Jure Kozuh`s Blog

One of the most frequently played Gilbert and Sullivan opera’s is The Pirates of Penzance, a light comedy. In December 1879, the official premiere was shown in the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York. It was hugely successful from day one. In London on 3rd April 1880, the play’s first UK production was presented at the Opera Comique. There have been several modernised productions of the play since, including Joseph Papp’s 1981 production on Broadway. Bed and Breakfast PenzanceThe cast includes a soft hearted crew of pirates, pretty young maidens, some hopeless but lovable policemen and a silver tongued major general. A sequence of daft mistakes take place in the plot. Frederic is the key character of the plot. He is a lovely lad and a reluctant apprentice pirate due to a hard of hearing nursemaid Ruth. On his 21st Birthday, Frederic is standing, drinking sherry with the Pirates, when he shocks them by announcing that he plans to leave them. Ruth, the pirates maid, explains that as Frederic’s former nursemaid when he was a small boy, she made a terrible mistake. She misheard Frederic’s Father when he told her to arrange an apprenticeship with a ships pilot due to her poor hearing and accidentally apprenticed him to a pirate.Frederic appeals to the pirate king and his crew to leave with him to pursue a more respectable existence, however he is not successful. Frederic makes some advice to his pirate comrades to help them avoid regularly getting thrashed and to be more successful in their ventures. He tells them that almost everyone they capture claims to be an orphan as it is well known that as orphans themselves, the pirates will release them as they have a soft spot for them.Frederic and Ruth leave and Ruth, who is determined to wed him, manages to convince Frederic that she is extremely beautiful. Having no other woman to compare her with, Frederic believes her. Ruth’s lie does not last long because a group of beautiful young maidens suddenly appear. Frederic immediately see’s that Ruth is ‘plain and old’ and Ruth leaves in utter despair. Frederic attempts to warn the lovely maidens that there are pirates close by and in no time, Frederic and Mabel, a daughter of the Major General Stanley, promptly.Shortly, Ruth and the pirate king return to tell Frederic that he has not finished his apprenticeship and must return His apprenticeship states that Frederic can only leave once he has reached the age of 21, but because he was born on the 29th of February he only technically has a birthday every leap year. So Frederic has to return to the pirates for 63 more years ! This is terrible news for Frederic. But he has an extremely keen sense of duty which makes him believe he has no choice. Mabel who is smitten, promises that she will wait for him! Penzance Bed and BreakfastThis classic is a fantastic intro to light opera and has managed to successfully stand the test of time. It has remained a hit with people for over 130 years.