DURHAM'S Musical Theatre Company has had its up and downs in a history spanning almost 100 years.

It has experienced years of inactivity caused by world wars and economic depression, and a theatre burning down before an elaborate production.

But the past three years have seen the company, which started life as the Durham Amateur Operatic Society performing the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, establish itself in the Gala Theatre, where in February it will perform the stage version of Titanic.

"It will use all the technical facilities at the Gala. There is a lot of projecting and use of the trapdoors and use of the flying facilities,'' said publicity officer Anthony Smith.

"It is not like the film. It is a very moving score and the end is very like Les Miserables where the dead and the living come together at the end. It is uplifting and moving.

"It is a huge cast. There are 30 principals.''

Durham Amateur Operatic Society was founded in 1908, staging its first production, HMS Pinafore, in 1909, but the First World War interrupted its activities.

With peace, it branched out and tried the work of writers other than Gilbert and Sullivan, but things came to a halt again in 1931 as depression gripped the country.

Mr Smith said: "Live theatre, both amateur and professional, seemed to be dying. Similar societies were closing daily.

"No further minutes of the society exist until 1939 when it was revealed that a new theatre was to be built in Durham within the next two years.

"It was agreed to defer any plans until this had happened. Who would have thought that the Third Reich would delay Durham's cultural advances for so long? We had to wait until 2002 for the promise to be fulfilled."

It was not until 1955 that the society returned to the stage with The Mikado, and it went from strength to strength in the following years as it broadened its repertoire with more modern musicals.

The Desert Song, performed in 1968, brought together George Hetherington, as musical director, and Fred Wharton, as producer - a partnership that lasted until George's retirement earlier this year.

In 1974, the size of the company was expanded to perform Fiddler on the Roof, at the Garland Theatre, in what became New College Durham, the society's home for many years, and in 1997 it staged its first Christmas pantomime.

But disaster struck two weeks before its 1997 show, the circus musical Barnum, as a fire in the Garland Theatre almost destroyed the stage.

Mr Smith said: "After such a tragedy there is only one thing you can do and, in the words of the song, we picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves down and started all over again!"

The Sound of Music was performed at the theatre in 1998, but the following year the society moved back to the smaller Assembly Rooms, until 2002, when the Gala Theatre opened.

"We were very privileged to be chosen to be the first amateur group to perform in the theatre. In fact, we were only the second company ever to play there. Me and My Girl, our opening production, turned out to be the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the society.

"The move to the Gala was another big step for the society. The Gala is a state-of-the-art 510-seat theatre with a stage bigger than Newcastle's Theatre Royal.

"This contrasts with 350 seats in the Garland Theatre and 210 seats in the Assembly Rooms. The costs of performing in a professional venue are also so much higher than the spaces the society had so far used."

This meant ticket prices virtually doubled to cover the costs of putting on the show. It was a huge risk for the society, but it paid off.

The society decided in 2003 to re-name itself the Durham Musical Theatre Company, feeling it to be modern and more reflective of its output.

The bigger stage has enabled it to revisit some previous productions - My Fair Lady and Camelot - and perform them in a new way.

Then, in February, after the successful staging of the musical Guys and Dolls, George Hetherington hung up his baton .

"It was a great shock, but everyone appreciated his reasons for doing so. Everyone at the company thanks George for his unswerving devotion to the society over many years and wishes him a long and healthy retirement," said Mr Smith.

The musical director's baton has been picked up by Paul Wood, minister of North Road Methodist Church.

"We hope that we can continue to perform works to the highest theatrical standards and offer the viewing public of Durham the chance to see great evenings of musical theatre, as we head towards our second millennium.''

Titanic will be performed from Tuesday to Saturday, February 21 to 25, at 7.15pm, with matinees at 2.15pm on the Wednesday and the Saturday.

It will be the regional amateur premiere of the production, which was written by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, and had a two-year run on Broadway during which it won five Tony awards.

Tickets, which are already selling well, cost £12 to £15 and are available from the theatre box office on 0191-332 4041.