Three generations take to the stage

Members of a South Yorkshire family have received national awards for '˜long service' to amateur theatre.
Three generations at CADSThree generations at CADS
Three generations at CADS

Mavis Sheldon, of Norwood in Sheffield, collected her National Operatic and Dramatic Association award after celebrating 65 years onstage with a number of amateur operatic societies.

Mavis, aged 82, started to tread the boards in 1952 at her local society in Liverpool, before moving to South Yorkshire in 1957 and joining Wombwell Operatic Society, in Barnsley. She finally joined Chapeltown Amateur Operatic Society in 1962, where she has remained for the past 55 years. As well as performing onstage, over the years she has acted as registrar, musical director, producer and, finally, wardrobe manager - a position she still holds.

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Her daughter Jan Jackson, aged 48, followed in her footsteps, joining CADS officially in 1982 - despite appearing with them in smaller roles since 1972 - and was also honoured with a recent long service medal from NODA, recognising her 35 years of dedication. Jan, who is now society producer, also brought her son - and Mavis’s grandson - Daniel into the society in 2014, making three generations of the same family under the CADS umbrella.

Daniel, aged nine, first joined the society on stage in a performance of Carousel, and again in 2016 in Singin’ in The Rain. He will join the rest of the society on stage in April for their upcoming performing of White Christmas. Daniel is also an active member of the societies Academy Group, made up of young people aged eight to 16 years old.

White Christmas will open at at Rotherham Civic Theatre on April 4 and run for five nights. Visit www.rotherhamtheatres.co.uk for tickets or call the box office on 01709 823621.