:::HMS Pinafore:::

By WS Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan

HMS Pinafore is written by some of the most famous old-musical composers ever. Gilbert and Sullivan wrote multitudes of these "savoy operas". The music is in a vaugely classical style that seems to evade classification but it is pleasant to losten to none the less. The story, like that of all G+S's savoy operas is twisting and turning, based around love and the breach of class.
my memory's of this show are very vague because I was so young but I do remember constantly fetching the choreographer tea and biscuits and having a dressing room for just me and Rhys. We had multituedes of lollies if I recal correctly.

Cast and Crew:
Director:Robert Hatherly
Musical Director: Colin Fischer
Choreographer: Michelle Heine

Captain Corcoran: Carl Cooper
Sir Joseph Porter: Tony Falla
Ralph Rackstraw: Christopher Steele
Dick Deadeye: Philip Pain
Boatsweain's Mate: Stephen Pye
Carpenter's Mate: James Payne
Josephine: Sarah Shalders
Buttercup: Patricia Whitbread
Cousin Hebe: Kylie Higgins
Trainee Airship Recruits: Matthew Frawley, Ian Graham, Robeter Henderson, Peter Hodges, Mathew Howell, Andrew Koll, Stephen Lawton, Rob Macauly, Pete Madden, Ian MacDiarmid, Richard Phillips, Derek Pottenger, Geoff Schouten, Allistar Twigg
Sisters, Cousins and Aunts: Natalie Bice, Melissa Bush, Judith Colquhoun, Lisa Draper, Shirley Eglitis, Fiona Every, Melissa Holroyd, Amanda King, Victoria Milton, Gabrielle Mullins, Carole Osmotherly, Debbie Ryan, Judith Satrapa, Barbara Seculess, Suzette Skobier, Diana Tapscott, Amy Weekes
Midship Mites: Rhys Holden, Charlie Sanders

Synopsis:
Act One opens at the launch pad of HMS Pinafore where the space TAR's are busy preparing for blast off. Little Buttercup, a pedler woman, arrives with her stock of goods to take on the flight. Ralph Rackstraw, a handsome young space TAR who is in love with the captains daughter, Josephine, then appears. But captains daughters dont marry space tars and Dick Deadeye, the space TAR villain tells ralph that he is a feel to even think of it.
The captain enters and tells us what a good captain he is and that he wishes for his daughter to marry the first lord of air ministary, Sir Joseph Porter. Josephine is most unhappy that her fater desires this marrage as she secrety loves Ralph.
Sir Joseph flies in with his sisters, cousins and aunts who allways attend him, and inspects the crew.
Ralph now plans to elope with Josephine who at first distains him but is soon won over by his simple eloquence.
In Act Two the HMS Pinafore has landed on the moon, to which Captain Corcoran, all alone, laments his troubles. Little Buttercup watches him. When he falls silent she reveals her love for him, but he tells her because of his rank they can only be friends.Angrily she hints that there is a change in store for him.
Sir Joseph complains that Josephine does not favour his suit. The captain, upset by his daughters refusal, suggests she is overwhelmed by the Admiral's high rank and says he will pleed with her that love levels all ranks. Still Josephine does not respond, her heart is set on Ralph.
Dick Deadeye waylays the captain and tells him Josephine and ralph plan to elope. They both lie in wait for the crew, who are helping the two lovers. The captain is so exasperated that he swares and is overheard by Sir Joseph, who loathes swaring, and orders the captain to his cabin and Ralph to the ship's dungeon.
Affairs are dramatically interupted by Little Buttercup, who discloses how the captain and Ralph were accidentally mixed up while they were both babies. Whereupon Sir Joseph sends for Ralph, makes him captain and at the same time reduces Captain Corcoran to Ralph's humble grade of Space TAR.
Marrige with Josephine is now out of the question for Sir Joseph- she being the daughter of a simple space TAR, so ralph and Josephine are now betrothed. The captain and Little Buttercup, now of equal rank, find favour with each other and Sir Joseph Porter resigns himself to marrying his cousin Hebe.