Based on J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan", performed February 2012 at the Kirkgate Centre, Cockermouth. 

Based on the novel and play ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ by J.M. Barrie, ‘The Second Star To The Right’ was the first production by Happy Thoughts Drama Company.

Intended as the Extended Project of Director Millie Hardy-Sims, in order to finish her Diploma at Sixth Form, ‘The Second Star To The Right’ allowed the 17-year-old to realise her own dreams of directing and became the landmark production of ‘Happy Thoughts Drama Company’.

The Company for this production was made of 11 young actors, with a guest appearance from Mary Gillespie as ‘Older Wendy’.  The production was adapted and directed by Millie Hardy-Sims and performed at the Kirkgate Centre in Cockermouth.

Both Matinee and Evening performances were sold out with critical acclaim. The production raised £160 for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, a cause close to Mr. Barrie’s heart.

Costumes were designed and sourced by Maria Sims, set was designed and built by Jamie Sims with Adam Buxton and lighting was designed by Elliot Hughes. The script was adapted by Millie Hardy-Sims.  

The production was generously funded by the Cumbria Community Arts Foundation, Cockermouth Soroptomists, Cockermouth Round Table and Cockermouth Lions. 

Based on the original French fairytale, performed in June 2014 at Braithwaite Institute, near Keswick. 

Based on the original French fairytale ‘La Belle et La Bete’, Beauty and the Beast (formerly entitled ‘Tale As Old As Time’) was the third production by Happy Thoughts Drama Company.

After the previous two productions, Happy Thoughts Drama Company moved to a new performance venue for ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

The Company for this production was made up of 21 actors, aged 10 to 17 with a special part played by adult amateur actress Belinda Hamblin. The production was written and directed by Millie Hardy-Sims and performed at Braithwaite Hall, Near Keswick. This was the first production to be officially reviewed by amateur reporter Stephen Cole.

The set for this production was beyond anything ever achieved previously by Happy Thoughts Drama Company. It consisted of two stages with full size panels either side created by set designer Jamie Sims. Costumes were made from scratch by Maria Sims. This production saw the introduction of stage manager Jordan Roberts.

An original play, written by our founder Millie Hardy-Sims, and performed in October 2015 in partnership with the Theatre Royal in Workington.

1904. J.M. Barrie, a Scottish playwright, is struggling to save his name after his latest play closed after preview night. Whilst sitting in the local park he meets the young Llewellyn-Davies boys, George, Jack, Peter, Michael and Nicholas. As his marriage collapses and his theatre producer begins to lose faith in Barrie, the boys help him rekindle his imagination and teach him a thing about believing in magic. Their mother, Sylvia, and the boys become an integral part in the penning and production of Barrie’s most memorable play, ‘Peter Pan’. 

Based on the Fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.

Performed in April 2022, The Little Mermaid marked our return after 5 years away and performed to a sold out audience! We had 24 young actors and 6 members of crew, and we performed at Theatre Royal, Workington.

In support of Sea Life Trust UK. 

Based on the Fairytale of the same name by the Brothers Grimm

Based on the Legend

Written by P.L. Travers and first published in 1934, Mary Poppins tells the whimsical and heartwarming story of a mysterious and magical nanny who arrives at the Banks household in London to care for Jane, Michael, and their younger siblings. Transported by her umbrella on the east wind, Mary Poppins brings order to the chaotic Banks family while introducing the children to extraordinary adventures in everyday life. From jumping into chalk pavement pictures to tea parties on the ceiling, Mary Poppins blends wonder and discipline, forever changing the lives of the children and their parents. 

1888, California. The Old West town of Path is a small town with a lot of history. Once a hub of local industry at the centre of the brand new railroad, it has since been left to the wolves: literally. Sheriff Red does what she can to keep it in control, following in the footsteps of her father Knox who is legendary for banishing the notorious outlaw Boone Howl – aka the Big Bad Wolf. However, nothing is as it seems as there are Hood family secrets that will bring the entire future of Path into jeopardy. With help from Deputy Pedro Flock and the bounty hunter Jack Bean, Red and the townsfolk must rally together to face the rising darkness threatened by the Big Bad Wolf and his gang of outlaws – the Kids – as they threaten to turn everything upside down in the name of revenge. When the family of the preacher Billy Scape go missing, it’s all Red can do to keep control of her town and not let it tear itself apart from the inside as neighbour turns on neighbour and it is hard to know who to trust. Then, when outlaw Nelly Kid escapes the jail; the bank is robbed; and a train heist rumoured, it becomes clear that there is a traitor in their midst. Will the Big Bad Wolf be triumphant as he tears all they know asunder?

Based on the fairytales ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Three Little Pigs’, ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’ and ‘The Wolf and Seven Kids’, with characters from ‘Billy Goats Gruff’, ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ and ‘Little Red Hen’, this is a debut performance of this unique script and story.

Welcome to Victorian London, a time of rapid industrial growth, stark social inequality, and harsh conditions for the poor. In this world of fog-filled streets, workhouses, and overcrowded slums, Charles Dickens introduces Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy but miserly businessman who has shut himself off from compassion and community. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, doomed to wander the earth in chains for a life spent pursuing profit over people. Marley warns Scrooge that he must change or share the same fate, and promises the arrival of three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past transports Scrooge through memories of his childhood and early adulthood, revealing how loneliness and ambition hardened his heart. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows the warmth of Victorian families who celebrate Christmas despite poverty, including the Cratchits, whose youngest child, Tiny Tim, is gravely ill. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come reveals a bleak future of the unloved and unmourned.

Confronted with the consequences of his choices, Scrooge awakens transformed. He embraces generosity, supports the Cratchits, and becomes a symbol of hope in a society struggling with poverty, charity, and human kindness. A beloved story that has survived the years due to the lesson it teaches us.