Mostly G&S presents H.M.S. Pinafore & The Zoo
2 Nov 2023-4 Nov 2023
H.M.S. Pinafore is one of the best known and most frequently performed of all the Gilbert & Sullivan operas. It’s delightful melodies and witty lyrics have been quoted, misquoted and parodied ever since it was first staged in 1878. This is no surprise to anyone familiar with the magical score and libretto that made this opera the first big G&S success.
The action is set on board the British warship H.M.S. Pinafore, anchored off Portsmouth harbour. The lively chorus of sailors and the prettily chattering ladies who come on board (all relatives of the First Lord of the Admiralty) bring their contribution to everything that happens. The drama is all about love transcending Victorian class barriers. Love and loyalty wrestle with duty and intrigue in a succession of musical gems and all is resolved at the end with the revelation of a decades old secret and a properly topsy-turvy outcome!
The curtain-raiser to this performance will be a real treat; a rare chance to hear Sullivan’s early one-act comic opera The Zoo, written just three years before H.M.S. Pinafore (in the same year as Trial by Jury), but with the librettist B.C. Stephenson rather than Gilbert. This charming short piece is set at a zoological gardens, between the refreshment stall and the bear pit, with the passers-by commenting on the action.
The fast-moving plot concerns two pairs of lovers, an interfering father and a Duke in disguise. The music is delightful throughout and the unique personality of each character is expressed through their songs. If you love G&S you will certainly enjoy The Zoo.
Come with your family and friends to enjoy one of the best loved Gilbert & Sullivan operas coupled with a rare opportunity to hear a delightful curtain raiser!
Mostly G&S
Mostly G&S was created in 2009 to bring together people interested in singing operetta. Although specifically formed to sing the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, there is the occasional dalliance into the works of other much-loved operetta composers such as Franz Lehár and Johann Strauss. All our performances are presented in our own enhanced concert style. We like it this way because we can concentrate just that bit harder on the music.
Nevertheless we sing without scores and audiences have come to expect a little frisson of movement and a side dish of narrative to assist the evening along!
We stage two productions a year, in the spring and in the autumn.
