H.M.S Pinafore

Act One

Noon

The British warship H.M.S Pinafore has dropped its anchor at Plymouth, on the south coast of England. The sailors are working on deck when Little Buttercup, “a bumboat woman” (a dockside vendor), comes aboard to sell her wares. She hints that, despite her rosy, innocent appearance, she may be hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile Ralph Rackstraw, a sailor who is widely regarded as “the smartest lad in all the fleet”, declares his love for the Captain’s daughter, Josephine. His shipmates offer their sympathies, as they know there is little hope of Ralph’s feelings being returned.

The popular Captain Corcoran appears next, greeting his crew and complimenting them on their politeness. He promises to return the favor by never using bad language himself. After the sailors leave, the Captain confides in Buttercup that Josephine is not happy about the prospect of marrying Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Buttercup admits that she knows what it is like to love in