Overview
Synopsis
Based on the story of Grace O’Malley, the personification of Ireland, The Pirate Queen is a sweeping epic of love, honor, and piracy in Renaissance Ireland. Grace O’Malley is the heir to the O’Malley clan, and proves herself worthy through her bravery on the seas and skill in swordplay. In a time when women were expected to learn skills to make a good wife in the homestead, Grace defies her father and earns the title “The Pirate Queen,” inspiring men and women alike to follow her. When the English begin to attack and subjugate Ireland, only Grace has the strength and intelligence to negotiate peace with the powerful Queen Elizabeth I. With a score by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil, steeped in Irish traditions and powerful ballads, The Pirate Queen is both timeless history and epic romance for the stage.
Show Information
Context
In 2005, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil were already well-known for their collaborations on shows such as Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. They joined forces again for The Pirate Queen, the story of an Irish Chieftain: Grace O’Malley, a pirate and rebel of Renaissance Ireland. The show is based on Morgan Llywelyn’s historical novel Grania: She-King of the Irish Seas (1986); Llywelyn herself relied on Irish historian Anne Chambers, who wrote a biography about Grace O’Malley.
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Act One
In dream-like pantomime, a ship appears to the sounds of a celtic flute (“Prologue”). A young woman is at the wheel of the ship; it is Grace (Grania) O’Malley, who raises her sword in triumph. A young man named Tiernan meets her sword, and they playfully duel about the deck of the ship until she wins. They kiss, but are separated by the sounds of the O’Malley clan approaching, doing a traditional oar dance as they welcome their chieftain and Grace’s father, Dubhdara. He christens
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Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in The Pirate Queen.
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Songs
Act I
- Prologue – Orchestra
- The Pirate Queen – Dubhdara and *Company
- Woman – Grace
- The Storm – Company
- My Grace – Dubhdara and Grace
- Here on this Night – Grace, Tiernan and Crew
- *The First Battle – Company
- The Waking of the Queen – Elizabeth and Ladies-in-Waiting
- Rah-Rah, Tip-Top – Bingham, Elizabeth and Lords
- The Choice Is Mine – Grace and Company
- The Bride's Song – Grace, Evleen and Women
- *Boys'll Be Boys – Donal, Mates and Barmaids
- *The Wedding – Company
- I'll Be There – Tiernan
- Boys'll Be Boys (Reprise) – Donal, Grace and O'Flaherty
- Trouble at Rockfleet – Grace, Tiernan, Donal and Bingham
- A Day Beyond Belclare – Grace, Tiernan, Donal and Company
- Go Serve Your Queen – Elizabeth and Bingham
- Dubhdara's Farewell – Dubhdara and Grace
- Sail to the Stars – Grace, Tiernan and Company
Act II
- Entr'Acte – Orchestra
- It's a Boy – Grace, Majella and Sailors
- Enemy at Port Side – Grace, Evleen, Majella and Sailors
- I Dismiss You – Grace, Donal and Sailors
- If I Said I Love You – Tiernan and Grace
- The Role of the Queen – Elizabeth and Bingham
- *The Christening – Orchestra
- Let a Father Stand by His Son – Donal, Grace, Bingham and Company
- Surrender – Bingham, Tiernan, Elizabeth and Company
- She Who Has All – Elizabeth and Grace
- Lament – Grace, Majella, Eoin and Company
- The Sea of Life – Grace and Company
- Terra Marique Potens – Elizabeth, Grace, Bingham
- Woman to Woman – Elizabeth and Grace
- Behind the Screen – Company
- Grace's Exit – Elizabeth, Grace, Bingham and Company
- Finale – Grace, Tiernan and 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.
Key Terms
A ballad is a song style that tells a story through simple, lyrical verses and a steady rhythm. In theatre, ballads are often slow and emotional, allowing characters to reveal deep feelings or reflect on personal journeys. They can be used to highlight romance, longing, or moments of dramatic intensity.
Queen of England whose reign supported the flourishing of English Renaissance theatre and the works of Shakespeare.
Relating to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, marked by flourishing English drama and playwrights like Shakespeare and Marlowe.
An “I Want Song” is a number, usually placed early in a musical, where a main character expresses their deepest desire or ambition. This song sets the character’s journey in motion and gives the audience a clear emotional stake in the story. It has become one of the most recognizable and enduring conventions of musical theatre structure.
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress