What we do

Dartford Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (DAODS) is a Dartford based charity that has been serving the people of Dartford and surrounding area for over a hundred years. The society has a reputation of which its members and the wider community are incredibly proud.

 

 

Although the society’s main focus is on musical theatre productions, we also produce a wide range of different kinds of theatre including plays, pantomimes and revues. In the last ten years alone we have welcomed more than 50,000 people to our shows.

 

 

In recent years we are perhaps best known for our large-scale musical productions at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford. The Orchard Theatre seats over 900 people and plays host to many professional touring productions from both the UK and abroad throughout the year. Since it opened in 1982 we have produced over 60 shows there ranging from classics of the golden era of musicals such as Oklahoma and Guys and Dolls to more modern hits like The Producers and Made in Dagenham. These shows are renowned for their production values with the use of professional sets, musicians, lighting and sound.

 

 

Cast members for our shows are drawn from the local area and you can find out more about joining the society on our getting involved page. While we are fortunate to have a number of people who have worked professionally in the theatre,  we welcome new members of all levels of previous experience. One of our founding principles is to promote education in the performing arts and thousands of people over the years have benefitted from the experience of participating in our shows.

 

 

Alongside our productions at the Orchard Theatre we are fortunate to be able to produce many other shows on a slightly smaller scale at our own venue, Heathfields Hall. This is our home, where we rehearse for all of our shows and where we and many other local organisations hold a range of functions including many of our social and fundraising events. Follow the links above to find out more about Heathfields Hall and its history.

 

DAODS is affiliated with the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA).

 

NODA was founded in 1899 and is the leading representative body for amateur theatre in the UK.

 

The Association has over 2400 member groups and 2000 individuals who stage a huge number of productions in a wide range of venues.