Conductor: James Hendry
Director: John Savournin
Revival Director: Merrie Holden
Performed by the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, featuring the National Festival Orchestra.
“The very model of perfection!”, the Daily Mail said in its five star review.
Directed in 2025 by John Savournin, this revival of last year’s five-star production is a fabulous, fun-filled production with an outstanding cast.
John is Artistic Director of Charles Court Opera, which he co-founded 20 years ago. John said: “The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert & Sullivan and the Festival are all close to my heart, and I’m delighted we’ve brought together another fantastic cast for 2026. Making their Festival debut are Camilla Kerslake (Mabel) and Alex Aldren (Frederic). This is one show not to miss!”
Cast
- Major-General — Simon Butteriss
- The Pirate King — Ben McAteer
- Frederic — Alex Aldren
- Sergeant of Police — Mark Saberton
- Mabel — Camilla Kerslake
- Ruth — Yvonne Howard
Performances at Buxton Opera House
Tickets: £20–£49
Pirates of Penzance in a nutshell
The Pirates of Penzance is packed with razor-sharp wit, unforgettable melodies and playful satire. It has become one of the most beloved works in the Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire and the biggest-selling production at the G&S Festival.
The story follows Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates as a boy. On reaching his twenty-first birthday, he eagerly prepares to abandon piracy and live an honest life. His plans seem complete when he falls in love with Mabel, the spirited daughter of the wonderfully pompous Major-General Stanley.
But Frederic soon discovers a disastrous loophole: born on 29 February in a leap year, he must serve until his twenty-first birthday, not his twenty-first year. The result is a whirlwind of comic confusion, absurd logic and brilliant music — including the famous “Modern Major-General” song.