Opera Scotland

Pirates of Penzance 1980D'Oyly Carte Opera Company

Read more about the opera Pirates of Penzance

This would turn out to be the final visit to Edinburgh of the original D'Oyly Carte company. The three-week season from 28 October to 15 November included a repertoire of six productions. These were H M S Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance, The Sorcerer, and The Yeomen of the Guard. The productions ranged in age from near-antique (Pirates, going back to 1929) to quite recent (Iolanthe). Fraser Goulding was the Musical Director, with Wilfred Judd Director of Productions, James Marsland Assistant Director and Alan Spencer Production Assistant and Choreographer.

This Pirates staging, at least early in the visit, showed its age through a sense of routine in the performance. Later in the run the locally-recruited orchestra would have improved, but a lack of rehearsal showed through at this stage. No direction or design personnel were credited. This particular production was probably the oldest still in the repertoire of any British opera company, and it showed. Most of the singing, however, was still quite acceptable, especially from Jill Washington, Alistair Donkin and John Ayldon.

Additional dates to be confirmed.