Welcome to DramSoc, Imperial's Dramatic Society!

We do everything related to theatre: acting, set, costume, lighting, sound, writing, stage management, directing, production, and more. There's plenty to get involved in!

DramSoc own and operate the full range of state-of-the-art entertainment equipment, and our technical team run events across college, from MTSoc shows to Summer Ball. We take pride in training our members as theatre technicians, actors and directors. We run weekly workshops, including backstage tours, improvisation, set-building, lighting design, and much more, and many of our alumni graduate to become theatre professionals.

We stage 2 plays per term, with recent productions including Mike Bartlett's 'Earthquakes in London', and 'Compost', a 5-star piece of original theatre produced at Edinburgh Fringe. We produce a range of work written by students, and established playwrights. This really is the place to be if you love theatre!

Upcoming Shows & Events

Acting

DramSoc puts on at least one full-length play in our theatre, the per term, as well as a number of other plays in different venues around the College and further afield. Usually our main shows have casts of between 15 and 20 people and we welcome auditions from anyone with any amount of experience, so if you’re thinking of getting involved, keep an eye out for audition posters and notices on our website, social media, and our mailing lists at the start and end of every term.

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Recent Shows

Propose a Show

DramSoc decides on each term's shows at a Play Proposals meeting (announced on the DramSoc mailing list) held near to the end of the previous term. A full play proposal includes:

Representative excerpts from the script
Brief synopsis of the play, its genre and style
Cast breakdown including M/F & large/medium/small parts
Creative vision and possible technical requirements
Production team including a director or producer
Whether performance rights are available

A play proposal with all of these things considered is much stronger than one without, but none of these things are mandatory for a proposal. If you have an idea for a proposal, but are unsure about any aspect of the proposal or proposals process, please email the DramSoc President or Acting Director. Additionally, anyone may come to the meeting to observe the process.

Acting Director

Tech

There are plenty of roles within DramSoc even for those who prefer to stay off the stage! All technical aspects of our shows, and of shows staged by the Musical Theatre Society, are provided by DramSoc Crew. We design and build the set, then dress it and light it. We design sound effects and rig sound equipment. And we make sure the cast look their best with the right costumes, props and make-up.

On top of this, we provide sound, lighting and rigging for live events hosted by the Union and other Clubs & Societies, such as the annual Summer Ball, talent shows, live music events and club nights. We would love you to be around to help out! For more information or to get involved, email our Technical Director, and join the Crew Talk mailing list.

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Technical Services

DramSoc provides a wide range of technical services; from plays to musicals, talent shows to outdoor music festival stages, variety shows to the annual Summer Ball, we do it all. We have a large and dedicated crew, and hire out professional lighting and sound equipment, props and set from our extensive stores. In addition, we offer comprehensive production management, consultancy and design services.

Our experience in production management and design ranges from the large-scale annual Summer Ball, including the lighting and sound in the Great Hall and the Queen's Tower Rooms and all the set and design features, down to small societal events in Metric. As such we believe that you will find our help and advice invaluable whilst planning your event, regardless of its size or complexity.

Even if you do not use DramSoc's services, we will be more than happy to advise and assist in getting alternative quotes. However, we are quite confident that we care more about the success of your event than a hire company would, and we can deliver more for your money, too. In any case, please try to get in contact with us as early as possible, as the more time we have, the better we can help you.

Technical Director

Union Concert Hall

DramSoc's primary venue is the Imperial College Union Union Concert Hall (or UCH). This was built in the 1950s, opening, along with the rest of the upper part of the Union building, in 1956. DramSoc is responsible for the maintenance of the technical aspects of the hall, and it contains a full-featured stage and technical installation, albeit limited by the shape of the building.

Directions

Committee

Mailing Lists

Joining our mailing lists is the best way to keep up to date with society news, and find out about society events. Read the descriptions below to help you decide which lists to join.

DramSoc Talk

This is the main society mailing list. All society members should be on this list. If you want information about our plays and society events, then this is the list to join. Traffic is minimal; a weekly newsletter and information about our plays are the only things that go to this list.

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Actor Talk

This list is for conversation between DramSoc's community of actors, and those interested in acting. It will be the primary means of contact for workshops and members will be the first to know about auditions for upcoming plays.

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Crew Talk

This list is for crew members, and is the main way we distribute crew information, event and show dates, crew requests and crew calls. All crew members should be on this list! Unless explicitly stated otherwise, anyone can show up for any call that interests them, regardless of skill level or prior experience; we find the best way to learn is to join our experienced crew and learn from them!

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