Set sail on the high seas with Gilbert & Sullivan’s beloved comedy of star-crossed lovers, mismatched marriages and mistaken identities. Award winning director, Kate Gaul, makes her Hayes Theatre Co. debut with this re-imagined, gender-bending, hyper-theatrical and kinky take on this Gilbert & Sullivan Classic at the Glen Street Theatre this February.
Overflowing with infectious tunes such as I am the Monarch of the Sea, I’m Called Little Buttercup and He is an Englishman – this nautical caper is a sharp satire of the English social hierarchical system of the Victorian Age.
Pinafore’s extraordinary popularity in Britain, America and elsewhere was followed by the similar success of a series of Gilbert and Sullivan works, including The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Don’t miss out on this rollicking farce and get set for some hysterical hi-jinks on the high seas.
With some of the roles gender-swapped; the class battle treated more like a battle of the sexes; and the work’s insistence that love is love, Pinafore’s themes are timely. Everything in the show is offered with a wink and a cheeky smile and Pinafore pokes good-natured fun at patriotism, party politics, and the rise of unqualified people to positions of authority.
This is an accessible evening of music, comedy and drama for the open minded. Audiences can feel confident that Gilbert & Sullivan’s sparkling music and text remain intact. This production of H. M. S. Pinafore is an operetta created with an onstage cast and orchestra of 12.
Director: Kate Gaul Featuring: Josef Ber, Gavin Brown, Thomas Campbell, Tobias Cole, Hannah Greenshields, Sean Hall, Bobbie-Jean Henning, Elora Ledger, Dominic Lui, Billie Palin, Zachary Selmes, Zara Stanton Music Director: Zara Stanton Choreographer: Ash Bee Production Designer: Melanie Liertz Lighting Designer: Fausto Brusamolino Sound Designer: Nate Edmondson Stage Manager: Kirsty Walker
H. M. S. Pinafore
Glen Street Theatre, Corner Glen Street & Blackbutts Road, Belrose
Season: 20 – 22 February 2020
Information and Bookings: www.glenstreet.com.au
Image: H. M. S. Pinafore – courtesy of Hayes Theatre Co.