UPWELL Gilbert and Sullivan Society celebrates its 43rd anniversary next month by taking to the stage to perform the popular rousing show Pirates of Penzance.
The show runs from Thursday April 18 to Saturday April 20 at Outwell Methodist Church Hall - and the cast will include some Society members who first trod the boards 43 years ago.
Pirates of Penzance is one of the most popular of the 14 Gilbert and Sullivan collaborations, which were written between 1871 and 1896.
It tells the story of Frederic, a young pirate apprentice, who, is about to be freed from his indenture period. The honourable Frederic, who, was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates by his partially deaf nursemaid Ruth, has decides to leave the pirate life.
Frederic, who has never seen a woman besides Ruth, instantly falls in love with Mabel, one of the daughters of Major-General Stanley. The pirates want to marry the rest of Major-General Stanley’s daughters, and the Major-General enlists the help of the police to stop the pirates.
Frederic soon discovers that due to a technicality, he is still bound by duty to remain an apprentice to the pirates. All is well in the end when it is discovered that the pirates have noble blood, and would in fact be suitable husbands for Major-General Stanley’s daughters after all.
The Upwell Gilbert and Sullivan Society was formed back in 1970, by Audrey Carnson, a local school teacher, and the first production was HMS Pinafore, aired at Upwell Village Hall.
Sadly, Audrey died in 2004 after completing 34 consecutive shows, a huge achievement, but her legacy lives on.
Soloists in the Pirates of Penzance are: Mabel, Kathryn Allen; Major General Stanley, Peter Calver; Frederic, Andy Hiles; Pirate King, Martin Wells; Samuel, Jim Milne; Police Seargen, Tim Bartlett; Edith, Su Widd; Kate, Chloe Phillips-Bartlett; Isobel, Cheryl Culley; Ruth, Carole Mansell
Stage direction is by John Hollands, and musical director is Ted Skelton.
Tickets cost £7 for adults and £4 for children, box office 01945 773070.
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