Pirates of Penzance – Palace Theatre
Of all Gilbert and Sullivan's works, Pirates of Penzance is probably the best known and one of their most popular, having been a hit since it first opened in New York in December 1879. Since then, it has been interpreted and re-interpreted - and Sasha Regan 's award-winning production is one of the very best. The "men playing women" trope has, of course, been around for many centuries, in Shakespeare and in panto. It depends on the talent of the actors to make the conceit work. And work it does, the all-male cast adding an additional layer of whimsy to what is already a marvellously funny operetta.
The story hinges on its subtitle "The Slave Of Duty". After a miscommunication leads young Frederic to be indentured to the dastardly Pirates of Penzance, he delights in his freed...