Title   The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty) Composer   Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842 - 1900) Librettist   William S. Gilbert (1836 - 1911) Genre   Light opera. Two acts. First performance   Bijou Theatre, Paignton, 30 December, 1879. Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York, 31 December, 1879. Time of action   Around 1880. Place of action   The rocky coast of Conrwall, England A moonlit ruined chapel. Main parts   Major-general Stanley baritone     The pirate king bass     Frederic, the pirate apprentice tenor     Sergeant of police bass-baritone or 2nd tenor     Mabel, General Stanley's most beautiful daughter soprano     Ruth, a pirate maid of all work contralto Prominence of chorus   Large. Orchestra   2 flutes, 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 2 French horns,                2 trumpets, 2 trombones, kettle-drums, percussion, strings. Special demands   In the first act all male choristers are pirates. In the second act the basses and baritones are policemen. Full score and orchestral parts   Available. Level   Not difficult Length   About 2½ hours in all. Two acts. Music   Right at the start the overture bears witness to composer Arthur Sullivan's mastery: elegant music, skilfully and tastefully scored. The choir has lots to do and gets a chance to shine in the lovely unaccompanied "Hail poetry" chorus. Wonderful duets and trios, stirring finales, a breathtaking pattersong for the Major-General, coloraturas for Mabel, lyricism for Frederic, a sizeable role for contralto Ruth, all these make this work a jewel in the repertoire (espacially ideal for amateur societies). Story   While paddling at the seaside, the Major-General's numerous daughters are surprised by pirates. Luckily their father appears in time; he saves the girls by declaring that he is an orphan - the pirates being known never to harm orphans, as they are all orphans themselves. Mabel, the most beautiful of the Major-General's daughters, decides to marry Frederic, a twenty-one-year old pirate. In the second act the police are to capture the pirates, led by Frederic, who has decided to give up piracy. However, the Pirate King and Ruth, his maid-of-all-work, inform Frederic that he is legally bound to piracy: his contract will expire on his twenty-first birthday, which is still a long way off because he was born on leap-day. The young man dutifully rejoins the pirates, and is vanquished with them by the police, who then summon them to surrender, "in queen Victoria's name". The pirates, who besides being orphans, are fervent royalists, immediately obey. Then the maid-of-all-work reveals a secret which enables all the ladies to marry all the gentlemen. Costumes   Men: pirates and policemen. Women: one costume (fashionable young ladies).