Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular show, ‘The Pirates of Penzance’, is a rollicking, delightfully funny tale of a band of soft-tempered pirates. Mistakenly apprenticed to a pirate (instead of a pilot) by his nursemaid Ruth at the age of eight, the handsome Frederic is now twenty-one and, though quite fond of the group of joyous and fun-loving pirates, chooses to abandon his profession and “lead a blameless life henceforth,” dedicating himself instead to their eradication.
Shortly after leaving them, he encounters a gaggle of beautiful maidens (one of whom, Mabel, steals his heart) and their father, the eccentric Major-General. The whole group has a run-in with the pirates themselves before escaping on the false premise that the Major-General is an orphan — a fact these tender-hearted pirates simply cannot help but take into account, given the fact that the majority of them are orphans themselves and “know what it’s like.” Just as Frederic is ready to lead a band of lily-livered policemen to take out the Pirate King and his men, a secret is uncovered that will change his fate forever, but, naturally, all comes out right in the end.
Beloved since its première in 1879, ‘The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty)’ is a delightful farce of a classic that is fun for all ages.
The Cast List of Principal roles was as follows :-
The Pirate King Roger Chapman
Samuel (His Lieutenant) Cyril Payne
Frederic (The Pirate Apprentice) Richard Lee
Ruth (A Piratical Maid of All Work) Frances Moss
Mabel (A Daughter) Jean Dyer
Edith (Another Daughter) Debbie Brett
Kate (Another Daughter) Julia Early
Isabel (Another Daughter) Anne Jones
Major-General Stanley Charles Arnold
Director ‘Tiffer’ Fransella
Choreographer Rosemary Russell-Follett
Musical Director Norman Redstone