HMS Pinafore

Synopsis

HMS Pinafore premiered in 1878 at the Opera Comique in London, and became Gilbert and Sullivan's first smash hit, enjoying a successful run of 571 performances. Satirising the snobbery and hypocrisy of the English social system of its day. HMS Pinafore is a comic tale of love, class pretensions and mistaken identities. Questioning the integrity of the ruling elite and exposing the duplicitous motives of leaders of power, this comedy still has remarkable resonance today.

Our Review:

Simon Thomas - 2 September 2010

With OperaUpClose’s La bohème enjoying a seemingly endless run of success in the West End, pub opera is all the rage.  Charles Court Opera, whose new production of HMS Pinafore has opened at Islington’s Rosemary Branch Theatre, have some 20 productions under their belt so can claim to have been at it longer than most.  

The producers are in trouble if Gilbert and Sullivan’s evergreen comedy isn’t fun and that’s one thing that this production undeniably is.  It also has very high musical standards under MD David Eaton.  The singing is excellent, a cast of talented young professionals (director John Savournin doubling as a rich-toned Captain Corcoran) bolstered by Simon Masterston-Smith’s vintage Sir Joseph Porter.  

Eaton and repetiteur James Young have made piano reductions of no fewer than 10 operas for the company and this one’s surprisingly successful.  Sull...

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Latest User Review

Gayna Martine - 2 September 2010:

I took 14 work colleagues to see opening night of HMS Pinafore. It was SOOO funny, and I am going back to see it again. We all just can't wait for Charles Court Opera to do the Panto again this year, can they really keep up the standard of the last two years? I bet they can! A brilliant night out Rosemary Branch - Thank you x...

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