Performances 

Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bucks

20th October to 25th October 1997

 Synopsis 

Act 1

The scene is a rocky cove on the coast of Cornwall where a band of Pirates are celebrating the 21st birthday of Frederick, who has just come out of his endentures. He has decided to return to civilisation and leave the Pirate band. Ruth, his former nursemaid, persuades him to take her with him. After taking his leave of the Pirate band he happens upon a group of ladies who have come to the seaside for the day. Even the plainest of these is better than Ruth and he accuses her of deceiving him.
He falls in love with Mabel, one of the ladies, and he warns them to all go away before the Pirates return. They are too late - the Pirates return and seize the ladies with the intention of marrying them. Major-General Stanley, the ladies' father, appears and entreats the Pirates no to rob them of their company by saying he is an orphan (a lie!). The Pirates are very tender-hearted and they release the ladies.

Act 2

Major-General Stanley is feeling guilty over the lie he has told, and tries to console himself in the ruined chapel within the grounds he has recently acquired. Frederick has joined him and Mabel tells him of the situation. In order to rid the world of "the pestilent scourges", the Pirates, he has gathered together a group of the local constabulary.
Frederic is overjoyed at the thought of capturing them and gets ready. He is interrupted by the Pirate King and Ruth who have discovered that he was born in a leap year on the 29th of February and although he has lived 21 years he has only had 5 birthdays. This is quite a joke until Frederick is told that he still an apprentice. He is persuaded to rejoin the band and goes to leave with them. As a Pirate his conscience pricks and he has to tell them of the lie told by Major-General Stanley. This angers the Pirate King who leaves, threatening to attack the castle that very night.
Mabel joins Frederick and he explains what has happened. She pleads with him not to leave, but he is adamant and promises to return to claim her hand when he is truly out of his endentures.
Mabel determines to save her father and calls upon the constabulary to help her. They hide when they they hear the Pirates appear on the scene. The Major-General, who cannot sleep, comes walking in the garden just as the Pirates appear on the scene. They also hide in the bushes.
The scene is now set for the capture of the Major-General and the subsequent rescue by the police.

 Dramatis Personae 

 Orchestra 

 Production Team 

 Thanks to the following for their help: 

 Special thanks to: 

 Background 

The Pirates of Penzance was being written and rehearsed while HMS Pinafore was still playing at the Opera Comique in London

Gilbert, Sullivan and D'oyly Carte were smarting from the fact that HMS Pinafore had not earned them anything in America as copyright pirates had presented their own versions HMS Pinafore. They decided to outwit them with their next opera by presenting it first in New York. This they did on New Year's Eve 1879 at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. They also had four touring companies ready to go to various other parts of America.

This was no mean achievement as Sullivan, by now a very sick man, had left his music sketches back in London and had to rewrite the score from memory. The overture was completed in the early hours of the day of the opening performance by Alfred Cellier, one of the D'oyly Carte Company principal conductors. Things were not made any easier by the orchestra stating that there was too much music and was therefore Grand Opera - thus requiring more money and so they threatened to go on strike ("That's so like a band!"). This was resolved by Sullivan calling their bluff and saying he would play the orchestral parts on a piano with Cellier at a harmonium.

These unfortunate circumstances had nothing on the first English performance which secured the copyright in England. One of Doyly Carte's touring companies, playing HMS Pinafore at Torquay, was sent over to the Bijou Theatre in Paignton for a single "copyright" performance on December 30th. this performance was carried out in HMS Pinafore costumes with the cast moving around on stage with their music. The music was written in single sheets as it was only sent bit by bit from America as it was written. It is also likely that it was not complete. In any event the copyright was established.

The Pirates of Penzance had its London premiere at the Opéra Comique in London on April 3rd 1880, where it ran for 363 performances.