After the sensational success of H.M.S. Pinafore, many American performing companies presented unauthorized versions of that opera. Gilbert, Sullivan and Carte decided to prevent that from happening again by presenting official versions of their next opera, The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty simultaneously in England and America. The opera premiered on December 31, 1879 at the Fifth Avenue Theater in New York with Sullivan conducting, but a single performance had been given on the previous day at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, England, to secure the British copyright. Finally, the opera opened on April 3, 1880, at the Opéra Comique in London, where it ran for 363 performances, having already been playing successfully for over three months in New York.
On December 10, 1879, Sullivan had written a letter to his mother about the new opera, upon which he was hard at work in New York. "I think it will be a great success, for it is exquisitely funny, and the music is strikingly tuneful and catching." True enough! The Pirates of Penzance was an immediate hit and takes its place today as one of the most popular and enduring works of musical theatre.
In The Pirates of Penzance, Frederic was as a child apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted, orphaned pirates by his nurse who, being hard of hearing, had mistaken her master's instructions to apprentice the boy to a pilot. Frederic, upon completing his 21st year, rejoices that he has fulfilled his indentures and is now free to return to respectable society. But it turns out that he was born on February 29 in leap year, and he remains apprenticed to the pirates until his 21st birthday. By the end of the opera, the pirates, a Major General who knows nothing of military strategy, his large family of beautiful but unwed daugters, and the timid constabulary all contribute to a cacophony that can be silenced only by Queen Victoria's name.
(text and picture from The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive)
adapted from the 1991, 40th anniversary programme notes by John Epton and Chris Daw
Opera was first introduced to Stewartby in 1951 when Richard Budworth, headmaster of Stewartby School, formed the Stewartby School Operatic and Dramatic Society. The first production was The Pirates of Penzance and its immediate success heralded many years of Gilbert and Sullivan in Stewartby. During the first six years Mr Budworth and Betty Vass produced while J.F. Pierce and George Thompson were successive musical directors.
In 1951 Chris Daw was a pupil at Stewartby Secondary School and was asked to assist in the building of the scenery for what was to be "a new venture", involving pupils and staff in a performance of The Pirates of Penzance. In 1960 Chris Daw appeared in the chorus for The Sorcerer, from 1967 he is listed as a member of the Committee and in 1990 he became Chairman.
In 1958 Mr Budworth found that he could not continue with the society and Stewartby Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society was formed under the chairmanship of John Doone-Ames.
The Society's most celebrated "old boy" was John Kitchiner, who was a founder member and went on to become principal bass baritone with the English National Opera Company.
The Society was honoured in its early years by the support of Sir Ronald and Lady Stewart who served as president and vice-president.
If you would like more information on any aspect of the society
• to perform
• to help out
• to see a show
please contact Gordon
phone: 07510 820632
email: information@saods.org.uk
We rehearse and perform in Stewartby. Early rehearsals are held at the church hall, later rehearsals and the performances are at Stewartby Village Hall.
Stewartby United Church Hall
Park Crescent. MK43 9NJ
Stewartby Village Hall
Stewartby Way. MK43 9LX
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