KCLG&S’s rollicking new production of RUDDYGORE brings the opera back to its roots, staging it as an impassioned, colourful melodrama of the kind that originally inspired Gilbert and Sullivan. Stage director Alex Kirstukas and musical director Mary Jayne Harding Scott have drawn on numerous historical drafts of the libretto and score to offer a new performing edition, including the restoration…
2019 has seen the 50th Anniversary of Hull University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and with that our first Production of ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’ since 1975. HUGSS have made several appearances at UNIFEST over the years with performances of Iolanthe, The Mikado and Princess Ida, among many others. With then chance to meet up with our friends over the…
The world famous International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival has signed a new three year contract to secure its future in Harrogate through to and including 2021. “Hopefully this is good news for our global G&S family of supporters,” said Ian. “Now we need your continued support in promoting future festival to friends, relations and groups you may be connected with…
Matthew Siveter is a member of the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company and will be playing the parts of the Pirate King (The Pirates of Penzance) and Pish Tush (The Mikado) in 2019. Matt will also perform his one-man show – “Mr Matt Siveter Entertains” in Buxton on Friday 26 July and will be an entertainer on our G&S…
2019 is going to be the most important year for the Festival. We simply have to be successful to ensure a continuance – and we need your help. Many of you have told us in recent months that you want to help but you are not sure what you can do from. These offers have come from Sydney to Seattle…
Emma Black is directing Pirates Revisited with the Opera North Youth Company – a show inspired by, and featuring music from, The Pirates of Penzance. We asked Emma to tell us what it’s been like working with a youth company and what Gilbert & Sullivan means to her. Tell us more about Pirates Revisited. What can the audience expect? Pirates…
The Savoy Company performed at the very first Festival in Buxton in 1994. Belinda Smith (Festival Chairman, Ian’s daughter) was working for the Festival at the time and welcomed the group and their President Tom Tyler to town…. A couple of years later Belinda and Tom were married and have lived at truly Gilbertian ‘happily ever after’ in Philadelphia with…
Find out just how the “lost” score for Thespis came to be recreated by Bruce Montgomery. Many people are unaware that Gilbert & Sullivan actually wrote 14 operettas – not thirteen! Thespis was their first collaboration and premiered at the London Gaiety in 1871. Sadly, Arthur Sullivan’s score for Thespis was lost, except for two of the show’s songs. We…
Just what does it take to bring a university group to the Festival to perform for the very first time? We caught up with Josip Martinčić from Royal Holloway University of London to find out why they are doing it and how they are getting along with their preparations. Could they be first time winners? Hello Josip. You have…
We meet fantastic people from all over the world who share a love of Gilbert & Sullivan. And what a friendly bunch they are. It is impossible to feel alone or lonely at a G&S Festival – there’s just too much going on and too many people to sit and chat with. Long-standing friendships (and even marriages) are created as…