The Pirates Of
- In
the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess Michael Of
Louise Gold appeared as Isabel, one of Major General
Stanley's daughter's, at
Perhaps one of the most amazing things about this production
was the cast, some of whom were already names, and many of whom went on to
become better known. In addition the band of Noblemen-turned-Pirates included
among their number a real nobleman.
Cast
The Pirate King - Tim Curry
Samuel, His Lieutenant - Sylvester McCoy
Frederic - Michael Praed
Ruth, A Pirate Maid - Annie Ross
Major-General
Edith - Karen Lancaster
Kate - Bonnie Langford
Isabel - Louise Gold
Mabel - Pamela Stephenson
Major-General Stanley - George Cole
The Sergeant - Chris Langham
Pirates and Police:
Timothy Bentinck, Graham Bickley, Keith
Binns, Peppi Borza, Ken Caswll, Mark Davis, Kevin
Feighery, Alan Forrester, Andrew Golder, David Hampshire,
Paul Hegarty, Simon Howe, Paul Leonard, Clive Packham,
& Kevin A. J. Ranson
Back-up Singers:
Neil Braithwaite Christina Collier, John
Denton, Michael Lessiter, Bill Snape & David
Wheldon-Williams
Uncredited Back-Up
Singers
Anita Pashley, &, Sarah
Shipton
Production Team
Producer - Joseph Papp
Presented by - Michael White
Lyrics/Libretti - William S Gilbert
Music - Sir Arthur Sullivan
Original Productions – 30 December 1879 at The
Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, with Miss Kate Neville as Isabel, and
then, 31 December 1879, at The 5th Avenue Theatre, New York,
with Miss Billie Barlow as Isabel.
Director - Wilford Leach
Musical Arranger - William Elliott
Choreography - Graciela Daniele
Scenery by - Bob Shaw & Wilford
Leach
Costumes by - Patricia McGourty
Lighting by - Jennifer Tipton
Sound by - Don Ketteler
Musical Director (uncredited in programme) - Martin
Koch
Associate Producer (
Running Order
Trumpters of the
The National Anthem
Mr. Robert Morely
The Pirates Of
The entire cast went on to appear in The Pirates Of Penzance when it
opened officially at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 26th May
1982,
Robert Morely had previously
acted in the film The Great Muppet Caper.
A year earlier in the film Dark Crystal,
Robert Morely’s face is supposed to have been the model for the face
of one of the Skekises. Ironically
enough the Gourmand Skeksis, whose principal puppeteer was acting in this Gala
Preview, as one of the Major General’s daughters.
Amusingly, given that at the end of the Operetta The
Pirates get let-off because they are noblemen, in this production Louise
Gold found herself waltzing around the stage with a real nobleman, namely Timothy
Charles Robert Noel Bentinck, who went on to inherit the title of 12th
Earl Of Portland, Tim also went on to play David Archer in the BBC Radio
4 soap The Archer's .
Louise Gold, Timothy Bentinck,
Peppi Borza, David Hampshire, and Simon Howe had
previously appeared in the Papp film version of The Pirates Of Penzance.
In the film of The Pirates Of Penzance, Louise
Gold played the role of Edith. The only one of the three girls whom Louise
Gold has not played is Kate, interestingly in the second ever production of
The Pirates Of Penzance, at The 5th Avenue Theatre
in New York, that role was played by Miss Rosina Brandram, whom Louise
Gold would later portray in the film Topsy Turvy.
Most of the cast took part, largely as The
Pirates Of Penzance cast, in the 1982 Royal Variety Performance,
which that year was actually at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
It
is perhaps worth noting that Theatre Royal Drury Lane has witnessed many
historical occurrences, in particular connected with royalty, including
assassination attempts on two of the King George’s
Many of the cast stand out in their contribution to
theatre, and a surprising number of them either had worked together before, or
would later be reunited. For example:
Chris Langham had been both a
script-writer and a Guest Star on The Muppet Show, so he already
knew Louise Gold in her puppeteer guise. Chris Langham’s writing
credits with the Muppets include: Muppet
Show Music Album, and The
Muppets Go To The Movies.
Louise Gold and Chris Langham
had previously appeared in “a burlesque show with some of the
Muppet-company”, and on the documentary Of Muppets And Men.
Anita Pashley and Bonnie Langford had previously appeared together in the original
company of Cats, immediately prior to their appearing in The
Pirates Of Penzance.
Tim Curry later starred as another Pirate, Long John
Silver, in the film Muppet Treasure Island,
which of course Louise Gold puppeteered on. .
Louise Gold and Pamela Stephenson
went on to do voices for Spitting Image, on
which Louise Gold was also Leading Puppeteer, and for which Chris
Langham did some writing.
Louise Gold, Anita Pashley and Kevin A. J. Ranson, later worked together
on Anything Goes.
Sylvester McCoy went on to appear on many
Children's TV programmes including: Jigsaw,
Louise Gold continued her association
with the work of Gilbert and Sullivan appearing in the stage show The Metropolitan Mikado and the film Topsy Turvy.
Graham Bickley’s recording credits
include The Best Of Broadway Musicals , Encore The Very Best From The
Musicals , Great Duets From The
Musicals , Cole Porter - Night And
Day, The Great Musicals - Wonderful Tales,
and, The Great Musicals – Glamour And Majesty.
Bonnie Langford went on to appear in Broadway To Brighton.
Louise Gold
has gone on to appear on stage in another G&S operetta, The Gondoliers, in 2003.
Paul Leonard
and Louise Gold have gone on to appear in The Water Babies, and, Final Chic Cabaret 2003.
Louise Gold and Sylvester McCoy
have gone on to appear in Noises Off.
Graham Bickley, and, Mike Holoway’s
recording credits include Simply Musicals,
and, The Great Musicals – Dashing
Heroes, Blushing Maidens.
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