The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirates of Penzance description

Send the Jolly Roger up the flagpole. Cutlasses at the ready! The ENO’s popular production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s swashbuckling farce is back in the capital for the festive season and beyond, a hot favourite with families wanting the perfect winter theatre treat.

Like all the duo’s comic light operas, there’s a very silly story, loads of lively action and fantastic tunes to remember. As you’d expect the word-play is bedazzling. And Mike Leigh’s smash hit production leaves audience members of every age with a big feel-good factor.

A laugh-a-minute plot

The plot goes like this. An apprentice pirate falls truly, madly and deeply in love with the Major-General’s daughter. Mabel feels the same. But the couple faces a terrible dilemma. Lots of classic ridiculousness follows as a party of policeman causes chaos, enhanced by songs including Pour, oh pour, the pirate sherry, Oh, better far to live and die ...I am a pirate king!, and Oh! false one, you have deceiv'd me. It’s all jolly good sing-along stuff.

A popular smash hit revival

This vibrant revival is directed by Sarah Tipple and conducted by Natalie Murray Beale. There are some fantastic voices on board, including the current ENO Harewood Artist Isabelle Peters as Mabel, and the former Harewood artist William Morgan as Frederic. Richard Suart has sung many comic roles of Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a regular with the ENO. He plays the Major General. John Savournin, who plays the Pirate King, is another of the UK's most popular opera performers.

Add it all up and you get a festive treat that’ll light up your winter. Bring the family and prepare for a night to remember.

Playing at London Coliseum (venue info)