The Pirates of Penzance - 2024 West End History , Info & More
Batten down the hatches. Strike the colours. The pirates are back. The ENO’s smash-hit production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s swashbuckling farce returns shortly – and is set to get audiences toe-tapping along all over again.
With its splendidly silly storyline, wild wordplay and well-loved songs, this Mike Leigh-created production is irresistibly feel-good. An apprentice pirate woos the Major General’s daughter, while his bungling buccaneer-shipmates try to outwit an equally inept party of policemen. Its vibrant staging brings out the sunshine in the story.
The Pirates of Penzance is one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most popular operas and contains some of their most memorable melodies. These include ‘I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General’, ‘A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One’ and ‘With Cat-like Tread’.
This revival is directed by Sarah Tipple and conducted by Natalie Murray Beale. G&S favourites and ENO regulars Richard Suart and John Savournin are the Major General and the Pirate King respectively. Meanwhile, ENO Harewood Artist Isabelle Peters sings the role of Mabel, and former Harewood artist William Morgan is Frederic.
Co-production with Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and the Saarländische Staatstheater Saarbrücken.
__Assisted performance__
BSL signed: Saturday 8 February 2025 at 2.30pm
Relaxed performance: Thursday 30 January 2025, 1pm
With its splendidly silly storyline, wild wordplay and well-loved songs, this Mike Leigh-created production is irresistibly feel-good. An apprentice pirate woos the Major General’s daughter, while his bungling buccaneer-shipmates try to outwit an equally inept party of policemen. Its vibrant staging brings out the sunshine in the story.
The Pirates of Penzance is one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s most popular operas and contains some of their most memorable melodies. These include ‘I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General’, ‘A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One’ and ‘With Cat-like Tread’.
This revival is directed by Sarah Tipple and conducted by Natalie Murray Beale. G&S favourites and ENO regulars Richard Suart and John Savournin are the Major General and the Pirate King respectively. Meanwhile, ENO Harewood Artist Isabelle Peters sings the role of Mabel, and former Harewood artist William Morgan is Frederic.
Co-production with Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and the Saarländische Staatstheater Saarbrücken.
__Assisted performance__
BSL signed: Saturday 8 February 2025 at 2.30pm
Relaxed performance: Thursday 30 January 2025, 1pm
The Pirates of Penzance - 2024 - West End Cast
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The Pirates of Penzance FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are the songs in The Pirates of Penzance and what's the order?
Pour, O Pour The Pirate Sherry
When Frederic Was A Little Lad
Oh, Better Far To Live And Die
Oh False One, You Have Deceived Me!
What Shall I Do
Climbing Over Rocky Mountains
Stop, Ladies, Pray!
Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast
Poor Wandering One
What Ought We To Do?
How Beautifully Blue The Sky
Stay, We Must Not Lose Our Senses
Here's a First Rate Opportunity
Hold, Monsters!
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
Oh, Men Of Dark And Dismal Fate
Oh, Dry The Glistening Tear
Then Frederic
When The Foeman Bares His Steel
Now For The Pirates' Lair!
When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold
Away, Away! My Heart's On Fire
All Is Prepared
Stay, Frederic, Stay!
No, I Am Brave
When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
A Rollicking Band Of Pirates We
With Cat-Like Tread, Upon Our Prey We Steal
Hush, Hush! Not a Word
Sighing Softly To The River
Now What Is This?
My Eyes Are Fully Open
Sorry Her Lot
Pour, O Pour The Pirate Sherry
When Frederic Was A Little Lad
Oh, Better Far To Live And Die
Oh, False One, You Have Deceived Me
Climbing Over Rocky Mountain
Stop, Ladies, Pray!
Oh, Is There Not One Maiden Breast?
Poor Wandering One
What Ought We To Do?
How Beautifully Blue The Sky
Stay, We Must Not Lose Our Senses
Hold Monsters
I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major-General
Oh, Men Of Dark And Dismal Fate
Oh, Dry The Glistening Tear
Then, Frederic, Let Your Escort Lion-Hearted
When The Foeman Bares His Steel
Now For The Pirates' Lair!
When You Had Left Our Pirate Fold
My Eyes Are Fully Open
Away, Away! My Heart's On Fire!
All Is Prepared
Stay, Frederick, Stay!
Sorry Her Lot
No, I Am Brave!
When A Felon's Not Engaged In His Employment
A Rollicking Band Of Pirates We
With Cat-Like Tread, Upon Our Prey We Steal
Hush, Hush! Not A Word
Sighing Softly To The River
Finale
The Pirates of Penzance History
Other Productions of The Pirates of Penzance
| 1879 | Regional (UK) |
World Premiere Regional (UK) |
| 1879 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| 1880 | New York |
Unknown New York |
| 1880 | West End |
London Production West End |
| 1884 | West End |
London Revival West End |
| 1900 | Broadway |
Unknown Broadway |
| 1912 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1918 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1926 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1927 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1931 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1933 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1934 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1934 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1935 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1936 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1936 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1939 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1940 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1942 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1944 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1946 | Broadway |
Unknown Broadway |
| 1948 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1949 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1951 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1952 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1955 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1961 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1976 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
| 1977 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1979 | Off-Broadway |
LOOM Revival Off-Broadway |
| 1981 | Broadway |
Broadway Transfer Broadway |
| 1981 | US Tour |
National Tour US Tour |
| 1982 | West End |
London Production West End |
| 1985 | Off-Off-Broadway |
Off-Off-Broadway Revival Off-Off-Broadway |
| 2006 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway Revival Off-Broadway |
| 2006 | East Haddam, CT (Regional) |
Goodspeed Production East Haddam, CT (Regional) |
| 2007 | Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
Paper Mill Production Milburn, NJ (Regional) |
| 2017 | West End |
English National Opera Revival West End |
| 2025 | Broadway |
Roundabout Theatre Company Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
