Gulgong Musical and Dramatic Society - MADS

10/09/2026

Gavin John, a freelance photographer, visited the Opera House last year to photograph the theatre for its inclusion in a new book on Australia's many rich and diverse historic theatres. Gavin has recently let David know that the book is now available to order and ships late September. He has also provided the following information and links for anyone interested in ordering a copy.

“The Opera House has certainly become a crowd favourite. Marina Prior noted your spot in her foreword and the editor of Limelight Mag (who just interviewed me) specially requested a photo of the external of the PoW for their feature article.”


https://www.gavinjohnphotography.com/australian-theatres-and-cinemas/



You can get a 15% discount if you use the link on my website page or the one below which gets it direct from the publisher. Feel free to share this link with anyone who may be interested in the book.



https://www.woodslanepress.com.au/products/9781923350311?ref=Gavin+John

Australian Theatres and Cinemas

08/09/2026

Our members don’t always put on large productions…sometimes they play or perform for tour groups.

I was lucky enough to be invited along to this particular group and had a wonderful time listening to Rhonda’s music, and David’s talk and exploring our amazing building!

We really are a fortunate town to have so many talented individuals who can offer such a service, who would you like to invite on this history tour?

07/09/2026

🌸🍃🍂❄️ A Turning Year – Four Seasons with Schocker

We love seeing the incredible talent within our Gulgong MADS community take to the stage, and this October we’re delighted to celebrate Pu-Yu Wu as she presents a very special afternoon of music at the Prince of Wales Opera House.

Together with collaborative pianist Paul Young, Pu-Yu will explore the music of internationally acclaimed American composer Gary Schocker in A Turning Year – Four Seasons with Schocker.

🎶 From the freshness of spring, through the warmth of summer, into the changing colours of autumn and the stillness of winter, this program celebrates the many moods and moments of the seasons.

Pu-Yu has spent the past six years studying with Gary Schocker, creating a wonderful personal connection with both the composer and his music. Her passion for these works makes this recital a particularly meaningful part of her own musical journey.

And for us at Gulgong MADS, it’s wonderful to see one of our members bringing her talent to the stage of our much-loved Prince of Wales Opera House.

If you love live music, beautiful storytelling and the magic of the flute, this is one to put in your calendar. 🎵

📍 Prince of Wales Opera House, Gulgong
📅 Saturday 17 October 2026
🕰️ 4:30pm–6:30pm

🎟️ Tickets available now

Come along, support one of our talented MADS members and enjoy an afternoon of music that journeys through the turning seasons.

🎟️ Book your tickets:
https://princeofwalesoperahouse.com.au/event/a-turning-year-four-seasons-with-schocker/edate/2026-10-17/

07/09/2026

🎭📚 MEET ME MONDAY
GULGONG MADS | TELLING OUR STORY

There’s a little bit of history happening behind the scenes at Gulgong MADS…

Our team has been busily gathering, collating and piecing together the history of the Gulgong Musical & Dramatic Society, and we’re having a wonderful time discovering the stories, people, productions and moments that have helped shape MADS over the years.

From old photographs and programs to memories, newspaper clippings, performances and the people who have given their time and talents to the Society, there are so many stories waiting to be uncovered.

And we don’t want to keep them tucked away in a box!

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing snippets of MADS history with the community, giving everyone a chance to look back at the people and productions that have been part of Gulgong’s creative story. 🎭✨

Because MADS isn't just about what happens on stage today.

It’s about the generations of performers, volunteers, musicians, directors, backstage crews, costume makers, set builders, audiences and supporters who have all played a part.

We’re incredibly lucky to have such a rich theatrical history in our little town, and we’re looking forward to bringing some of those memories back into the spotlight.

📸 And this is where YOU come in!

Do you have an old MADS program, photograph, newspaper clipping, poster or a story from a production that you think we should know about?

We’d love to hear from you!

Have a MADS memory? Share it with us. ❤️

Who knows… you might just help us uncover another little piece of Gulgong’s theatrical history.

🎭 The stories may have happened years ago, but they’re still worth taking a bow.

Below we can see a photo of Kathryn, Michaley and Kal...who remembers "Phoenix RIsing" the first time around?

29/08/2026

⏰🌸 ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT TO SAVE! 🌸❄️

Gulgong MADS is excited to bring you 🌸🍃🍂❄️ A Turning Year – Four Seasons with Schocker at our beautiful historic Prince of Wales Opera House.

And if you’ve been thinking about joining us, there are ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT to take advantage of the Early Bird Special!

The Early Bird price ends Monday, 31 August. 🎟️

Join acclaimed flutist Pu-Yu Wu and collaborative pianist Paul Young for an enchanting afternoon of music inspired by the changing seasons and the work of internationally celebrated American composer Gary Schocker.

🌸 The fresh optimism of spring
☀️ The warmth of summer
🍂 The rich colours of autumn
❄️ The quiet reflection of winter

Having studied with Gary Schocker for the past six years, Pu-Yu brings a deeply personal connection to these works, creating an intimate afternoon filled with storytelling, imagination and breathtaking music.

✨ Come and experience the magic of live music in one of Australia’s most historic theatres.

📍 Prince of Wales Opera House, Gulgong NSW
📅 Saturday 17 October 2026
🕟 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

🎟️ EARLY BIRD TICKETS END 31 AUGUST!

Don’t miss your chance to save on tickets and join us for this very special performance.

👉 Book your Early Bird tickets now

🌸🍃🍂❄️ A Turning Year – Four Seasons with Schocker

Historic stage. Extraordinary stories. Unforgettable moments.

❤️ Gulgong MADS

27/08/2026

🎭 Last chance to see the Phoenix Rising show, coming to Mullaley!

Madwomen Productions is bringing their sell-out comedy Phoenix Rising to Mullaley Memorial Hall!

After packing them in at Gulgong and Rylstone, the creative trio (Michealey O’Brien, Kathryn Maloney & Kali Newcomb - pictured below the last time they put this play on, over a decade ago) are hitting the road again to share a bit of live theatre with the bush.

When: Saturday 29 August
Doors: 6.30pm | Show starts 7pm
Where: Mullaley Memorial Hall
Tickets: $35 (table seating)
BYO drinks & nibbles

It’s a wickedly funny six-act two-hander where the Ten Commandments go out the window and karma finally catches up. Written & directed by Michealey O’Brien.

Tickets available at www.madwomenproductions.com
or at the door (they’re selling fast!).

Grab some mates and come and enjoy a cracking night of local theatre 🔥

Details in the photos 👇

26/08/2026

🎭❤️ Another wonderful performance is coming to the Prince of Wales Opera House, Gulgong MADS very own Rhonda Watt.

One of the things we love most about Gulgong MADS is being able to help keep the doors of this remarkable historic theatre open for artists, musicians and performers to share their work with our community.

And this September, we’re delighted to welcome Rhonda Watt with Pearl Haskew for an afternoon recital celebrating the music of France. 🇫🇷🎹

The program features beautiful works by **Debussy, Fauré, Daquin, Poulenc, Chopin and Gounod**, along with other music connected to France.

From the delicate charm of "Dolly Suite" to Debussy’s evocative Preludes and the playful "The Cuckoo", there’ll be plenty to enjoy for both classical music enthusiasts and those simply looking for something a little different on a Sunday afternoon.

📍 Prince of Wales Opera House, Gulgong NSW
📅 Sunday 20 September 2026
🕝 2:30pm–3:45pm
🎟️ Adults $25 - Concession & Children $15
✨ **Pre-bookings receive $5 off!**

To pre-book your tickets, SMS Rhonda before 17 September.

Alternatively, tickets can be purchased here:

https://princeofwalesoperahouse.com.au/event/french-connection-2/edate/2026-09-20/

By coming along to performances like this, you’re not only enjoying wonderful live music, you’re also helping support the ongoing life of one of Gulgong’s most treasured community-owned theatres.

So come along, bring a friend, fill a seat and enjoy an afternoon of music at the Prince of Wales Opera House.

🎭 Gulgong MADS: keeping the stage alive, one performance at a time.

26/08/2026

OKAY… YOU GOT US. 👀

The guesses are in, the mystery is over and we can finally show you what we’ve been up to!

Some of you were bang on.

Some of you were spectacularly wrong. 😂

And some of your wild and wacky suggestions have actually given us some pretty great ideas for future MADS projects…

But here’s the answer:

🎬 IT’S A DIGITAL SCREEN!

And look at it! 👇

This is going to be one seriously useful addition to the Prince of Wales Opera House.

It can be controlled from the sound booth or directly from the stage, is super easy to use and gives us so many more possibilities for productions and events.

Imagine the things we can create with it…

Sets that can change in an instant.
Different locations without rebuilding the stage.
Film and multimedia projects.
Backgrounds and projections.
Youth productions.
Concerts.
Community events.

And that’s just the beginning.

So MADS… what should we make first?

Tell us your ideas! 🎭👇

Because the best projects usually start with someone saying…

“What if we tried this?”

20/08/2026

Are you on Instagram? Come and discover Gulgong MADS! 🎭

We’re building our Instagram presence and would love for our wonderful community to come along for the journey.

🔎 Search Gulgong MADS on Instagram, or head straight to

Give us a ❤️, hit Follow, and have a look around at what we’ve been up to.

And if you like what you see, share our page with your friends! The more people who connect with Gulgong MADS, the more we can share the wonderful arts, theatre and creative talent happening right here in our community.

Come and join us on Instagram! 🎭✨

17/08/2026

👀 What are the MADS up to now?

There’s been some serious behind-the-scenes activity happening at the Prince of Wales Opera House…

Boxes. Tools. Wires. People crawling around on the floor.

Which can only mean one thing…

Something exciting is coming. 🎭

We can’t show you the finished product just yet, but we thought we’d give you a little peek at what’s happening behind the curtain.

What do you reckon it is?

Drop your guesses below 👇