A bevy of beauties, blue-blooded Blackbeards, bumbling bobbies, a bound apprentice and a Modern-Major General all run rampant across the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse stage in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. The award-winning comic operetta plays three weeks only from Oct. 7 to Oct. 25.
“The Pirates of Penzance is a fast-paced production full of fun comedy, dazzling dance numbers, and outstanding music – it’ll leave you singing and laughing your way out of the theatre,” said Alex Mustakas, artistic director of Drayton Entertainment.
Set on the coast of Cornwall, The Pirates of Penzance tells the topsy-turvy tale of young Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to the sympathetic pirates until his 21st birthday, due to an error made by his hard-of-hearing nursery maid. When he grows up and falls in love with Mabel, a local maiden, he renounces his pirate heritage and swears to rid England of the scourge of bad guys, thus setting in motion a hilarious tale with outrageous twists.
Mustakas, who handles directing duties, will also appear as the bold and brash Pirate King, officials state. Mustakas played the notorious Pirate King in the Drayton Festival Theatre’s inaugural 1991 season.
David Connolly will support Mustakas as the assistant director and choreographer for the production, with Steve Thomas as the music director. They are joined by set designer Jean-Claude Olivier, costume coordinator Jessica Bray, and lighting designer Simon Day,
In addition to Mustakas, the cast includes Jamie McKnight as the dutiful pirate apprentice Frederic. McKnight’s tenor voice and penchant for silly comedy make him an excellent fit for the role. Audiences may remember him as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Prince Herbert in Monty Python’s Spamalot, and Prince Justin in Snow White: The Panto. Budding Canadian soprano Suzanne Rigden makes her Drayton Entertainment debut as Mabel, the dazzling damsel who captures the heart of young Frederic. Rigden is rapidly gaining recognition in the classical music world and was recently named one of CBC’s Hot 30 under 30.
Audience favourite Rebecca Poff takes on the role of Ruth, the befuddled nursemaid who mistakenly makes Frederic an apprentice to the pirates. Poff has appeared in numerous Drayton Entertainment productions over the years.
Veteran actor David Talbot is the daffy Major-General Stanley, who will do just about anything to persuade the pirates not to kidnap his daughters. Talbot is an accomplished actor, having appeared in countless stage productions across Canada as well as in several TV shows and films including Murdoch Mysteries, Covert Affairs, The Firm, Flashpoint and more.
Eddie Glen plays the goofy Sergeant of Police. Audiences may recognize Glen from his roles in Monty Python’s Spamalot, The Last Resort, and as Monsieur Thenardier from last season’s Les Misérables. Nick Settimi, who portayed the Lion in The Wizard of Oz, Patsy in Monty Python’s Spamalot and Willard in Footloose, will take on the role of Samuel, the Pirate King’s sidekick.
The Major-General’s daughters are played by Jayme Armstrong as Edith, Mairi Babb as Kate, Heather McGuigan as Isabel, along with Ashley Arnett, Judy Kovacs and Sarah Matton.
The cast also includesSam DiGiuseppe, Dani Jazzar, Galen Johnson, Andrew McAllister, Nicholas Nesbitt, Gregory Pember and Christopher Wilson.
Regular tickets are $42 for adults and $25 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets can be purchased at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, online at www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com or by calling (519) 747-7788 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
