About Us

Children who had appeared as the Von Trappe family in Basingstoke Amateur Theatrical Society (BATS)' 2001 production of The Sound of Music had appealed to the chairman, Richard Cox, for BATS to have a junior company, as there was no affordable musical theatre for children in Basingstoke at that time. And so BATS Next Gen was formed in January 2002. The original committee met for the first time on the 15th January 2002. It comprised of Jenny Humberstone (Chair), Chris Bale (Vice-Chair), Mandy Shallow (Secretary), Sandie Thomson (Treasurer), Caroline Bale, Chris Bale, Caroline Crawford, Alison Allen, Caroline Daly and Sarah Barrow who were parents of the children in the Sound of Music.

Our ethos is to provide affordable musical theatre experience for children, using the skills of adult members of theatre companies such as BATS and BAOS (Basingstoke Amateur Operatic Society). Wonderful people since our formation have volunteered to teach theatre craft to the next generation voluntarily, so keeping costs of running the company to a minimum.

For further information, or if you would like to know when the next production and pre-audition workshops are, please contact the secretary.

Alumni

Here we celebrate successes, both theatrically and academically, of current and past performers. If you are a past performer with BATS Next Gen and would like to celebrate your success and achievements with us, or let us know what you are now doing in the adult world, please contact the secretary. We would love to hear from you! Don't forget our invites to your red carpet event!

Film & Theatre | Academic | Achievements

FILM/THEATRE/Entertainment

ACADEMIC

ACHIEVEMENTS