Where We Dream tells the story of the West Bromwich Operatic Society (WBOS), an amateur group that has been performing musical theatre in the Black Country since the 1930s. WBOS produces ambitious shows in big regional theatres and is entirely self-supporting. It has over a hundred members and its own youth theatre section but, above all, WBOS puts on great shows that are loved by their audiences.
This film captures the WBOS’s performing spirit when they staged Mel Brook’s ‘The Producers’ in November 2011. There is an the accompanying book by François Matarasso that describes the production and ranges widely over the company’s history to explore the place of amateur theatre in a disadvantaged urban area. Where We Dream is available as a book and DVD package from Multistory for £7.00 including postage (UK) or £10 including postage (outside UK).
If you would like to order the book and DVD package please visit our shop.
Where We Dream is the culmination of a year’s work in West Bromwich, supported by Multistory as part of the ‘Black Country Stories’ programme. Black Country Stories is an innovative portrait of life in this part of the post-industrial Midlands.
Through Black Country Stories, Multistory commissions outstanding artists to document and record life in the area. Work is currently being undertaken by Martin Parr, Mark Power, David Goldblatt and Margaret Drabble, among others, using photography and writing to tell amazing stories that celebrate everyday life in the Black Country.