IF YOU are out and about in Meltham next week watch out for a band of marauding pirates.
They’ll be coming ashore at the church hall to share their story of The Pirates Of Penzance. Meltham Parish Church Gilbert and Sullivan Society stage this much-loved piece of G and S from Tuesday to Saturday with performances each evening at 7.30pm plus a Saturday matinee at 2.15pm.
The company is delighted that Anna Trent has joined the society and makes her debut with them playing the show’s leading female role of Mabel. Anna, an accomplished soprano, sang with Huddersfield Gilbert and Sullivan Society at the Lawrence Batley Theatre earlier this year when it offered twin portions of Trial By Jury and HMS Pinafore. Not surprisingly, the Meltham company is delighted that the pirates have snatched her to join their gang next week.
More familiar names to Meltham audiences are scattered throughout the cast. Paul Richmond plays Frederic, the pirate apprentice, while Gerald Tinson gets to swash and buckle as the Pirate King. Rene Bradley plays Ruth while Bill Flanagan is the sergeant of police.
As for Meltham stalwart Denis Armstrong, he gets the rank of Major General - plus four not very easy to control daughters! It’s a promotion for Denis from his 1972 outing with the Meltham society in the same show when he played the sergeant of police.
Helen Bamforth, who directs next week’s show, was in that earlier production too as were Michael Kaye and David Earnshaw who are both in the chorus of this latest version and getting the best of both worlds playing both pirates and policemen.
John Schofield is the musical director of Pirates and tickets are available from Hutson’s Newsagents in Meltham, from Mrs M Mellor, on 01484 349037 or from Michael Kaye on 01484 349420.
