In 1871 two great British artists were brought together to provide some Christmas entertainment and this partnership produced something bigger still and set up the world of musicals for the last 150 years. William Schwenck Gilbert was a dramatist, poet and illustrator. Arthur Sullivan was an extremely talented composer who knew the limitations of every instrument in the orchestra and the possibilities of the human voice. Three years later they got together on a more permanent arrangement and the world went wild for G&S.

With Gilbert’s wit and gentle satire on the British establishment it was the equivalent of "Have I Got News For You" only with great tunes and humour. For over twenty years they produced one hit show after another. Sullivan was knighted in 1883 but Gilbert had to wait until 1907 as his pointed poking fun at the authorities did not go down too well with them. Eventually the relationship soured and they never spoke again after 1898, which happened to be the same year that brick making started in the quiet hamlet of Wootton Pillinge situated between Bedford and Ampthill.

The Stewart family who owned the London Brick Company built a model village for their workers. Starting in 1926 it was named in their honour: goodbye Wootton Pillinge, hello Stewartby. The village hall was completed in 1929. At its height the LBC in Marston Vale had 167 chimneys, its own ambulance, fire crews, horticultural and photographic departments, swimming pool and sports clubs.

In 1951 the local school decided to have a production of “The Pirates of Penzance” and lo and behold the Stewartby Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society was formed. Any town, however small, that considered itself to be taken seriously had to produce a G&S.

Over the last 68 years [at the time of writing in 2019] the world has turned a few times and G&S fell out of fashion in many places and some young people have never heard of them or are even aware what a dramatic impact they had on British society and music throughout the English speaking world.

In 2008 brick making finally came to an end and now there are only 4 disused chimneys [these were demolished in September 2021] and a couple of kilns left to remind the people of Bedfordshire of their heritage. However, SAODS has been going from strength to strength and still produces a G&S every November for the best part of a week, in Stewartby village hall. It has an orchestra and the singers are not mic’ed. SAODS is a happy and well meaning society. It normally produces a spring show for a couple of nights, has jumble sales and visits local churches for charity performances. The G&S shows are still well received and they get very good reviews from NODA. The society is only one of two that regularly produces G&S in Bedfordshire. To those that know it, it is a local hotbed and there may be many out there who would like to become more involved with a part of Britain’s musical heritage. There is a spring show in May, but if there is anyone out there who wants to be a part of the next G&S production in November then look up SAODS.

delayed by the coronavirus pandemic until April 2022