The London Community Players’ 50th season opens with a burst of cannon fire! The Palace Theatre’s fresh staging of The Pirates of Penzance will be treasured by both avid Gilbert and Sullivan fans and folks approaching the musical duo's work for the first time. Get your tickets before the show closes on October 6th!
Raised by a crew of tenderhearted pirates, Frederic (Jared Brown) is finally free to make his own way in the world on his twenty-first birthday. Unfortunately, his return to civilization means he’ll become the pirates’ sworn enemy. After a fond farewell, Frederic heads off with Ruth, maid and unwanted lover, in tow. When Frederic meets the Major General’s charming daughters, the pirates of his past clash with the family of his future.
Although this is how Pirates of Penzance’s plot begins, it’s not how this production starts. The curtain parts to reveal the cast half-dressed, missing musicians, and sets in disarray. This cleverly sets the stage for members of ‘the creative team’ to take on two genderbent roles. Mike Wisniowski, the ‘choreographer,’ begrudgingly accepts the role of Ruth while ‘director’ Lisa Snow strides into place as the Major General.
Audience members like myself who are largely unfamiliar with Gilbert and Sullivan might be surprised to realize that Pirates was penned nearly 150 years ago. From watching this production, you wouldn’t be able to tell. The fresh casting, expressive delivery, and physical comedy make the source material accessible to modern audiences.
The decision to gender-bend the characters of Ruth and the Major General in particular adds an entertaining twist. Characters that might otherwise seem outdated instead bring the hilarity to new heights. Some of the loudest laughs of the night come when Ruth insists on her feminine beauty while Frederic muses, “As I have never had an opportunity of comparing you with other women, it is just possible I may be mistaken.”
Vocally, the cast doesn't sweat when faced with the challenge of performing an operetta—a form of theatre that lands between an opera and a musical. Rosalie Mattison plays Mabel, the Major General’s headstrong daughter and Frederic’s future wife. Throughout the show, she lets breathtaking operatic flourishes fly with ease. A six-piece musical ensemble plays live from the pit to score the show with keys, strings, trumpet, drums, bass, guitar, and woodwinds.
At its heart, Pirates of Penzance is driven by a powerful ensemble. The show’s choreography plays to each actor’s unique personality and strengths, whether they find themselves in the role of a pirate, a bumbling police officer, or one of the Major General’s many daughters. When these characters combine and clash onstage, the resulting spectacle is a thrill to watch.
Blending past and present, The Pirates of Penzance is a fantastic choice to open the London Community Players’ historic 50th season! Get tickets for one of the final four shows, running October 3rd to 6th.
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