The Pirates of Penzance at Opera House

Gilbert and Sullivan's PIRATES OF PENZANCE will set sail around New Zealand in August and September, directed by Raymond Hawthorne and featuring an all-star cast including George Henare (Modern Major General), Tim Beveridge (Pirate King), Geraldine Brophy (Sgt of Police), Helen Medlyn (Ruth) and Ali Harper (one of the Major General's daughters).

PIRATES OF PENZANCE follows the fortunes of Frederic, a young lad who is mistakenly apprenticed to the Pirate King. When Frederic falls for the lovely Mabel, whose father is the very model of a modern Major General, a tempest brews on the sea of love.

Full of roving rogues and dazzling damsels in distress, it's a treasure chest full of mischievous musical mayhem. A topsy-turvy tale of love and duty highlighted by the famous strains of "Poor Wandering One," "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General," "Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast" and more.

Funny, flirty and filled with bumbling pirates it’s no wonder the Gilbert and Sullivan was such a hit when it premiered in 1879 — and why, decades later, it remains a favourite on stages throughout the world.

“It’s so completely accessible. It’s one of their funniest. And it has some of the most terrific musical moments ever in their work. It’s a very bright, filled with sunshine, moonlight and romance kind of show, with completely silly people,” says producer Ben McDonald.

“It’s something I’ve had in my mind for a long time,” he says. “The music and the libretto are completely intact and the way we do the music is completely intact, but there are diversions from the traditional way of doing things. It’s a very physical production. It’s very energetic and approached from a musical theatre point of view.”