VIU Theatre's Production of "H.M.S. Pinafore"

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Saturday, March 13th, 2010
March 3- 6 @ 8PM March 7 @ 2PM March 9 @ 4 PM March 10 - 13 @ 8 PM

This Spring the VIU Theatre Department is thrilled to present H.M.S. Pinafore, a musical by Gilbert & Sullivan. The classic English opera tells of a forbidden love between a lowly seaman and the daughter of the Pinafore's captain. The musical is a satire on the British obsession of class distinction and explores love across different social ranks. With a cheerful plot and beautiful music this is the perfect chance to catch a classic Gilbert & Sullivan at its best!

The story takes place aboard the British ship H.M.S. Pinafore. The captain's daughter, Josephine, is in love with a lower-class sailor, Ralph Rackstraw, although her father intends her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. She abides by her father's wishes at first, but Sir Joseph's advocacy of the equality of humankind encourages Ralph and Josephine to overturn conventional social order. They declare their love for each other and eventually plan to elope. The Captain discovers this plan, but, as in many of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a surprise disclosure changes things dramatically near the end of the story.

Drawing on several of his earlier "Bab Ballad" poems, Gilbert imbued this plot with mirth and silliness. The opera's humour focuses on love between members of different social classes and lampoons the British class system in general. HMS Pinafore also pokes good-natured fun at patriotism, party politics, the Royal Navy, and the rise of unqualified people to positions of authority. The title of the piece comically applies the name of a little girl's garment, a pinafore, to the fearsome symbol of a naval warship