New Pirates! Musical to open in UK in 2019

140 years after The Pirates of Penzance was first performed, perhaps the most famous comic opera ever written in English is being reimagined by Daryl Gray as a danced-through musical, with new arrangements and orchestrations by Grammy Award-winner Steve Sidwell.

Set on the Cornish coast, Frederic, a pirate apprentice has turned 21 and reminds the pirate king that his apprenticeship is over and, at noon, he will no longer be under obligation to the pirates. On the same day, he meets and falls in love with Mabel, the youngest daughter of Major-General Stanley, the enemy of the pirates. To add to Frederic’s woes, he learns that, because he was born on 29 February during a leap year, he has, in fact, only served five of his birthdays and so is still under contract to the pirates. After various hilarious mishaps and battles, Frederic wins Mabel, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Daryl Gray began his career as an actor and dancer. On Broadway, he appeared in Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ and was a soloist in On Your Toes. He also appeared with Maurice Béjart and as a guest artist with numerous dance companies both in the US and around the world. As well as directing and choreographing for musical theatre, he has created original works for the concert stage, including for Joffrey, Brooklyn Academy of Music and American Ballet Theater Workshop. His choreography has also been featured by the NY City Opera, Live From Lincoln Center PBS TV, Béjart Ballet of the 20th Century, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal and Batsheva Dance Company of Israel, amongst others.

PIRATES! will be directed and choreographed by Daryl Gray and designed by Morgan Large, with lighting by Ben Cracknell, sound by Terry Jardine and Luke Swaffield for Autograph Sound, orchestrations & arrangements by Steve Sidwell and casting by Gabrielle Dawes, CDG.

PIRATES! will be produced in the UK by Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman and New Level Productions, with Julian Stoneman as Executive Producer, for and on behalf of Pirates! Musical UK Limited.

Two-time Tony Award-winners Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman have produced over 50 plays and musicals since forming their producing partnership in 2005. Their upcoming shows include Magic Mike Live in London and Broadway shows American Son starring Kerry Washington and Tootsie. Their current productions include Carousel on Broadway. Past Broadway shows include Present Laughter starring Kevin Kline, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 starring Josh Groban, Pippin (Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League Award), Clybourne Park (Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award for Best Play), Nice Work If You Can Get It and I Am Harvey Milk starring Kristen Chenoweth. In London, past productions include The Scottsboro Boys (Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical, Evening Standard Award for Best Musical), By Jeeves and My Trip Down The Pink Carpet.