Illyria’s The Pirates of Penzance at Norton Priory 7.8.2026

Well, what a simply marvellous show!

The Pirates of Penzance is a wonderfully witty comic opera that kicks off with protagonist Frederic’s apparent coming of age releasing him from his piratical apprenticeship, allowing him to pursue his twin goals of finding romance, and defeating piracy. Meeting Major-General Stanley and his daughters looks like it might serve to kill both birds with one stone; however, a beautifully comedic MacGuffin means that, whilst neither is ever in doubt, his loyalty and sense of honour shift repeatedly, to hugely entertaining effect.

A wish to avoid spoilers prevents me from describing too much of the twists and turns of the ensuing story. Happily, no previous knowledge of this piece, or of any of the work of Gilbert and Sullivan, is required; the clarity, wit and élan of the storytelling is such that – no matter how many twists there are, and no matter how many different characters each actor plays – you never have to attempt to hold back your laughter in order to keep track of the plot.



It’s a good job: trying not to laugh at a comedy this funny would surely result in a hernia.

Even if you are unfamiliar with tunes as oft repeated (or indeed parodied) in popular culture as the Major-General’s Song (which starts “I am the very model of a modern Major-General, I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral”, and gets ever funnier as it goes), you’ll find yourself foot-tapping along, even as you laugh uproariously.

As with every other aspect of this remarkable show, the verve of the ensemble singing and tightly-choreographed movement is as good as you’ll see gracing any stage. Likewise the liberal smatterings of slapstick and visual humour. Indeed, the marriage between the sparkling source material and Illyria’s virtuosic stagecraft is nothing short of perfection.



Similarly, the ability of each cast member to switch from character to character is such that they make this huge challenge look easy. Even with the programme in hand, I’ve had to double- and triple-check before believing there were no more than six in the cast.

Given just how fresh and immediate the storytelling is, it is virtually impossible to believe that the piece premiered nearly a hundred and fifty years ago.

Extended spoiler-avoidance aside, the only other difficulty reviewing this triumphant outing for a Gilbert and Sullivan classic lies in resisting the temptation to simply cut-and-paste the praise I heaped on Illyria’s equally wonderful HMS Pinafore. Like that show, this is one not to miss; and as then, the only way to include everyone whose contributions helped create such theatrical magic is to reproduce the entire lists of cast and crew.


Cast (in multiple roles):

The Pirate King Chloe Way

Frederic (Pirate Apprentice) Ben J Packer

Ruth (Pirate Maid) Nicola Rainford

Major-General Stanley Alex Carter

Mabel (General’s daughter) Megan Ashley

Kate (General’s daughter) Daisy Dewey


Crew:

Artistic Director Oliver Gray

Musical Director Richard Healy

Choreographer Kim Healey

Associate Choreographer Rosie Zeidler

Producer Stephen Badham

Scenery Jill Wilson, Al Carter, Alan Mulden

Costume Pat Farmer

Production Assistant Anna Lovering

Poster Design Frazer Marr

Marketing Jospeh Rynhart