Illyria Theatre Company present an outdoor staging of Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera.

Frederick, accidentally apprenticed to Pirates as a child, is indentured to the Pirate King until his 21st birthday. On the day he reaches 21 he leaves the ship, announcing that he now intends to dedicate his life to the Pirates’ destruction. The Pirate King checks the contract’s small print - and realises that as Frederick’s birthday is 29th February on a leap year he has only had four birthdays and is actually indentured for another 63 years.

With only the Penzance constabulary to protect him, will Frederick be forced to serve the pirates until he is 84?  And will his sweetheart, Mabel, wait for him that long?

Performed by a six-strong cast of actor/singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance boasts such gloriously memorable songs as To be a Pirate King!; Modern Major General and A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One.

With razor sharp satire and glittering wit, it remains as fresh as if it had been written today.

About Illyria

For over thirty years, Illyria has stayed true to its original mission: to tour outstandingly enjoyable and original outdoor theatre, and to make it available for everyone. The Company has done this by offering as varied a programme as possible, touring all over the world, creating shows that remain true to the authors’ intentions without being slavishly reverential, and by striving to keep ticket prices affordable.

Illyria has also spent decades campaigning for fairer working conditions in the arts, wholeheartedly supporting and working with Equity (the actors’ union), adopting their Charter for Outdoor Theatre and taking the best possible care of artists. 

The Company has given more performances to more people across a wider area than any other outdoor touring company in the UK. Enjoying theatre together under the sun or the stars is a great unifying experience - old or young, rich or poor, audience or performer, the sky above our heads is the same for us all.