D’Oyly Carte and Scottish Opera to join forces for UK tour of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
D’Oyly Carte Opera Company will make a triumphant return to the stage after a 10 year absence with an historic collaboration with Scottish Opera on Gilbert and Sullivan’s best loved operetta The Pirates of Penzance.
The richly theatrical show opens its UK-wide tour in Glasgow on 15 May, and will visit Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Inverness, Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Oxford and Cardiff.
The production combines Scottish Opera’s world class reputation for high quality, touring opera with D’Oyly Carte’s century-long association with Gilbert and Sullivan. Featuring the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and a 39 strong cast and chorus, this is a vibrant, stylish and hilarious romp through one of the famous duo’s finest scores.
Having turned 21, Frederic should be contractually released from his apprenticeship to a band of pirates, but discovers his birthday is the 29th of February, a leap year. Taking his duty a little too literally, he decides it will be another 63 years before he’s really 21 and only Mabel’s promise to wait sustains him… A cleverly observed satire of Victorian morals and the ruling classes, this production brings the humour bang up to date with Python-esque twinkle.
The Pirates of Penzance features some of Gilbert’s wittiest lyrics, not least the famous patter song ‘I am the very model of a Modern Major-General’ while Sullivan brilliantly mixes his signature catchy melodies with fine parodies of other opera composers, notably Verdi’s Il Trovotore in ‘Come, friends, who plough the sea’ and ‘You triumph now’.
Ian Martin, General Manager of D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be working with Scottish Opera and very excited to be starting a new chapter in our lengthy history.’
Alex Reedijk, General Director of Scottish Opera said: ‘D’Oyly Carte is synonymous with Gilbert and Sullivan so when we decided to re-introduce G&S to our audiences it was both an obvious partnership and a timely opportunity to bring together our respective areas of expertise. This fun, family production is also a great way to see Scottish Opera’s highly successful 50th anniversary season out on a high.’
Martin Lloyd-Evans - a regular with Opera Holland Park and Classical Opera Company - directs while D’Oyly Carte Music Director and G&S aficionado John Owen Edwards and Scottish Opera Head of Music Derek Clark share conducting duties. The ensemble cast includes G&S stalwarts Richard Suart – principal comic baritone with D’Oyly Carte since 1988 - as Major-General Stanley and Steven Page (Nick Shadow, The Rake’s Progress, 2012) as the Pirate King.
Sharing the role of young lovers Frederic and Mabel are rising stars Samuel Furness and Nicholas Sharratt (Orpheus, Orpheus in the Underworld, 2011), Ellie Laugharne, Stephanie Corley and Rebecca Bottone, who performs the role in Manchester, Bristol, Newcastle, Oxford and Cardiff.
Rosie Aldridge (Opera Highlights, 2012) is Frederic’s nanny Ruth, with Scottish Opera favourite Graeme Broadbent as Sergeant of Police. Scottish Opera Emerging Artists Katie Grosset and Andrew McTaggart are Edith and Samuel.
Visit piratestheshow.com
Cast
Mabel Stephanie Corley, Ellie Laugharne and (from 11th June) Rebecca Bottone
Frederic Nicholas Sharratt, Samuel Furness
Ruth Rosie Aldridge
Sergeant of Police Graeme Broadbent
The Pirate King Steven Page
Major-General Stanley Richard Suart
Edith Katie Grosset≠
Kate Sioned Gwen Davis
Samuel Andrew McTaggart≠
Isabel Catrine Kirkman
≠ Scottish Opera Emerging Artist 2012/13
Creative Team
Director Martin Lloyd-Evans
Conductors John Owen Edwards, Derek Clark
Choreographer Steve Elias
Designer Jamie Vartan
Lighting Designer Colin Grenfell
Performance Dates
Theatre Royal Glasgow
Wed 15 May 7.15pm
Thu 16 May 7.15pm
Fri 17 May 7.15pm
Sat 18 May 2.15pm*+ & 7.15pm
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
Thu 23 May 7.30pm
Fri 24 May 7.30pm
Sat 25 May 2.30pm*+ & 7.30pm
Pirates Unwrapped Wed 22 May 6pm
Festival Theatre Edinburgh
Tue 28 May 7.15pm
Thu 30 May 7.15pm
Fri 31 May 7.15pm
Sat 1 June 2.15pm*+ & 7.15pm
Pirates Unwrapped Wed 29 May 6pm
Eden Court, Inverness
Thu 6 Jun 7.15pm
Fri 7 Jun 7.15pm
Sat 8 Jun 2.15pm*+ & 7.15pm
Pirates Unwrapped Wed 5 Jun 6pm
Opera House, Manchester
Tue 11 Jun 7.30pm
Wed 12 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Thu 13 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Fri 14 Jun 7.30pm
Sat 15 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Hippodrome, Bristol
Tue 18 Jun 7.30pm,
Wed 19 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Thu 20 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Fri 21 Jun 7.30pm
Sat 22 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne
Tue 25 Jun 7.30pm
Wed 26 Jun 2.00pm & 7.30pm
Thu 27 Jun 2.00pm & 7.30pm
Fri 28 Jun 7.30pm
Sat 29 Jun 2.30pm & 7.30pm
New Theatre, Oxford
Tue 2 Jul 7.30pm
Wed 3 Jul 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Thu 4 Jul 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Fri 5 Jul 7.30pm
Sat 6 Jul 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Tue 16 Jul 7.30pm
Wed 17 Jul 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Thu 18 Jul 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Fri 19 Jul 7.30pm
Sat 20 Jul 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Running time 2 hrs 10 mins approximately
*Pre-show talk
+Audio-described performance/Touch Tour
