Overview
Synopsis
Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular show, The Pirates of Penzance, is a rollicking, delightfully funny tale of a band of soft-tempered pirates. Mistakenly apprenticed to a pirate (instead of a pilot) by his nursemaid Ruth at the age of eight, the handsome Frederic is now twenty-one and, though quite fond of the group of joyous and fun-loving pirates, chooses to abandon his profession and “lead a blameless life henceforth,” dedicating himself instead to their eradication. Shortly after leaving them, he encounters a gaggle of beautiful maidens (one of whom, Mabel, steals his heart) and their father, the eccentric Major-General. The whole group has a run-in with the pirates themselves before escaping on the false premise that the Major-General is an orphan -- a fact these tenderhearted pirates simply cannot help but take into account, given the fact that the majority of them are orphans themselves and “know what it’s like.” Just as Frederic is ready to lead a band of lily-livered policemen to take out the Pirate King and his men, a secret is uncovered that will change his fate forever, but, naturally, all comes out right in the end. Beloved since its premiere in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty) is a delightful farce of a classic that is fun for all ages.
Show Information
- Book
- W.S. Gilbert
- Music
- Arthur Sullivan
- Lyrics
- W.S. Gilbert
- Category
- Operetta
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- mid 1800s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Recording
- Dancing
- Musical Staging
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- Ideal For
- Community Theatre, Elementary School, Ensemble Cast, Middle School, Theatre For Young Audiences (TYA), Star Vehicle Male, Star Vehicle Female, Includes Child, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Fresh off the smashing success of their operetta H.M.S. Pinafore, the unstoppable British duo comprised of composer Sir Arthur Sullivan and lyricist/librettist W.S. Gilbert decided to premiere a new project in New York City. Part of the reasoning for this was the staggering number of illegal productions being mounted in the United States of Pinafore in the days before copyright laws protected British authors in America. The pair decided that they would need more of a physical presence
to read the context for The Pirates of Penzance JR and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
The scene opens on a secluded beach on the coast of Cornwall, England, in the Victorian era. A raucous band of pirates is drinking and making merry ("Pour, oh Pour the Pirate Sherry"). It is also Frederic’s twenty-first birthday, and as he is bound as an apprentice pirate until noon that day, his obligations to the group are almost over. The Pirate King congratulates him on being (almost) a full-fledged pirate, but Frederic confesses to the group that he plans instead to abandon the piratical
to read the plot for The Pirates of Penzance JR and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor |
Songs
- “Pour, oh pour, the pirate sherry" (Samuel and Pirates)
- "When Fred'ric was a little lad" (Ruth)
- "Oh, better far to live and die ...I am a pirate king!" (Pirate King and Pirates)
- "Oh! false one, you have deceiv'd me" (Frederic and Ruth)
- "Climbing over rocky mountain" (Edith, Kate, and Daughters)
- "Stop, ladies, pray" (Edith, Kate, Frederic, and Daughters)
- "Oh, is there not one maiden?" (Frederic and Daughters)
- "Poor wand'ring one" (Mabel and Daughters)
- "Stay, we must not lose our senses" ... "Here's a first-rate opportunity to get married with impunity" (Frederic, Pirates, and Daughters)
- "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" (Major-General, Pirates, and Daughters)
- "Oh, men of dark and dismal fate" (Mabel, Kate, Edith, Ruth, Frederic, Samuel, King, Major-General, Pirates, and Daughters)
- "Oh, dry the glist'ning tear" (Mabel and Daughters)
- "When the foeman bares his steel" (Mabel, Edith, Sergeant, Policemen, and Daughters)
- "When you had left our pirate fold" ("A paradox") (Ruth, Frederic, and King)
- "A rollicking band of pirates we" (Sergeant, Pirates, and Policemen)
- "With cat-like tread, upon our prey we steal" (Samuel, Pirates, and Policemen)
- "Now what is this, and what is that?"(Company)
- Finale (Company)
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
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