Review: THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, Chichester Festival Theatre - Tour
The year is 1919, Fredric’s 21st birthday. With his apprenticeship to the pure of heart Pirate King officially over, Frederic realises that he’s now duty bound to turn the other cheek and hunt the pirates who raised him down. But fate has other plans for Frederic, which comes in the form of the Major General’s daughter, Mabel. Her father does not approve of the match at all…
This comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W.S. Gilbert, was first performed in New York City in 1879 and in London in 1880. More recently, there has been a surge of productions of the opera at venues such as the The Minack, London Coliseum and Sasha Regan’s all-male version which toured from October-December 2024. This production, directed by Donna Stirrup, re-contextualises the show to present both the universality of the story; and to re-conceive the characters as misplaced and reacting to a major shift in their life circumstances as they try to navigate a world that has fundamentally changed in every way.
The design is simple yet very effective. The orchestra is housed at the back of the stage area, with the main stage itself being directly in front of it, meaning that the orchestra is always visible without taking away from the main action. We really like that the overture is carried out with very minimal, silent action on stage, which really gives the musicians the well-deserved chance to shine. The stage area itself consists of a sea-worn pontoon, which sits at an angle and a tattered flag dangling down from the ceiling, concealing a beautiful surprise beneath. This really pays tribute to the coastal setting, whilst not detracting from the period in which the show has been re-imagined to be set in.
It’s hard to pick a stand out moment when there are so many. Much like the design of the show, the direction is simple yet effective, allowing for the operatic talents of all of the performers to really take up space and enhance the comedic elements of the show.
The spoken lines are well enunciated, meaning that amidst the somewhat dense operatic singing, the jokes can still be heard clearly, enabling the audience to better respond to the show and stay immersed. This is a show which skilfully understands how to create comedy through the performers’ physicality, gestures and facial expressions in combination with the dialogue and lyrics, as opposed to the use of deliberate physical comedy. Thereby making the show both beautifully crafted and utterly hilarious in every sense of the word.
Additionally, there is no doubt as to the chemistry of the performers on stage. They clearly love working together and believe in the purpose of the story that they are telling, which gives the show an extra layer of sincerity, grounding it in everyday gestures of humanity and community, enabling the audience to stay connected to the show. Despite the post-war setting and the long life it’s led before the current production, this show is still relevant and still matters to audiences. It is this understanding of why to tell this particular tale now and why audiences should still respond to it is what fundamentally makes this production stand-out. It has an unwavering heart and, much like the character of Frederic, an undying sense of duty.
Witty, snappy and full of zest for life with the essence of childhood piratical fantasies.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Megan O’Neill