FOR six decades the Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society (BATS) has been an integral part of theatre in the town.

The group has given a platform to notable members such as Liz Hurley, who played Gretel in the 1979 pantomime Hansel and Gretel and Christian Brassington, who has graduated from the chorus of BATS’ Annie Get Your Gun in 2000 to playing the former prime minister in Channel 4’s Tony Blair: Rock Star, starring opposite Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth – The Golden Age and as the villainous vicar Ossie in BBC’s Poldark.

Now, to mark BATS’ diamond anniversary, a special performance at the Haymarket Theatre will relive some of the wonderful musical memories throughout the last 60 years.

This special one-off performance celebrates the history of the award-winning BATS which has been been entertaining audiences since 1958 with shows from Oliver! to Sister Act and West Side Story to Beauty and the Beast.

Those 60 years have given the cast and crew of full-time teachers, accountants, police officers, hairdressers and so on the opportunity to live out their Broadway and West End dreams, long before reality TV shows gave people their 15 minutes of fame.

BATS was formed out of necessity after the fortunes of the Haymarket Theatre were at a very low ebb and the future of the building itself was in serious jeopardy.

Had it not been for a group of public-spirited local people, who generously invested private donations, and the formation of the Basingstoke Theatre Club (the forerunner of BATS), then the Haymarket Theatre and the rich history of amateur and professional productions in the town might never have been.

Founding member of BATS, Liz Roshier, said: “The club was made up of members from the other amateur groups in Basingstoke and we founded it to keep the theatre open.

“We re-decorated the whole place. We rewired it, we paid for the apron stage and the follow-spots, we painted the dressing rooms – the whole place had just been let go.

“Everybody just mucked in together, because you had to.”

Since then BATS has produced shows performing to sell-out audiences from 1966’s first classic American musical – South Pacific, where people queued round the old town hall to get tickets - to the 1970s and 1980s where almost every show had a full house.

Over the years since 1958 life has changed for BATS – fewer people work regular nine to five and that is reflected in the cast and crew who step into the rehearsal room at Christ Church, Chineham at 7.30pm on a Monday and Wednesday evenings. Some come straight from the railway station after commuting back from London. Others make the long drive from Southampton, Camberley or further afield to pursue their hobby.

To join in the celebrations on June 23, go to anvilarts.org.uk.