HMS Pinafore
BY GILBERT & SULLIVAN
Synopsis
HMS Pinafore," also known as "The Lass That Loved a Sailor," is a comedic operetta written by Gilbert and Sullivan, first performed in 1878. The story takes place aboard the ship HMS Pinafore and revolves around the love affair between the captain's daughter, Josephine, and a lower-class sailor named Ralph Rackstraw.
Josephine is in love with Ralph, but her father, Captain Corcoran, intends to marry her off to Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. The ship's crew, led by the comically incompetent Dick Deadeye, also harbors romantic aspirations.
Throughout the operetta, class distinctions and societal norms are satirized, as the love-struck characters challenge the social hierarchy. Ralph and Josephine plan to elope, but their secret is discovered by Dick Deadeye, who threatens to expose them. However, the ship's crew, led by Ralph's fellow sailor, Bill Bobstay, and the chirpy sailor's sister, Cousin Hebe, conspire to help the young couple.
In a series of humorous and absurd situations, including mistaken identities and misunderstandings, the characters navigate their way towards a resolution. In the end, true love triumphs as Josephine defies her father and chooses Ralph over Sir Joseph. The operetta concludes with a joyful celebration of love, punctuated by lively music and witty dialogue.
HMS Pinafore is a beloved work of Gilbert and Sullivan, known for its catchy tunes, clever lyrics, and delightful humour. It remains a popular and frequently performed operetta, charming audiences with its light-hearted satire and timeless themes of love and social commentary
Cast
John Soper - The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., First Lord of the Admiralty
John has been involved with York Opera since 1970. Since then he has taken many enjoyable principle roles and has also sung in the chorus. His favourite include - Colonel “Die Fledermaus”, Mozart’s Figaro, The Constable “Huge the Drover”, Ned Keen “Peter Grimes”, Zuniga “Carmen” and Falstaff and nearly every patter role in Gilbert and Sullivan operas. He has also directed a number of opera including last years’ production of “The Magic Flute” in this theatre. He has also designed the scenery for nearly every production, as well as the publicity material for York Opera.
In his retirement he can now be found working part time at York Theatre Royal, as a Theatre Tour Guide, Usher and working at Stage door, where he enjoys meeting some famous people. His wife Maggie designs and makes the costumes for York Opera Productions.
Ian Thomson-Smith - Captain Corcoran, Commander HMS Pinafore
Ian studied music at the University of Hull, where he first had the opportunity to sing opera and oratorio. He first sang with York Opera in 1986 in an extract from ‘The Marriage of Figaro’, and has managed to continue this interest ever since alongside his job has a headteacher at a primary school in Leeds.
Roles include Papageno and Monostatos (The Magic Flute). The Pirate King (Pirates of Penzance), Captain Balstrode (Peter Grimes), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas), John the Butcher (Hugh the Drover), Escamillo (Carmen), Eisenstein and Falke (Die Fledermaus), Silvio (Pagliacci), Germont (La Traviata) and the title roles in Verdi’s Macbeth and Nabucco.
Away from the stage his recent performances include Haydn’s Creation, Orffs Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Handel’s Messiah.
Jack Storey-Hunter - Ralph Rackshaw
Jack Story-Hunter is a classical singer who studied under York-renowned opera singer Michael De Costa, initially training as an English tenor specialising in Handel and Vaughan-Williams.
After Michael’s unfortunate passing, Jack now trains under lyric heldentenor Brian Smith-Walters in London, who recently took on the part of Menelaus in Strauss’s Die Agyptische Helena as part of the UK premiere of the Viennese version of this challenging work, becoming the fourth tenor this century to do so. Brian has guided Jack as a lyric tenor specialising in Mozart, Donizetti and German Lieder.
Alongside this, he works as an entertainer in Singers 4 Supper, surprising wedding guests and functions with his classical singing.
Anthony Gardner - Dick Deadeye
Anthony is a chartered occupational psychologist and a Gilbert and Sullivan aficionado. His previous Gilbert and Sullivan roles with York Opera are the Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance (2014) and Colonel Calverley in Patience (2017). More recently he portrayed Second Priest in York Opera’s The Magic Flute (2021) and Gabriel John Utterson in York Musical Theatre Company’s Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical (2022).
Anthony has prior experience of HMS Pinafore, having played Sir Joseph Porter in the 1998 University of York Gilbert and Sullivan society production. On opening night, the combination of hot stage lights and a heavy admiral’s uniform resulted in him blacking out during the final scene and performing without any vision. He is hoping to avoid any reoccurrance of tis event as Dick Deadeye!
Alexandra Mather - Josephine
Alexandra is excited to be taking part in another show with York Opera. Previous roles include Lady Ella (Patience), Micaela (Carmen), Casilda (The Gondoliers) and Pamina (The Magic Flute).
Outside of opera, Alexandra also enjoys performing in musical theatre, where previous roles in; Glinda (The Wizard of Oz), Doreen (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4), Mrs Fezzwig (Scrooge) and Jellyorum (CATS), all with Pick Me Up Theatre.
Alexandra was also the recipient of the Best Youth Performer at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival 2016 for Iolanthe and 2018 for Aline in The Sorcerer. She is a member of the Glyndebourne Academy 2018-19.
Rebecca Smith - Little Buttercup
Rebecca has sung with York Opera since 2007. Her first Gilbert and Sullivan solo role was as Mad Margaret in Ruddigore in 2010 and her last role was singing Second Lady in The Magic Flute last year.
Rebecca studies singing with Jacqueline Edwards and teaches piano privately and at three schools in York. She is looking forward to joining the sailors on the good ship HMS Pinafore and taking part in all the general Gilbert and Sullivan shenanigans!
Polina Bielova - Hebe
Polina Bielova is a Ukranian-born mezzo-soprano who came to the UK at the age of 16 and continued her extensive music training here. She achieved her bachelor degree from Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and graduate from the David Seligman Opera School of Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2021, where she studied vocal training with Anne Mason under the artistic directorship of John Fisher.
While studying in Cardiff she was part of BBC National Chorus of Wales, giving her the opportunity to perform at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall in 2018.
She performed in the chorus in Dead Man Walking by J.Haggie (WNO, 2019) directed by Martain Constatine and conducted by Karen Kamensek. She also had a privilege of working with the maestro Carlo Rizzi and the Orchestra of Welsh National Opera for gala concerts 2018-2019 where she sang as Bizet’s Carmen at Wales Millenium Centre, Dryad from Ariadne auf Naxos by R. Strauss and Suzy in La Rondine by G. Puccini. Just a couple of months ago she performed withthe Opera on Location in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. She is looking forward to her new experience with York Opera, working on HMS Pinagfore with a most inspiring Yorkshire musical team.
Alex Holland - Bill Bobstay, Boatswain
Mark Simmonds - Mark Simmonds
Chorus
Yasmina Abbas
Victoria Beale
Hannah Cahill
Chloe Crowder
Johanna Hartley
Wendy Jackson
Lesley Jones
Sue Lindley
Charlie Logan
Jennifer Read
Rebecca Reid
Sandra Rowan
Amanda Shackleton
Joan Sinanan
Magie Soper
Elizabeth Vile
Robin Walton
Ana Williams
Christopher Charlton-Matthews
Will Gausden
Ambroise Grav
Mark Haddon
David Hartley
Clive Marshall
Bill Read
Paul Richardson
Harley Wenham
Owen Williams
Steve Wilson
Victor Yuan
Understudies
Josephine Corcoran
Rebecca Reid
Cousin Hebe
Hannah Cahill
Mrs Cripps “Buttercup”
Maggie Soper
RAplph Rackstraw
Jinkang Yang
CAptain Corcoran
Christopher Charlton-Matthews
Sir Joseph Porter
Paul Richardson
Dick Deadeye
Clive Marshall
Boatswain’s mate
Will Gausden
Timothy Selman - Musical Director
Timothy Selman is a freelance conductor, accompanist and organist. He studied music at the University of Nottingham where he was first introduced to Gilbert & Sullivan, with The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore.
Theatre credits as Musical Director have included: A Tale of Kings and Queens (Operatic excerpts from Verdi, Gounod, Purcell and German; York Opera), The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole (Pick Me Up Theatre), The Sorcerer (The University of York Gilbert and Sullivan Society); Made in Dagenham, Kiss Me Kate (Joseph Rowntree Theatre Company) and HMS Pinafore and Patience (Jorvik Gilbert and Sullivan Company). He is also an experienced pit player on keyboards and occasionally percussion and timpani.
Timothy is additionally the organist and assistant director for the choir Caelestis, which sings services in the nations cathedrals and major parish churches. Caelestis makes around five residential visits a year, and repertoire varies from Gregorian chant through to Anglican and contemporary liturgical choral repertoire. Alongside his work with Caelestis and as an active organ recitalist, Timothy has played in venues like York Minster, Ripon and Newcastle cathedrals, Selby Abbey, Beverley Minster, among others.
Annabel van Griethuysen - Stage Director
Annabel has been a performer with York Opera for a number of years now.; however, this is her first venture into directing at York Theatre Royal. Recently on stage with York Opera she has played Carmen, Suzanna in The Marriage of Figaro, and the 1st Lady in The Magic Flute. She can also be regularly spotted around Christmas carol singing for the company!
Annabel; cut her directing teeth with Macbeth in York Opera’s recent Tales of Kings and Queens at the National Centre for Early Music, and with a growing interest in directing, was delighted to be asked to direct HMS Pinafore. Whilst at University, Annabel directed several projects, including The Pirates of Penzance.
Annabel is currently working for the NHS as an advanced clinical specialist dietitian, and studying part time for a PhD. It’s a good thing she likes being busy!
Choreographer
Amy Carter
Stage Manager
Jill Wishart
Set Designer
John Soper
Lighting Designer
Eric Lund
Set construction & Painting
Bill Ankers
Tony Burton
John Soper
Clive Marshall
Paul Richardson
Joan Sinanan
Ana Williams
Costume Design
Maggie Soper
Costume Production
Maggie Soper
Anna Day
Sandra Rowan
Hannah Cahill
Robin Walton
Properties
Patricia Easton
Sue Goodhead
Maria Bewers
Make-up
Annabel van Griethuysen
Publicity Design
John Soper
Publicity Team
Wendy Jackson
Pauline Marshall
Repetiteurs & Accompanists
Timothy Selman
Tim Tozer
Alasdair Jamieson
James Sanderson
Publicity Photographs
John Saunders
production Photographs
Tony Burton
programme & dress rehearsal Photographs
Ben Lindley
Programme
Clive Marshall
Alex at GHSmith
Website
James Wood
Rebecca Reid
social media
Elizabeth Vile
Hannah Cahill
Orchestra
first Violins
Claire Jowett (Leader)
Gillian Little
Helen Warry
Emily Jones
second Violins
Marcus Bousfield
Clare Wake
Rachel How
Viola
James Sanderson
Bethan Kelly
Violincello
Emma Welburn-Kelley
Christine Smith
Double Bass
Rosie Morris
Flute
Della Blood
Felicity Jones
Oboe
Rosie Lynch
Clarinet
Jonathan Sage
Ruaridh Bakke
Bassoon
Isabel Dowell
french Horn
Mark Sykes
Stephen Watt
Trumpet
James Lolley
Emily Howell
Trombone
Anna Marshall
David Carlisle
Timani
Laurie Gunson
Press
REVIEW: Martin Dreyer’s verdict on York Opera in HMS Pinafore, York Theatre Royal
Charleshutchpress | charles hutchinson | 18th november 2022
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