The Hampshire performing arts scene is thriving. Large scale visually spectacular productions with talent that wouldn't be out of place in the West End is not what you would expect from "Am Dram" groups. As a trained performer, you are pre programmed to avoid local Am Dram like the plague, but once I took the plunge and joined a society myself, I discovered I could not have been more wrong.

Productions in Basingstoke especially are in a different league to what you would expect for amateur societies, however there is a draw back to these larger theatre groups - and that's variety and risk. This is by no means a slight at local groups, who've got a large society to please and need bums on seats to make the productions viable. They cannot afford to take risks on smaller scale, edgy productions. This, is why I founded StudioCoop.

StudioCoop was set up in no way to encroach on the local theatre groups, but rather to compliment them, experimenting with different styles of musicals and creative directions. Celebrating lesser known works whilst entertaining and challenging our audiences to think differently about musical theatre is at the forefront of our ethos. 

I'll be the first to celebrate the all singing, all dancing , large scale blockbuster musical, but there is space for experimentation and alternative theatre and it is my greatest hope that StudioCoop will be welcomed into the fold of the local performing arts scene.