, designed by Helen Smith with a strong flavour of Gilbert and Sullivan! 

HLOC's 'Audrey II' plant in 'Little Shop of Horrors' won the Adjudicator's Award for the perfomances of John Furlong, as the voice of the plant, and puppeteer Shaun Lati.

This is the the second year running HLOC have won the Adjudicator's Award: in 2017 it went to musical director Lee Dewsnap for his one-man organ accompaniment of 'The Mikado'.

Meanwhile our 'Ruddigore' director, Wesley Henderson-Roe, picked up not one, but two Swan awards as director of 'Best Play' for Marie Jones's 'Stones in his Pockets' (Teddington Theatre Club) and 'Best Musical Production' for 'Made in Dagenham' (BROS Theatre Company). 

Not just a district winner now!

Johanna Chambers won the overall NODA London Malcolm Rose award for Best Female in a Gilbert & Sullivan, for her performance as Eliza Smith in 'The Zoo'.

Johanna is appearing as Rose Maybud in 'Ruddigore'.