The Pirates of Penzance

Returning for 2025 – ten years after it first debuted at the London Coliseum – here’s a fresh chance to catch noted Gilbert & Sullivan head Mike Leigh’s 2015 ENO production of the duo’s beloved light operetta The Pirates of Penzance. Although legendary for his devised films and plays, that’s obviously not a quality Leigh brought to bear on his take on the 1879 classic, and it’s actually a pretty trad production. But that’s no bad thing at all for this delightful, family-friendly show about a kind-hearted apprentice pirate intent on wooing the daughter of the inept Major General. Suitable for ages five-plus.