The Armidale Drama and Music Society (ADMS) recently took a moment to honour a stalwart of the local arts community: longtime President Neil Horton, who has just celebrated an incredible 15 years of leadership at the helm of the organisation.
In recognition of his unwavering commitment and service, Neil was presented with a Community Recognition Statement by Brendan Moylan MP, a distinction that highlights not only his dedication to the Society but also the broader impact he has had on the cultural life of Armidale.
Mr Horton said that musical theatre has been one of his life’s great passions.
“Musical theatre has been a hobby and a passion of mine since school, and my parents always encouraged me to be a part of things in the community, so this is really a culmination of those things,” he said.
Mr Horton started in community theatre with the Glen Innes Arts Council before moving to Armidale in 1996 and discovering ADMS.
“It’s always just been a fantastic way to meet people and make new friends,” he said.
Founded in 1922, and after a period of inactivity during the war years, the Armidale Drama and Musical Society was reformed in 1963 and has since become a cornerstone of the city’s vibrant performing arts scene. In 2010, the Society consolidated its presence by joining forces with The Armidale Playhouse Inc to form the current incorporated association now known as ADMS.
For more than a century, ADMS has been staging musicals, plays, concerts and festivals, providing local performers and creatives with a platform to share their talents with the community. The Society also actively supports other theatre groups and school drama productions and collaborates regularly with organisations such as the Armidale Symphony Orchestra and the Armidale Choral Society.
Mr Horton tells us that ADMS currently has around 130 members, and with these members they produce 1 musical and 2-3 plays per year.
“I’m very proud of what we do. For a regional theatre company, we consistently produce some exceptionally high-quality amateur theatre,” he said.
“Next year we’re very excited to be putting on our first ghost story, which is Ladies in Black, as well as one of the first regional theatre productions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
These two productions will sit alongside a production of Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie, and the much-loved comedy Calendar Girls, which Mr Horton assures us will feature some very strategically placed flowers.
Under Neil’s leadership, ADMS has navigated the challenges that come with leading a community-based arts organisation, from sourcing volunteers to engaging audiences in a regional centre. The Society’s productions span a range of genres and styles, reflecting both local talent and universal themes that resonate broadly – fostering community pride and participation along the way.
“The Playhouse is something else we’re really very proud of,” said Mr Horton.
The Armidale Playhouse, located on Beardy Street, has become a creative hub for the Society’s work. After years of community fundraising and restoration, this historic theatre continues to be the principal venue for ADMS’s performances, helping preserve Armidale’s unique cultural heritage while offering a welcoming space for artists and audiences alike.
“The Playhouse was an old School Hall which needed lots of work. We’d been using it as a meeting space for several years, but we knew it needed a lot of work,” said Mr Horton.
“We were lucky enough during COVID to source a few sizable grants from both State and Federal governments, which we used to renovate, and we then put it out to the public to ‘buy a seat’ and this very quickly sponsored all the seating in the theatre.”
“It’s now an absolutely beautiful little venue that we’re also able to use to make some funds for the Society out of by renting it out for other performances, as well as giving us a home for most of our productions, except for our larger musicals, which we hold at TAS.”
Aside from nightly performances and seasonal shows, ADMS invites community members of all ages and backgrounds to get involved, whether onstage or behind the scenes. Opportunities range from acting and musical performance to set design, costuming, lighting and front-of-house duties, with volunteers forming the backbone of the organisation’s success.
“We’ve got so many exceptionally talented and imaginative people within the Society but we’re always happy for new people to join,” said Mr Horton.
As ADMS looks to the future, the Society’s Vice Presidents Emily Waldron and Richard Kiehne, Treasurer Greg Quast, Secretary Jono McAteer and a dedicated team of committee members are committed to continuing the legacy of excellence that Mr Horton has helped build.
And as for Mr Horton himself, he has no plans of slowing down yet. He’s starting to look to a future where he steps back from his busy role as Operations Manager for NSW Healthy Pathology and has more time to dedicate to his passion for the theatre.
“As long as the Society still wants me, I’m happy to keep showing up. Being the President has, of course, had its ebbs and flows just like any other role but I really do genuinely love the theatre and what we produce at ADMS, so it never feels like a chore,” he said.
“Yes, it’s a big commitment, but regardless of whether I’m on the stage, directing, working behind the scenes or doing front of house duties, I get a real buzz out of being a part of putting on shows that people enjoy.”
Here’s to the next chapter of creativity in Armidale, and to many more years of community theatre that inspires, entertains and connects us all.
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