Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic masterpiece contains some of operetta’s best-loved songs and abounds in wit, romance and gloriously absurd plot twists.

As a child, Frederic was mistakenly apprenticed to a band of soft-hearted pirates after his nursemaid misheard instructions that he should be apprenticed to a pilot. Raised at sea, Frederic grows up determined to live an honest and respectable life.

On the day he believes his apprenticeship ends, Frederic falls in love with Mabel, the daughter of the eccentric Major-General Stanley. However, his plans are thrown into chaos when he discovers he must return to the pirates. Torn between love and duty, Frederic faces bungling policemen, loyal pirates and a whirlwind of comic misunderstandings before the story races towards a joyful, topsy-turvy conclusion.

Performed in the beautiful grounds of The Red House, the home of composer Benjamin Britten and tenor Peter Pears, this is a chance to experience this sparkling operetta in an intimate, relaxed setting.

Picnics (and waterproofs, just in case) are encouraged, and please note that seating is not provided, so do please bring your own if desired.

Opera Anywhere: 
Hannah Ambrose soprano  
Catrin Lewis soprano
Rosemary Braddy mezzo-soprano  
Vanessa Woodward alto
Dale Harris tenor  
Rob Jenkins tenor  
Tristan Stocks tenor  
Mike Woodward tenor
James Gribble baritone
Edmund Caird baritone
Mark Horner bass baritone  

Vanessa Woodward artistic director
Matthew Rickard music director