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Pirates of Penzance
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Feb 11, 2010 - 7:53:10 AM

Staff and Pupils combine talents for Warminster School’s ‘Pirates of Penzance’

‘It’ll be alright on the night’ must have been muttered under many a breath as the rehearsal schedule for Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance staggered in the teeth of winter snow storms. No less than two weeks of planned rehearsals were cancelled because of the weather and everyone involved had to work doubly hard to make up for the lost time.

But in the end it certainly was more than ‘alright on the night’. Warminster School, ever ambitious in its productions, put on a sparkling and hilarious rendition of this enduringly popular operetta at the Athenaeum Theatre. This year, Brian Martineau, Director of Music at Warminster School, took a refreshingly inclusive approach by casting teaching staff as well as pupils in both leading and chorus roles.

‘Pirates’ is a wonderfully silly story whose young hero, Frederic (winningly played by Jacob Cooper), is apprenticed in error to a gang of pirates but finds eventual respectability for himself and his fellow brigands through his love for Mabel, the daughter of a polymathic military man.

The wit and tunefulness of Gilbert and Sullivan’s hit brought out the comic and musical talents of Warminster School in abundance. The pirates, a motley crew of very varying ages, were led by the Pirate King, played with bumbling charm by Mr Matthew Stanway of the Music Department. Ruth, Frederic’s nurse, who appeared to have ‘gone native’ since joining the pirates and applied her mop and cutlass with equal gusto, was played by Mrs Susie Parrack, usually to be found teaching English in Weymouth House.

On the side of respectability were the numerous, beauteous ‘daughters of the Major General’ and their fascinatingly attired governesses. Mabel (Sofia Tindall-Guignard) with her sisters and governesses beguiled us with feminine charm and their skilful - at times seriously operatic - singing. Sofia currently studies at the Royal Welsh College Saturday school and has ambitions to be a professional singer. Evidence from ‘Pirates of Penzance’ is that she will not only be a professional singer, but will undoubtedly have a glittering future.

Finally, the real show-stealers, were the Policemen who are called in to ‘deal’ with the pirates in Act II. The constables brought the house down with their unsynchronised drill and undisguised reluctance to ‘go to death and go to slaughter’. Jack Cooper, Jasper Eeles, Ryan West, Tom Davenport and Blair Collins-Thomas all deserve special mention for their performance. The sixth policeman, having particular difficulty with his drill, was barely recognisable as Mr Jono Bonnell, teacher, Housemaster ……and retired army officer.

Brian Martineau paid tribute to all the cast, teachers and technical staff who gave so much of their time in getting the show ready in time. ‘Of all the shows we have produced in the last decade at Warminster School, none has come close in terms of melodies that stick in your head… and refuse to leave. The cast picked up the songs and harmonies incredibly quickly and have remembered them from week to week during the rehearsal process. Everyone has had the most tremendous fun!’