

OUR History
Cockermouth Amateur Theatre – A Pictorial History published in 2010 (ISBN 978-0-9551845-2-9), provides a commentary on the plays, musicals and operas staged in Cockermouth for more than 150 years.
The earliest record of theatre in Cockermouth so far traced in a production of Richard III, staged in the Brown Cow Public House in 1792. Throughout the ages amateur theatre in Cockermouth took on a variety of acronyms as groups formed and took over entertainment in and around the town. From Cockermouth Entertainment Society (CES) to Cockermouth Amateur Dramatics Club (CADC) to Cockermouth Operatic & Dramatic Society (COADS) that formed in the 1920’s. COADS performed up until the outbreak of WW2 putting on extravagant shows at the Grand Theatre, Station St, Cockermouth. Live theatre seemed a hugely popular past time back then (before the days of Netflix!) and buses came from Keswick and Workington to see the shows. Profits were donated to the local Cottage Hospital.
Museum Group’s photographic history starts in the early 1900s and their collection includes rare images of concert parties raising funds to support the troops during World War I.
The Workers Education Association also formed a group in the 1920’s- The Cockermouth Players, initially they staged productions in the basement of the Town Hall in Market Street but later mainly in Church Halls. They performed over 100 productions over the course of 50 years.
Throughout this period, and up until 1981 various groups staged many plays including annual pantomimes. In 1984, the current Cockermouth Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS) was formed with their first production Christmas Crackers. They and have staged well over one hundred productions in numerous venues in and around the town and some of the founder members are still involved to this day.



past plays
Year
Play
Location
1984 | CADS – Christmas Crackers | Victoria Hall |
1985 | CADS – The Beauty of Buttermere | Derwent Centre |
CADS – Pyramus and Thisbe from A Midsummer Night’s Dream | Cockermouth Castle | |
CADS – The Servant of Two Masters | Lorton Road Theatre | |
Cleator Civic Hall | ||
Wigton Peel Theatre | ||
CADS – Christmas Crackers II | Victoria Hall |
1986 | CADS – Mixed Doubles | Lorton Road Theatre |
CADS – Victorian Evening | Victoria Hall | |
CADS – Drunkard’s Dilemma | Keswick School | |
CADS – The Incredible Vanishing | Derwent Centre | |
Rosehill Theatre |
1987 | CADS – Abigail’s Party | Victoria Hall |
CADS – Hobson’s Choice | Lorton Road Theatre | |
CADettes Evening | Lorton Road Theatre | |
CADS – Ah Cruel Fate | ||
CADS – Educating Rita | Lorton Road Theatre | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – The Heartless Princess | Derwent Centre | |
CADS – Good Old Days | Keswick School |
1988 | CADS – Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay ! | Victoria Hall |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – The Crucible | Pardshaw Hall | |
CADS – Friday Night Live | The Office | |
CADS – Ten Times Table | Globe | |
CADS – 84 Charing Cross Road | All Saints School | |
CADS – Black Comedy | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre |
1989 | CADS – Accrington Pals | Globe |
CADS – Mother Courage | Pardshaw Hall | |
CADS – Habeas Corpus | Globe | |
CADS – The Dumb Waiter | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS -Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswoman’s Guild Dramatic Society presentation of A Christmas Carol | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre |
Year
Play
Location
1990 | CADS – A Man For All Seasons | Globe |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Animal Farm | All Saints School | |
CADS – A Chorus of Disapproval | Globe | |
CADS – Rose | Globe | |
CADS – Old Time Music Hall | Globe |
1991 | CADS – Look Back In Anger | Globe |
Blue Box Keswick | ||
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Twelfth Night | Globe | |
Blue Box Keswick | ||
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Jesus Christ Superstar | Mitchells Auction | |
CADS – The Government Inspector | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre |
1992 | CADS – Sheep | Globe |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Measure for Measure | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
Blue Box Keswick | ||
CADS – Living Together | Globe | |
Blue Box Keswick | ||
CADS – Jesus Christ Superstar | Carnegie Workington | |
Marvejols France | ||
CADS – Waiting for Godot | Rosehill Theatre | |
CADS – The Killing of Sister George | Rosehill Theatre |
1993 | CADS – On the Razzle | Globe |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
Stanwix Carlisle | ||
CADS – Dracula Spectacula | Carnegie Workington | |
CADS – Death of a Salesman | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Accidental Death of an Anarchist | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
Stanwix Carlisle | ||
CADS – The Glory of Love | Hundith Hill Hotel |
1994 | CADS – Richard III | Globe |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
Stanwix Carlisle | ||
CADS – Shakers | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – The Two Of Us | Globe | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Our Day Out | The Scout Centre | |
CADS – What the Butler Saw | The Globe | |
Rosehill |
1995 | CADS – Much Ado About Nothing | Kirkgate Centre |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – My Mother Said I Never Should | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Shirley Valentine | Kirkgate Centre | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Trumpets and Raspberries | Lakeland Sheep & Wool Centre | |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Laughing Away The Pain | Kirkgate Centre |
1996 | CADS – Amadeus | Kirkgate Centre |
Rosehill Theatre | ||
CADS – Willy Nilly | Scout Centre | |
Edinburgh Fringe | ||
CADS – Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – The Alchemist | Kirkgate Centre | |
Rosehill Theatre |
1997 | CADS – Hedda Gabler | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – One For The Road | Kirkgate Centre |
1998 | CADS – The Cherry Orchard | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – For One Night Only | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Daisy Pulls It Off | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Whistle Down The Wind | Kirkgate Centre |
1999 | CADS – The Homecoming | Kirkgate Centre |
Rosehill | ||
CADS – A Midsummer Nights Dream | Kirkgate Centre | |
Marvejols France | ||
CADS – Entertaining Mr Slone | Kirkgate Centre | |
Rosehill | ||
Keswick Theatre |
Year
Play
Location
2000 | CADS – Talking Heads | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Jane Eyre | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – A View from the Bridge | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Death and the Maiden | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – When We Are Married | Kirkgate Centre, Fletchertown, Dean, Kirkbampton, Plumbland, Rosely, St.Bees and Ravenglass |
2001 | CADS – Talking Heads II | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – She Stoops to Conquer | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Popcorn1 | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Twelfth Night | Kirkgate Centre | |
Marvejols France | ||
CADS – Lysistrata | Kirkgate Centre |
2002 | CADS – Rumpelstilskin | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Blithe Spirit | Kirkgate Centre, Keswick Theatre, Ravenglass, Rosley, Plumbland, St Bees, Kirkbampton | |
CADS – Chase Me Up Farndale Avenue S’il Vous Plaít | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Starlight Express | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Dancing at Lughnasa | Kirkgate Centre |
2003 | CADS – Cinderella | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – The Vagina Monologues | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – Outside Edge | Kirkgate Centre, Ravenglass, Caldbeck, Mawbray, Keswick Theatre |
2004 | CADS – Jack and the Beanstalk | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – The Vagina Monologues | Stanwix Carlisle | |
Keswick Theatre | ||
CADS – Get Up And Tie Your Fingers | Kirkgate Centre |
2005 | CADS – Dick Whittington | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – On the Couch with Bridgitte and Trudy | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – How The Other Half Loves | Kirkgate Centre, Ravenglass, Caldbeck, Mawbray, Keswick Theatre |
2006 | CADS – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Christmas Carol | Kirkgate Centre |
2007 | CADS – The Dresser | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Absolute Turkey | Kirkgate Centre, Ravenglass, Caldbeck, Mawbray |
2008 | CADS – Thick As A Brick | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – The Memory of Water | Kirkgate Centre |
2009 | CADS – Aladdin | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Just Between Ourselves | Kirkgate Centre | |
CADS – April in Paris | Kirkgate Centre |
Year
Play
Location
2010 | CADS – Babes in the Wood | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Noises Off |
2011 | CADS- Cinderella | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS -Girl Talk | Kirkgate Centre |
2012 | CADS – Gasping | Kirkgate Centre |
CADS – Life of Beth | Kirkgate Centre |
2013 | CADS – Panto at The OK Corral | |
CADS – Arms and the Man |
2014 | CADS – Sinbad and the Magical Mystery | |
CADS – Last Tango in Little Grimley & Last Panto in Little Grimley |
2015 | CADS – Robin Hood | |
CADS – Tommy’s Story | ||
CADS – Inspector Drake’s Last Case |
2016 | CADS – Dick Whittington | |
CADS – God of Carnage | ||
CADS – (double bill) Blue Remembered Hills Being Norwegian |
||
CADS – The Sneeze |
2017 | CADS – Jack & the Beanstalk | |
CADS – The Weir | ||
CADS – They Came from Mars & Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in time for the Townswomen’s Guild Coffee Morning | ||
CADS – The Way of the World |
2018 | CADS – Aladdin | |
CADS – The Bench |
Committee

Hilary Rhodes
actress

Ian McCaul
actor
