The Pirates of Penzance
Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic comic-opera with a cast of five men and a pianist.
The Theatre on the Square / Hilton Arts Festival
Nominated for nine Naledi Awards including Best Director and Best Production of a Musical
Winner of three Naledi Awards including Best Ensemble / Cutting-Edge Production
“Pirates devotees will have a blast and those who make this their introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan’s delicious Pirates will be enchanted. It’s not the kind of theatre we see too often anymore, after all, it was first introduced more than a century ago – but it still has all of the charm and for today’s world, as much punch.” – Diane de Beer (The Star Tonight)
”Tempered by crisp arrangement, lung-bursting tempi and lyrics that take the piss out of the properness of Victorian society, these songs would have had the man on the street in 1880 rolling about the aisles as much as it will have you, not least because of superb performances.” – Robyn Sassen (SA Jewish Report)
”Greg Homann’s cheekily ambitious reworking of Gilbert and Sullivan’s celebrated light comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance, is a jaunty, amusing and wildly inventive exercise that puts pure fun back into theatre.” – Peter Feldman (The Sunday Independent)
”Had Homann elected to mount Pirates in its full traditional glory, complete with expensive sets, expansive cast and full orchestra, the production may have sunk faster than a chest of stolen treasure. But by choosing to stage an all-male, scaled-down version of Pirates in a manner that brings out the musical comedy of the piece and the cleverness of the libretto, the director has backed a winner. This merry, madcap romp strikes just the right balance between remaining respectful to the original and taking the Mickey.” – Christina Kennedy (Business Day)
”Another positive offshoot of this adaptation is that it’s a less daunting prospect for younger viewers than the whistles and bells number, and is a wonderful way to introduce this enduring work to an audience that only associates the word “pirates” with movies and Somalia.” – Bruce Dennill (The Citizen)
“With just five men, one pianist and a whole lot of dresses, eyepatches and swashbuckling, director Greg Homann brings this witty theatrical masterpiece to this intimate theatre.” – The Sowetan
”The Pirates of Penzance prove intelligence is funny.” – Lesley Stones (Artslink)
Produced by Daphne Kuhn
Written by W.S. Gilbert (libretto) & Arthur Sullivan (music)
Directed & Designed by Greg Homann
Musical Direction by Rowan Bakker
Costumes by Sarah Roberts
Lighting Design by Oliver Hauser
Stage Managed by Regina Dube
ORIGINAL CAST
David Dennis
Jimmy Borthwick
Jonathan Taylor
Clinton Hawks
Brandon Lindsay
Rowan Bakker (pianist)
RETURN SEASON CAST
David Dennis
Michael Richard
Jonathan Taylor (Theatre on the Square only)
Murray Todd (Hilton Arts Festival only)
Clinton Hawks
Keaton Ditchfield
Kevin Kraak (pianist)