The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan operas and was their fifth collaboration, it is a light comedy opera which is divided into two acts. The original show officially premiered on the 31st December 1879 in Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York and it was hugely successful with both the general public and critics.
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The Pirates of Penzance
Venton Vean is a newly restored Bed and Breakfast situated in the Penzance Conservation Area, overlooking Penlee Park and located just minutes’ walk from the seafront and town centre.
http://www.ventonvean.co.uk/
The Pirates of Penzance is one of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan operas and was their fifth collaboration, it is a light comedy opera which is divided into two acts. The original show officially premiered on the 31st December 1879 in Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York and it was hugely successful with both the general public and critics. Its first London production was shown on the 3rd April 1880 at the Opera Comique. There have been several modernised productions of the play since, including Joseph Papp’s 1981 production on Broadway which won several awards and a film adaptation in 1983.
The cast includes a soft hearted gang of pirates, some gorgeous young maidens, a team of useless but lovable cops and a major general with a silver tongue. The unlikely plot contains a series of daft ‘mistakes’ which turn lives completely upside down.
The main character of the story is a well meaning lad called Frederic, who at 21 years old is a rather reluctant apprentice pirate thanks to a very hard of hearing nursemaid called Ruth. Whilst celebrating his 21st birthday, drinking sherry on the seashore with the pirates of Penzance, Frederic informs them that he intends to leave them. Ruth, the pirate’s maid explains that as Frederic’s former nursemaid she was instructed by his Father to have him apprenticed to a ships pilot, but unfortunately in error, heard ‘pirate’.
Frederic tries to convince the pirate king and his gang to leave their pirate days behind them and pursue a more respectable existence but the pirate king is not interested. Before parting company, Frederic gives him some tips and ideas about how to be a little more successful and avoid getting thrashed so often. He points out that everyone they capture claims to be an orphan because it is well known that as former orphans themselves, the pirates will let them go.
Frederic and Ruth leave and Ruth, who is determined to marry him, convinces Frederic that she is very beautiful. Poor Frederic who has spent the majority of his life at sea cannot remember any other woman’s face and believes her. Unluckily for Ruth however, a group of beautiful young maidens appear and Frederic realises he has been lied to. He turns to Ruth saying “You told me you were fair as gold and now I see you’re plain and old.” In total despair, Ruth leaves. Frederic tries to warn the young maidens that there are pirates nearby and he and Mabel, a daughter of the Major General Stanley, promptly fall in love.
The pirate king returns shortly with Ruth and informs Frederic that he cannot in fact leave them. The apprenticeship states that Frederic can only leave once he has reached his 21st birthday, but because he was born on the 29th of February he only technically has a birthday each leap year. This means that in order to reach his 21st birthday, Frederic must return to the pirates for another 63 years! Poor Frederic is devastated at this news but being a lad with a strong sense of duty, he agrees to return and his faithful new love Mabel promises to wait for him!
This Victorian classic is a great introduction to light opera and has managed to successfully stand the test of time. It is just as popular with audiences today as it was over 130 years ago.
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