CURTAIN UP - LATEST NEWS

It is now possible to sign up to audition for GAOS' next youth show, Chaplin, directed by Arthur Mitchell. Auditions will be held on the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th of January, with callbacks, if needed, on the 9th and 14th of January.

Rehearsals will begin on the 6th of June, and performances will take place from the 28th to the 30th of August 2026.

You can find the audition pack, form and materials here.

Good news! The GAOS Choral Group has now planned its Spring 2026 concert - and it's a dandy! Guest conductor May Hofman will lead us in a wonderful selection of choruses from oratorios and operas, some of which you may know and some which will be new to you. Composers range from Handel through Mendelssohn, Bach, Wagner, Purcell and a range of others guaranteed to please - and even challenge.

The concert will be held on Saturday 18th April 2026 in the Holy Trinity Church in downtown Geneva, with a dress rehearsal on Wednesday 15th April. Rehearsals will start on Monday 12th January, at GAOS HQ from 19h to 20h30.

And now all we need is YOU! Please come and join us in this exciting programme - we need your sign-up by Saturday 20th December, so we can prepare the music files for you. Send an e-mail to Carolyn Hornfeld, mentioning the voice you sing (SATB), and we'll be delighted to put your name on the list and keep you informed.

The GAOS Committee is on the lookout for a youth representative (aged 16-24) to work with us to ensure:

• the voices of our younger members are heard
• their insights are represented and factored into plans for the future
• the Society benefits from the energy and creativity of younger GAOS members, both on and off stage.

The representative would attend some parts of Committee meetings and have an input on decisions being made and issues that affect the Society, from what shows we put on, to how we market, to how we attract new members, to how we operate.

If you are interested, please e-mail Chris Cartwright on publicity@gaos.ch.

Opening night is fast approaching, and the bar crew is still looking for some elves, also to operate the slushy machine and serve hot dogs. If you are able to help on any show, please contact Karin with your availability.

As announced, we have established a casual dance crew that will meet at 19h30 on Fridays a few times a month to stretch, dance, an choreograph together. The first get together is today, Friday 21st, and we're sure it's going to be a blast! Join the WhatsApp group to get all the info.

The Kinky Boots cast has been selected and can be found here. Congratulations to the cast, and thank you to everyone who auditioned.

Our HQ is a precious space that we all benefit from. We are all responsible for taking care of it.

We had a recent security breach, so this is a reminder to ensure you always lock up after yourself (using the key, just slamming the door closed is not enough!). We have a lot of valuable equipment that needs minding.

Please make sure that you tidy up: place in the dishwasher any dirty glasses, plates, etc. If the dishwasher is clean, please empty it and put things away. If you wash up by hand, please also dry and put away, do not leave things on the draining board. Please don't leave snacks or empty bottles lying around, and do recycle! We have bins for recyclables. If the rubbish or recycling bins are overflowing, please help to empty them.

After a break from pantomime for Elf the Musical, we are eager to have a GAOS panto in 2026! Are you interested in directing? Oh yes, you are! Please get in touch with any questions or a proposal. The theatre is booked and ready for you!

The courses for the 2026 NODA Summer School, which will be held at Yarnfield Park, Stone, Staffordshire (UK) from the 1st to the 8th of August, have been announced:

1. Accessing Accents - Tutor: Rosemary Berkon

2. Acting for Absolute Beginners - Tutor: Chris (Tomo) Tomlinson

3. Acting for Screen - Tutors: Elianne Hawley and Graeme Hawly

4. Discovering the Golden Age of Musical Theatre - Tutors: Conor O'Kane and Sarah de Tute

5. Improvisation for the Bold and the Bashful - Tutor: Jonny Dixon

6. Introduction to Stage Combat - Tutor: Tom Jordan

7. Make Up for Theatre - Tutor: Paul Herrington-Hurley

8. Making a Murder Mystery - Tutor: Jasmin Mandi-Ghomi

9. Set Design - Tutor: Alex Marker

10. Shakespeare - let's get physical! - Tutor: Grace Goulding

11. Sing the Story - Lift the Lyric - Tutor: Pamela Rudge

12. Starting a Society Producing a Show - Tutor: Sarah Osborne

13. The Magic of Menken - Tutors: Jack Bennet and Jordan Langford

14. Welcome to the Moulin Rouge - Tutor: Lynne Bustard

15. We're Just Wilde About Oscar - Tutor: Eva Sampson

You can find more details on the courses here. The fee for this year's Summer School is £775 (with a non-refundable deposit of £150 at registration), which covers accommodation, tuition, meals, and evening sessions (optional). Registration opens on the 1st of December, at 19h (Geneva time). Here are instructions on how to register. Contact Susana if you have any questions!

Love to dance? Want to choreograph? Sarah is starting a new informal GAOS dance group open to all members aged 18 and over! The group will meet at HQ once or twice a month (first session on the 21st of November) on Friday evenings to create dances together, share choreography ideas, and explore different styles - all just for fun. No pressure, no auditions, just good music and great company!

If you are interested in joining or finding out more, get in touch with Sarah. Let's get dancing!