The Pirates of Penzance at Gibside National Trust

Frederick, accidentally apprenticed to Pirates as a child, is indentured to the Pirate King until his 21st birthday.

On the day he reaches 21 he leaves the ship, announcing that he now intends to dedicate his life to the Pirates destruction.

The Pirate King checks the contracts small print and realises that as Fredericks birthday is 29th February on a leap year he has only had four birthdays and is actually indentured for another 63 years.

With only the Penzance constabulary to protect him, will Frederick be forced to serve the pirates until he is 84? And will his sweetheart, Mabel, wait for him that long? Performed by a six-strong cast of actor/singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment,The Pirates of Penzance boasts such gloriously memorable songs as To be a Pirate King!; Modern Major General and A Policeman's Lot is Not a Happy One.

With razor sharp satire and glittering wit, it remains as fresh as if it had been written today.