The Hills Musical Company was formed in 1972 to make use of the Stirling Institute which was then mostly an unused building, and under threat of being demolished in the name of progress. The HMC began performances in 1973 with our first production being “Kiss Me, Kate”, directed by Didy Pederick and John McGregor with Leith Pederick as Musical Director. Facilities at this stage, were mostly non existent with no heating, cooling, dressing-room or even toilets. With each show after that, the profits went to the next most needed item. Since then, we have endeavoured to produced 2 shows a year, among them being “Man of La Mancha’, “Guys and Dolls”, “West Side Story” and “Mame” to name just a few. Many of our recent productions have gone on to win awards such as ‘Best Actor’, ‘Best Choreographer’ and ‘Best Musical’. Shows like “42nd Street”, “Jekyll and Hyde”, “A Chorus Line”, “Cabaret” and “Blood Brothers” have been of an exceptional standard and will be remembered for a long time to come. Also since then, our facilities have been greatly improved with additions like the toilets, backstage facilities, tiered seating, air conditioning, upgraded lighting and even a new ‘Green Shed’ with a new and much needed costume room. With each new year and continued success with our productions, we continue to up-grade the beautiful and historic Stirling Community Theatre. There is always something that needs to be replaced or improved, like the lighting system, carpets and seating, none of which come cheap.
