The Gondoliers

The Mikado

The Sorcerer

The Martyr of Antioch

Ruddigore

The Yeomen of the Guard

Other works performed by St Davids Players

St Davids Players
past productions

HMS Pinafore

The Pirates of Penzance

Trial by Jury

Iolanthe

Princess Ida

Utopia (Limited)

The Grand Duke

Patience

Thespis

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THE SAVOY OPERAS

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

or, THE SLAVE OF DUTY

Read more about THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

 

#ExeterGandS

ST DAVID’S PLAYERS

Gilbert and Sullivan Society · Exeter · Devon

Written by W S Gilbert

Composed by Arthur Sullivan

The ‘official’ Première was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York City on 31st December 1879.

 

However, in order to secure British copyright, a D’Oyly Carte touring company gave a perfunctory performance the afternoon before the New York Première at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, Devon.

St David’s Players’ productions: (click to expand)

A brief synopsis:

 

The Pirates of Penzance is Gilbert and Sullivan’s most performed production.

 

It follows the adventures of Frederic, whose hard-of-hearing nurse mistakenly signs him up as a pirate apprentice instead of to a more honest profession.  On his 21st birthday he is released from his apprenticeship, leaves the pirates to become a law-abiding citizen and meets and falls in love with the beautiful Mabel.

 

Having a very strong sense of duty, he decides to lead the police in an attempt to capture the pirates.

 

However, a quirk of fate results in him still being bound to the pirates. Now his sense of duty sees him torn between re-joining the pirates and aiding the police in capturing them.

 

Madcap adventures follow, with blundering policemen and swashbuckling pirates.