Can you help award-winning WAOS Musical Theatre follow its yellow brick road adventure?

The society faces a practical hurdle as it prepares for its production of The Wizard of Oz on December 2 to 6 at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre: it desperately needs space to create its next award-worthy sets.

WAOS typically builds its impressive scenery in-house. However, with The Wizard of Oz demanding ambitious sets the society has hit a snag.

"We simply don't have sufficient space at our current location to construct and paint the large-scale scenery required for such a magical show," said WAOS member Brian Higgs.

"Woking council have been very good to us over the years, but they have nothing we can use for the size of scenery we need. Our recent productions of Evita and Anything Goes at the Rhoda McGaw were incredibly successful, thanks in large part to the fantastic sets our dedicated team built.

“We want to deliver that same level of spectacle for The Wizard of Oz."

The society is appealing to the local community and businesses for help. It is seeking a suitable temporary space for approximately six months, starting as soon as possible, to build and store the sets before they move to the theatre.

Ideal locations would include a barn or large outbuilding; empty warehouse unit; vacant retail unit or large empty shop; very large garage or industrial unit.

Key requirements are floor space of at least 45 to 60 sq m, reasonable ceiling height, secure access, and, ideally, basic power and lighting. The society is happy to discuss reasonable terms for rent or potentially a sponsorship arrangement in exchange for the space.

"Finding this space is crucial for us to maintain the production quality Woking audiences have come to expect from WAOS Musical Theatre,” Brian added.

If you have, or know of, a suitable space please contact the society urgently at [email protected].