George Hutchison

At school George took part in many plays, but it wasn’t until he went to Dundee to train to be a teacher that he responded to a call from the University Operatic Society for more men (no change then as now) that he took part in his first musical Die Fledermaus. His gave him an enduring interest in musical theatre and a move to work in special education in Dunfermline in 1972 provided his first chance to appear on the Carnegie Hall stage as a dancerand chorus boy in No No Nanette a sadly neglected genuine 1920s show.

In 1975 George got married and moved to live and work in Edinburgh and then Cupar but came back to work at Woodmill High School where a chance conversation with George Baxter who worked in the school and who was the Society’s MD at the time resulted in him getting the part of Lord Mountararat and a lifelong interest in the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, especially the more serious work of the latter. George moved to Perth in 1987 as headteacher of a special school in that town, but returned to the society as their director between 1997 and 2000. He particularly enjoyed directing ‘La Vie Parisienne’ one of the Society’s occasional forays away from G&S.

During that time he also performed with and directed for Perth City Operatic Group, mainly G&S including a memorable ‘Edwardian’ Mikado set in Gilbert’s garden at Grim’s Dyke, his home between 1890 and 1911 in whose pond Gilbert drowned (which didn’t feature in that version of The Mikado!)

After directing for DG&SS George took up a similar role for Broughty Ferry Opera in Dundee and was able to extend his repertoire to include more Broadway shows, operetta (The Gipsy Baron) and Iolanthe in which that renegade fairy did emerge from a real pool, although not upside down!

George has continued to perform on Carnegie Hall stage most memorably in the title role in Scrooge in 2005 and most recently as Fagin in 2008. In 2009 he will be directing Fiddler on the Roof for Perth City Operatic Group.

In 2008 George was awarded the NODA 40-year bar for service to the amateur stage.

Appearances with Dunfermline Gilbert & Sullivan Society

La Vie Parisienne

The Gondoliers

Patience

The Pirates of Penzance

The Gondoliers

Ruddigore

The Mikado

Iolanthe

2000

1999

1998

1997

1988

1987

1986

1985

director

director

director

director

Duke of Plaza-Toro

Robin/Ruthven

Ko-Ko

Lord Mountararat