Outdoor theatre at Killerton

Gilbert & Sullivan's timeless comic opera.

Welcome on board HMS Pinafore, flagship of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy – the perfect place to mock such stalwart institutions as Government, Patriotism and even the Great British Class system! No wonder Queen Victoria made her most famous utterance about the original production in 1878: “We are NOT amused!”

Josephine, the captain’s daughter, is in love with Ralph, a common sailor. But her social-climbing father insists that she is to marry Sir Joseph Porter, First Lord of the Admiralty – whose roving eye has already noticed her. The young lovers are caught as they elope from the ship and Ralph is locked in the ship’s dungeon. Can revelations made by Buttercup, the dockside vendor, enable everyone to marry their true hearts’ loves?

Full to the gunwales with sharp dialogue and catchy tunes, this timeless comic opera is performed outdoors by a cast of six outstanding performers from the world of musical theatre, on a spectacular nautical set and using Sir Arthur Sullivan’s full score. Performed by award-winning Illyria in the great outdoors. Illyria supports the Equity union’s Charter for Outdoor Theatre.

Running time: 120-minutes (approximately), including a 20-minute interval. Suitable for all ages. This is an outdoor production, so please bring a chair or blanket to sit on, a picnic to dig into, and dress for the weather! Under-3s go free.