The brilliant new product of Gilbert and Sullivan’s â€˜THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE’
plays The Byron Theatre for one night only

Mike Leigh’s operatic debut The Pirates of Penzance breaks UK cinema box office records.

"If you think you don’t like opera, come and see this” - Mike Leigh talks about The Pirates of Penzance, watch the trailer.  

The Australia national cinematic releaseof  â€˜PIRATES’ through Potential Films, has enjoyed wide spread success since it was released as part of the ENO 2015 season.

The opera boasts a local connection with - Joshua Bloom as the Pirate King, born in Australia, graduated in Melbourne and has sung principal roles with Opera Australia and New Zealand-born Samoan bass baritone Jonathan Lemalu plays the Sergeant of Police. 

English National Opera’s (ENO) cinema broadcast of Mike Leigh’s production of The Pirates of Penzance is the UK's most successful opera on screen event, having taken in excess of 1.1M AUD at the UK box office so far, amounting to an audience of over 40,000 people, with encore repeat performances and international screenings still to take place.

Fresh from the major success of his celebrated film Mr Turner, renowned film maker, director and Gilbert & Sullivan aficionado Mike Leigh makes his opera directing debut with this eagerly anticipated new production of sparkling comic masterpiece The Pirates of Penzance. In a hilarious performance where comedy and romance combine with surprising twists and turns, this popular farcical comedy features swashbuckling pirates, flat footed policemen, razor sharp satire and memorable melodies.

The Pirates of Penzance tells the story of the pirate apprentice Frederic and his love for Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley who has the famous tongue-twisting patter song â€˜I am the very model of a modern Major-General’. The song has featured or been lampooned within popular culture including The Muppet Show, Babylon 5, Frasier, Scrubs, Star Trek-The Next Generation, Family Guy and Spitting Image.

Olivier award-winning designer Alison Chitty designed the set and costumes. Lighting is by Paul Pyant with choreography by Francesca Jaynes. David Parry conducts. The cast includes Andrew Shore as Major-General Stanley, Robert Murray as Frederic, Jonathan Lemalu as the Sergeant of Police, Rebecca de Pont Davies as Ruth, Joshua Bloom as The Pirate King, Claudia Boyle as Mabel, Alexander Robin Baker as Samuel, Soraya Mafi as Edith, Angharad Lyddon as Kate and Lydia Marchione as Isabel.

English National Opera performances are captured live from the London Coliseum and are shot on multi-cam in stunning cinematic HD. All productions are sung in the English language, it’s opera for everyone!