Back to sea again as Dore G&S sets sail with HMS Pinafore revival

Dore Gilbert & Sullivan Society perform HMS Pinafore in 1972

With its crazy singing sailors, its chorus of sisters cousins and aunts and a comic plot twist that defies credibility, Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore has been a box office hit since the day it first dropped anchor in 1878.

In fact, for its original Victorian audience it was as big a smash as any of today’s West End shows and actually held the record as the second-longest run of any show of the era.

Since those heady days, the nautical comedy with its sly digs at class and privilege has sailed on to become a staple of the amateur theatre circuit.

For Sheffield’s Dore Gilbert and Sullivan Society, HMS Pinafore was the group’s first ever production back in 1972, making a return in 2002 and then again in 2011.

Now the society is entering its 51st year with a fresh interpretation of the show directed by Graham Weston, with musical direction by Martin Yates, which comes to Sheffield’s Montgomery Theatre from April 26 to 29.

And with its comic story of maritime mistaken identities and ship board romance - complete with an incompetent First Lord of the Admiralty and that host of visiting sisters, cousins and aunts - it promises to be a colourful revival of a classic favourite.

In the meantime, here are some pictures from those three previous productions, featuring some familiar Dore G&S faces and some cast members who have long since moved on. How many do you recognise?

For tickets to the new production call 07565 805405, visit doregass.weebly.com or email [email protected] Tickets are not available direct from the Montgomery Theatre.