Grenoside and Birley Carr Players’ The Pirates Of Penzance – 24 March 2026, Grenoside Community Centre
Review by Claire Stanley.
The Pirates of Penzance is a lively and entertaining comic operetta that continues to delight audiences with its wit, memorable music, and playful storytelling. First performed in 1879, the show combines clever satire with catchy melodies, creating a production that feels timeless. Tonight I was welcomed by Grenoside and Birley Carr Players for their version of this classic. Having known of a few W S Gibert & Arthur Sullivan songs, I had yet to witness a full “G & S” production and I was greatly heartened by it. The story follows the young apprentice pirate ‘Frederic’ as he prepares to leave the pirate life behind on his 21st birthday. However, thanks to a technicality involving his leap-year birthday, his freedom may not come as easily as expected. Along the way, audiences meet a cast of eccentric characters, including the sentimental band of Pirates, Maid Ruth, the overly dutiful Police Force and the charming daughters of Major-General Stanley. The plot is delightfully absurd, filled with misunderstandings, rapid-fire dialogue, and comedic twists.
It is not often one can view a show with music, that instantly credits the two piano accompanists so highly, -but I feel I must. The overture of the piano playing before the curtain even opened, from Musical Director Jonathan Hester and Accompanist Cory Lovell, was outstanding and set the tone for the whole evening. What then followed was full animation from the Pirates themselves as they swash-buckled their way through their first number of “Pour, O Pour the Pirate Sherry”. I was immediately impressed by the well- made costumes, each pirate having his own character to keep to and executing it perfectly, – tankards ahoy. Use of each pirate’s cutlass was also well utilised and added to the performances. The Introduction of ‘Ruth’, Frederic’s Maid was aided by her excellent diction in her role alongside ‘Frederic’ as she implored him to “act within the dictates of his conscience”. When he was a child, Frederic’s nursemaid Ruth misunderstood instructions and apprenticed him to a pirate instead of a pilot. As a result, Frederic has spent his youth living with pirates, even though he has a strong sense of duty and honour. It his now time to leave them all behind, including Ruth. The excellent casting of ‘Ruth’ (Elizabeth Williams) meant that we were treated to solid consistent characterisation from her as well as a high level of vocal ability and acting.
It is difficult to pick out particular cast members and songs from such a competent and intricate showcase but the Pirate King (Garry Leigh) had a fantastic presence in this role. He shone in all musical numbers but in particular “Oh, Better Far to Live and Die” early in Act One. He held court throughout tonight’s whole production and his projection was powerful,-the audience could hear every line, without it sounding forced. Later in the story, the opportunity for comedy was fully taken by him, as he broke the news to Frederic that he was born in a leap year! Enjoying all pirates on stage was easy as they treaded the plank (!) so it was a great surprise when the ladies, (General Stanley’s Daughters & Chaperones), entered the piece and upped the energy further. I particularly enjoyed “Stop. Ladies Pray!” showcasing their choral work and solo lines perfectly.
Hannah Thorpe playing ‘Edith’ has a lovely tone to her voice and drew visible praise from the audience as they enjoyed the songs she featured in. She gave an appealing lightness to Edith’s character whilst dealing with demanding solo lines. Catherine Jackson as ‘Mabel’ sang the most amazing soprano range and her arias were sheer delight. Her great acting also completed her execution of the role and this led to one of the most entertaining duets of the night which was “Stay, Frederic, Stay!” ‘Mabel’ and ‘Frederic’ complimented each other entirely and were a pleasure to watch. I was fascinated in general of the twists and turns of Pirates of Penzance, especially the focus on who is an orphan, (most pirates here being famously so). I thought the song “Away, Away! My Heart’s on Fire” notably engaging, where the Major General is depicted as not being an orphan after all!
I also found The Policeman’s Chorus really appealing as a whole,- the costumes were simple but very effective, the acting superb and the choral work brilliant. The song “When the Foeman Bares His Steel” was sang with such volume and fluency that it was up there with the stand out song of the evening- “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General”. I am guessing that this heavily favoured tune is of no surprise to G & S fans, but it really was inflected magnificently by ‘Major -General Stanley’ (Brian Barber). Such an infamous fast paced patter song needs to not drop one note or leave one gap and this really did not, offering rapid lyrical delivery and clever wordplay. It was absolutely captivating.
What makes The Pirates of Penzance particularly special is its balance of satire and heart. Beneath the humour, the show gently pokes fun at Victorian society, duty, and authority while still celebrating loyalty and romance. This was evident throughout and I must praise Helen Dent (Director) for such command of the staging. All characters had something to do at all times, whether that be movement or strong facial expression. This kept our attention and pace and honoured the comedic timing, keeping the audience amused throughout. I must highlight that in addition to the fantastic performances, the set of the “rocky seashore” (Act One) and the “ruins” (Act Two) were designed, constructed and painted splendidly and added great charm to this wonderful production. Congratulations to Andrew Bacon, Jayne Clay and Hannah Thorpe for this and a huge Well Done to each and every member of Grenoside and Birley Carr Players. Thank you for your hospitality and for a very entertaining evening. If you are a G&S fan (or even if you are not), I urge you to give this group and their show, a try this week. You will not regret it! Tickets are available for the rest of the run, showing at Grenoside Community Centre until Saturday 28th March.
