The Pirates of Penzance

On Saturday afternoon, I had the pleasure of filling in for my NODA ‘Buddy’ Michael Avery and travelled to the beautiful Queens Hall, Hexham to watch Hexham ASS in their production of the Pirates of Penzance.

Firstly, what a beautiful and historic town Hexham is. For anyone who hasn’t been there, you don’t know what you are missing. It is well worth the trip.

It is lovely making new friends and I’m sure my companion Pauleen would agree, we surely did on Saturday. Their welcome and hospitality was first class.

Being an ‘old hand’ at the Pirates’, it was interesting to me that this was not the original script, but an updated version by member Steve Mobbs, giving it a local twist and humorously sub-titled ‘The Workie Tickets of Whitley Bay’. Congratulations to the HASS Board and Committee for their choice of show. Gilbert and Sullivan unfortunately and sadly, seems to be a dying art.

Before curtain up, the set was built by the crew before our very eyes; rocky outcrops and rivulets abounded… but no fountains… a nice little touch which was well received – especially the drunken lady  being shown off the prom… lol.

A very colourful and ‘punkish’ pirates chorus, shortly thereafter arrived and lustily sang the opening chorus. Led by a PIRATE KING like no other… with his long curly locks and tight leather trousers and boots. No sign of a tricorn hat anywhere. Well done Bemjamin Vincze on a fine, convincing performance. He and SAMANTHA (not Samuel) – Julie Robson, introduced us to the story where our handsome hero FREDERIC – Ben Boulton Baker; a young man of 21 had been mistakenly apprenticed to a group of pirates by his hard of hearing nursery maid RUTH – Lizzi Freeman-Bradley, who thought she was starting a career for him as a pilot… doh!!!. This being his 21st birthday, and therefore out of his indentures, he intends to leave the merry band and marry beautiful MABEL – Rachel Dodd. However, because of his date of birth (29th February – leap year) and the fact that his indentures specify his 21st BIRTHDAY, he will still be a pirate until he is about 84 !!. A curious paradox, which because of his ‘sense of duty’ he cannot make the better of. Cue chaos and hilarity. Bumbling MAJOR GENERAL STANLEY – Richard Dodd and a heroic SERGEANT OF POLICE – Mike Hunter, manage to bring this tale to a happy climax with excellent support from Deborah Bell as KATE, Amber McMahon as ISABEL and Gill Hall as EDITH.

Director Mari Watson and MD Robert Laws can be proud of their efforts, which paid off in a lovely production full of colour and great music. The well-lit set was simple but extremely affective under the watch of Jeff Martin and his crew. The innovative and very apt costumes from Lizzi Freeman-Bradley and Dress Circle Entertainment were beautiful. The principals and ensemble all played their parts well and were nicely focussed throughout. The small, but very effective band of seven musicians delivered the score excellently; albeit a little slow (for me) in parts. However, all in all, a tremendous production which the whole HASS Team can be proud of.

Thank you for the invitation and the hospitality. My companion Pauleen and I enjoyed our first HASS show very much.

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