News Release

Prepare to be boarded, singing pirates to appear at Duff House

25th July 2011

Visitors to Duff House can experience a unique version of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular comic opera next week. (August 4)

“The Pirates of Penzance” will be performed by Illyria, one of the Uk’s leading touring companies of open-air theatre, on Thursday, August 4.

First performed on 31 December 1879, the hilarious melodrama, sharp satire and glittering wit make the show as fresh as though it had been written today.

Packed with laughter, romance and a galleon-full of memorable songs such as ‘To be a Pirate King!’, ‘Modern Major General’ and ‘A Policeman's Lot is Not a Happy One’, this wonderful classic is faithfully performed by a reduced cast of seven talented actor-musicians, accompanied by a musical director.

Frederick, apprenticed to the Pirates since a child, reaches the age of 21 and announces to the Pirate King that it is his duty to leave them, to seek his fortune in a more wholesome way than piracy and to kill them if he should ever see them again.

When he reaches land and encounters Major Stanley's daughters he falls in love with Mabel, the most beautiful of them, but his prospect of future happiness is short lived when he learns that he was born on February 29, and that he is contracted to the Pirate King until his 21st birthday, not his 21st year...

Duff House General Manager Rachel Kennedy said: “Last month, Illyria’s hilarious version of Roald Dahl’s “Fantastic Mr Fox” attracted around 250 people so we are hoping for similar numbers for this show.

“I know the actors love an appreciative audience, so I expect we’ll have lots of singing along and maybe even a few people dressed as pirates.

“Just bring a picnic, something comfortable to sit on and enjoy a new twist on a comic tale.” 

The show starts at 6.30pm and tickets are £16, £13 for concessions and £42 for family tickets.

Tickets are available in advance from the Duff House Shop on (01261) 813003 or on the evening.

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