What's On Guide - 2019

Opera House, Buxton 24th - 29th july 2019 THE ROYAL HALL, HARROGATE 7TH - 18TH AUGUST 2019

WHAT’s on guide

box office: 01422 323 252 w w w.g s f e s t i va l s .o r g

2019

Who are Theatrical Adventures?

They are exactly the same people who organise the annual G&S festival and run the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company. In a former life Ian, Janet and Neil Smith were all heavily involved in the travel industry organising massive conferences around the world. When G and S enthusiasts suggested they organise a cruise up the Nile some seven years ago they jumped at the opportunity and went on to establish a company which specialises in Gilbert and Sullivan and Operetta cruises up the rivers of Europe and beyond. Any surpluses from the cruises are ploughed back into supporting the Festival.

And they have received some rave reviews for their efforts.

The perfect mix of accommodation, food, and friendliness for single passengers, all topped with that wonderful onboard orchestra and singers.

This was simply the best holiday I have ever been on. I shall never forget your musicians and singers. The whole thing was a marvellous experience.

This is the most brilliant musical river cruise. The singers and orchestra are wonderful. The atmosphere is quite magical, drifting down the Rhine with beautiful music, great food and super company.

If you like river cruising you will love Theatrical Adventures - and one or other of the Smiths is always on hand to make sure you enjoy it!

You can read about this year's cruises up the Nile in Egypt in February, the Danube in March and the Douro in Portugal and the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest in November in this guide.

We would love you to join us!

WELCOME

TO THE FESTIVAL

Following two or three years of speculation about the future of our Festival, supporters will be delighted to read our news that a new three year agreement has been signed with Harrogate International Centre.

Dates are also being finalised with Buxton Opera House which will also please those people living in that part of the world.

w It was good that Harrogate in particular welcomed the new agreement. New Convention Centre director Paula Lorimer wrote: “What fabulous news for our local businesses. During August the festival will be filling our hotels and restaurants with visitors from around the world.”

Now it is up to our global G&S audience to demonsgtrate their continued support and justify the confidence we have in the future of this unique event.

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8 REASONS WHY WE LOVE THE

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We meet fantastic people from all over the world who share a passion for Gilbert & Sullivan. And what a friendly bunch they are.

It is impossible to feel alone or lonely at a G&S Festival – there’s just too much going on and too many people to sit and chat with.

Long-standing friendships and even marriages have happened as a result of that first discussion about a show just seen….

You can see just about every opera Gilbert & Sullivan wrote at the Festival – or usually most of them. And that includes rarely performed productions such as Haddon Hall, Utopia Ltd and The Grand Duke. It’s a wonderful way to really get to know Sullivan’s music and Gilbert’s laser-sharp wit.

You can perform at the Festival from 9 years of age to over 90! There is an opportunity for everyone. The Festival Youth Production is open to anyone between 9 and 19 years. The UNIFest competition caters for students. The competing societies take care of those in-between years and the magnificent Bus Pass Opera gives people 60 years and above the chance to “tread the boards” again in The Royal Hall.

You can see or hear “something G&S” from 9.30 every morning until the early hours the following morning when the Festival Club goers are finally shooed out of the doors by security staff!

GILBERT & SULLIVAN FESTIVAL

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The National Festival Orchestra, led by Sally Robinson has played at every Festival since the very first in 1994. Their players are, without doubt, an amazingly talented bunch of individuals who play morning, noon and night with such aplomb. Simply the finest G&S band you will find.

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There is a great sense of “family” at the Festival and it’s very usual to be sitting at a table in the Festival Club with one or another of the “stars” of the professional National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company.

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The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company is the Festival’s own, professional company and every year performs a minimum of four brand new productions.

No other professional Opera Company anywhere in the world presents a season including four brand new G&S productions.

A versatile and hugely talented group of professionals “hit the road” after the Festival and go on tour around the UK. What an achievement.

It’s all done without any public funding whatsoever……… and there aren’t many opera festivals and indeed opera companies in the UK who can say that!!

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BUXTON Not since the glory days of the original D’Oyly Carte Opera Company has any other opera company – attempted to produce four brand new productions in one season.

That is the excitement of our National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company who bring probably the four best loved G&S operas to Buxton this season. The Mikado. The Pirates of Penzance. The Gondoliers and The Yeomen of the Guard.

With a fantastic cast; fabulous costumes and a new approach to scenery. This promises to be one of the most exciting seasons in our 26 year history.

And in addition we have a “fringe” programme in the Pavilion Gardens complex and late night Festival Club and Cabaret.

It is going to be just like old times in Buxton from July 24th to 29th. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

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Buxton BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

DIARY OF PERFORMANCE

WEDNESDAY JULY 24 2.30pm Buxton Opera House THE MIKADO 7.30pm Buxton Opera House THE MIKADO

National G&S Opera Company National G&S Opera Company

THURSDAY JULY 25 10.30am Pavilion Gardens Festival Director Ian Smith discusses the ups and downs of a Gilbert & Sullivan Festival organiser 1.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Cinema Yeomen Of The Guard (FILM) from 1994 festival former D’Oyly Carte Stars National G&S Opera Company 7.30pm Buxton Opera House THE GONDOLIERS National G&S Opera Company

FRIDAY JULY 26 10.30am Pavilion Gardens In Conversation with Simon Butteriss 2.30pm Pavilion Gardens Matt Siveter Entertains 7.30pm Buxton Opera House PRINCESS IDA TRENT OPERA

SATURDAY JULY 28 Pavilion Gardens 10.30am Martin Yates “Sullivan’s Light of the World”.

12.30am Charity Walk - Pavilion Gardens 2.30pm Buxton Opera House THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD National G&S Opera Company 7.30pm Buxton Opera House HMS PINAFORE Charles Court Opera

SUNDAY JULY 28 10.30am Church Service, St. John’s Buxton 2.30pm Buxton Opera House THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE National G&S Opera Company 7.30pm Buxton Opera House THE GONDOLIERS National G&S Opera Company

MONDAY JULY 29 10.30am Pavilion Gardens In Conversation with Bruce Graham 1.30pm Pavilion Arts Centre Cinema 2018 Iolanthe (FILM) National G&S Opera Company 7.30pm Buxton Opera House THE MIKADO National G&S Opera Company

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GOESWithUPourTHE DANUBE own orchestra MArch 14-21, 2020

The magical, musical, majestic Danube will host our Spring 2020 Theatrical Adventure – complete with our own on-board 16-piece orchestra and internationally recognised soloists including Donald Maxwell and Richard Suart.

There is something for everyone on-board MS Ariana, one of the most modern cruise ships on the Danube.

Good food, good company, outstanding entertainment and a journey across part of Europe full of history, and unforgettable scenery. This will be a true Theatrical Adventure.

Full information from -

Oliver: 01422 323 252 Oliver@gsfestivals.org PRE AND POST CRUISE PACKAGES

We are offering two night pre and post cruise packages in the four-star Mercure Grand Hotel Bredermeier.

Our Harrogate Programme is colour coded...

Royal Hall

Utopia Pavilion

Utopia Theatre

Other

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diary of PERFORMANCEs

HARROGATE

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 07 1.30pm UTOPIA PAVILION OPENS 2.30pm BRAINSTORM; REJUVINATING AMATEUR G&S 2.30pm THE GONDOLIERS NGSOC 7.30pm THE GONDOLIERS NGSOC THURSDAY AUGUST 08 10.30am STEPHEN TURNBULL DISCUSS THE MIKADO AND PIRATES 2.30pm THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD Hull University 7.30pm PATIENCE Forbear! Theatre FRIDAY AUGUST 09 10.30am IN CONVERSTATION: Bruce Graham 2.30pm RUDDIGORE Birmingham University 7.30pm IOLANTHE New London Opera Group SATURDAY AUGUST 10 10.00am - 5.00pm MEMORABILIA FAIR 10.30am PLANNING A FESTIVAL + BACKSTAGE TOUR Ian Smith 2.30pm THE SORCERER Royal Holloway University 2.30PM THE MIKADO NGSOC 2.30PM THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE NGSOC SUNDAY AUGUST 11 10.30am ANNUAL GILBERT AND SULLIVAN CHURCH SERVICE 2.30pm IOLANTHE Durham Opera Ensemble 2.30pm THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE NGSOC 7.30pm THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD NGSOC MONDAY AUGUST 12 10.30am SULLIVAN’S “LIGHT OF THE WORLD” Ian Bradley 2.30pm RUDDIGORE Kings College London University 7.30pm THE SORCERER Peak Opera

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HARROGATE

PERFORMANCEs August 13 -18

TUESDAY AUGUST 13 10.30am WHAT G&S WOMEN CAN TEACH US Adriane Berg 2.30pm THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE York University 7.30pm TRIAL BY JURY & HMS PINAFORE Bus Pass Opera WEDNESDAY AUGUST 14 10.30am TRIP TO MODEL VILLAGE OF SALTAIRE 10.30am STEPHEN TURNBULL DISCUSSES GONDOLIERS AND YEOMEN 2.30pm “UNBREAKABLE BOND” Catrine Kirkman 2.30pm THE MIKADO NGSOC 7.30pm THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD NGSOC THURSDAY AUGUST 15 10.30am D’OYLE CARTE “INSIDE AND OUT” Roberta Morrell 2.30pm IOLANTHE Oxford G&S Society 7.30pm PRINCESS IDA SavoyNet Performing Group FRIDAY AUGUST 16 10.30am COACH TRIP TO RIPON 10.30am NICHOLAS SALES BENEFIT CONCERT 2.30pm TRIAL BY JURY & THE ZOO LOPSoc, Southampton Uni 2.30pm H.M.S PINAFORE Charles Court Opera 6.00pm JEWISH SABBATH SERVICE 7.30pm RUDDIGORE Charles Court Opera SATURDAY AUGUST 17 10.30am PLANNING A FESTIVAL + BACKSTAGE TOUR Ian Smith 12.30pm SPONSORED WALK Valley Gardens 2.30pm THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Youth Production 2.30pm THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD NGSOC 7.30pm THE MIKADO NGSOC SUNDAY AUGUST 18 10.30am IN CONVERSTATION: Richard Gauntlett 12.45pm FESTVAL LUNCH CROWN HOTEL 5.15pm AWARDS CEREMONY 2.30pm THE GONDOLIERS NGSOC 7.30pm THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE NGSOC

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About the festival The Gilbert and Sullivan Festival was founded in 1994 and for the first 20 years was staged in Buxton Opera House in the Derbyshire Peak District. In 2014 the Festival moved to its new location in Harrogate.

The Festival is renowned for its friendly welcome and visitors return year after year to soak up its special atmosphere. This year's programme has been simplified to avoid overlaps and features: 10.30am G&S RELATED FRINGE PRESENTATIONS Utopia Pavilion 1:00pm FREE LUNCHTIME ENTERTAINMENT Utopia Pavilion 2:30pm MATINEE PERFORMANCES Utopia Theatre 1:50pm & 6:50pm 10 MINUTE INTRODUCTIONS TO THE ROYAL HALL MATINEE AND EVENING PERFORMANCES Utopia Pavilion 7:30pm PROFESSIONAL, SEMI-PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR PRODUCTIONS The Royal Hall 10:00pm FESTIVAL CLUB AND CABARET Utopia Pavilion Tickets for every single event at this year's festival are available from the Festival Box Office – 01422 323252 or online at www.gsfestivals.org or from the Tourist Information Centres in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon.

Whilst we anticipate that tickets will be available "on the door" for matinee and evening performances, we strongly recommend that you pre-book the programmes you are interested in as early as possible.

The Festival Shop, Information Desk and daytime Box Office is at the entry to the Utopia Pavilion and opens at 5pm on Wednesday August 7th. It is then open daily from 9:30am to the end of the evening interval.

If you need any assistance or have any queries please do not hesitate to call the Festival office on 01422 323 252 or email oliver@gsfestivals.org.

We are here to ensure you have a wonderful and happy time in Harrogate!

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Venues at the festival Crowne Plaza Majestic Hotel Premier Inn Utopia Pavilion Utopia Theatre

The Royal Hall

The picture (above) shows what a compact Festival we have. You can see just how easy it is to get around. You can walk from the Utopia Pavilion straight into the Royal Hall.

The Festival brings together a wonderful mix of leading performing groups who compete for the coveted Festival championship trophy. There are also professional performances from the outstanding National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, Charles Court Opera and Forbear! Theatre.

Adjoining the Royal Hall on one side is a veritable Gilbert and Sullivan wonderland called the "Utopia Pavilion." This is the place where everyone can meet from early morning until the early hours. There is a wide range of catering facilities; a bar; G&S shop; Film shows; free lunchtime entertainment and every evening after the curtain falls the Festival club comes to life here, with singing and entertainment.

The Utopia Pavilion is also the venue for our morning fringe activities which will include some interesting and original presentations.

And next door to the Utopia Pavilion is our specially built Utopia Theatre. This is the venue for all our matinee performances including the UNIFest competition featuring leading British universities performing a fully staged Gilbert and Sullivan opera.

With Harrogate's major hotels only minutes away by foot you can see why this is such an ideal venue for such a special Festival.

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VENUES AT THE FESTIVAL

INFORMATION DESK & Box Office

Scenes from Ruddigore provide a striking entrance to our Utopia Pavilion. Throughout the Festival you can book tickets for any Festival event from our Box Office Information Desk which is situated here. It will be open from 9:30am until the end of the evening interval. You can book tickets before the Festival opens at www.gsfestivals.org; or by phone on 01422 323252.

THE ROYAL HALL This magnificent thousand seat Edwardian theatre certainly has the "wow" factor and is the U.K.'s only surviving Kursaal. The Box Office at the entrance to the Royal Hall is open between 6.30pm and 7.40pm each day of the Festival and from 1:30pm 2:30pm for Saturday and Sunday matinees. During the daytime you can book or collect tickets from the Information Desk at the entry to the Utopia Pavilion next door.

UTOPIA Theatre Venue for all our fringe matinees. You can book for any of these shows at our box office - 01422 323252 or via the festival website www.gsfestivals.org

UTOPIA PAVILION Here we have our own Festival private bar, restaurant, cafe, cabaret club and shopping area. It is located immediately to the left hand side of the Royal Hall. You can enter through the front doors or directly from the Royal Hall. This is the place to be from 9:30am every morning until the early hours of the next day.

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THE ROYAL HALL

DRESS CIRCLE Rows A - H GRAND CIRCLE Rows A - J

GRAND HALL (Raised) Rows F - N

GRAND HALL (Flat) Rows A - E Here is the magnificently restored Royal Hall and from the inset you can see how we bring in our special tiered seating to add a new dimension and wonderful views for people seated in the back eight rows of the Grand Hall.

MORE TIERED SEATING IN THE STALLS

Yes, we will be raising the roof and the stalls again in the Harrogate Royal Hall this summer. We will be raising the roof with some fantastic performances – and we are raising the stalls with eight rows of our familiar tiered seating which have proved so successful. The illustration below shows rows A-E on the flat and then the staggered tiered seats from rows F-N.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

J

K

L

M

N

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Gilbert & Sullivan Festivals Present

The Magic Of Vienna New Year Concert Featuring

OWEN LUCAS (tenor) NATALIE MONTAKHAB (SOPRANO) JOHN SAVOURNIN (BARITONE) AND THE KIRSTY MARSHALL SCHOOL OF DANCE

Featuring the Festival Strauss Orchestra

Conductor AIDAN FAUGHEY

THE ROYAL HALL

Harrogate

Saturday January 4th BOOK NOW

WWW.GSFESTIVALS.ORG 01422 323252

THE UTOPIA PAVILION PAVILION THEATRE

Late night Cabaret Club performers; lunchtime entertainment; evening dining; memorabilia bargain hunters. Just a few of the scenes and sounds in last year’s Utopia Pavilion.

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OPERA COMPANY TO STAGE FOUR BRAND NEW PRODUCTIONS The National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company is very special for a number of reasons. It presents generally “traditional” productions, confirming that Gilbert’s original concepts and humour can be as successful performed today as they were 140 years ago.

Its chorus is drawn largely from the major music colleges, universities and conservatoires and offers young talented actors and musicians a first step on the ladder of their professional career; and it features specialist G&S performers in many of the leading roles.

Gilbert and Sullivan demands directors and conductors who understand the operas. This year we are fortunate to have Richard Gauntlett, John Savournin and Andrew Nicklin directing the shows and Timothy Burke and Andrew Nicklin sharing conducting duties in the pit.

Timothy is making his debut with the company. He is an exciting talent amongst the younger generation of conductors, gaining a reputation for expressive and vivid interpretations across a wide range of repertoire. He learned violin and piano from an early age, sang as a Choral Scholar at HM Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, and read Music at Exeter College, Oxford, before training as a repetiteur at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and winning the Sir Henry Richardson Scholarship to study at the National Opera Studio.

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RICHARD GAUNTLETT

JOHN SAVOURNIN

ANDREW NICKLIN

TIMOTHY BURKE

BRUCE GRAHAM

NATALIE MONTAKHAB

He went on to join the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme in 2006, working as a repetiteur for Sir Colin Davis and Sir Charles Mackerras.

We also have the very talented and in-demand choreographer Mary MacDonagh returning from Ireland with some special dancing magic for the Gondoliers; and Jackie O’Brien who was so successful with the choreography of Haddon Hall last year looks after the movement in the other three shows.

The principal line-up includes many all-time festival favourites including of course Richard Gauntlett; Bruce Graham, Gaynor Keeble, Steven Page, Matthew Kellett, Matthew Siveter and Mae Heydorn. We welcome back Natalie Montakhab and Simon Butteriss and introduce you to an exciting new talent, Julia Smith.

Unfortunatlely, because of illness Richard Suart has had to withdraw as the Duke of Plaza Toro in The Gondoliers. We are delighted to welcome back Simon Butteriss to the role.

SIMON BUTTERISS

We hope you will be as pleased as we are with the quality and sound from the stage of each production.

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The utopiA Theatre Seating Plan

SPECIAL TIERED SEATING M

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ROYAL HALL SEATING PLAN DRESS CIRCLE 5 6

4 5 6 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2

1

3

11 12 13 14 15 16

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6

24” 18”

6”

GRAND HALL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

31 32 33 34 31 32 33 34 31 32 33 34 31 32 33 34 31 32 33 34 31 32 33 34 30 31 32 30 31 32

24”

STAIRS 18” 12” 6”

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

ORCHESTRA

BOX G BOX F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

E D C B A

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

8 31 32 33 34

FLAT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

7

BOX J BOX H

12”

6 5 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

RAISED

N M L K J H G F

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

STAIRS

4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

RAISED

D C B A

J H G F E D C B A

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

FLAT

G F E

17 14 15 16 11 12 13 8 9 10 17 14 15 16 11 12 13 10 9 8 16 17 13 14 15 12 11 8 9 10 17 14 15 16 11 12 13 8 9 10 15 16 17 14 13 11 12 8 9 10 17 14 15 16 11 12 13 8 9 10 16 17 13 14 15 12 11 8 9 10 14 15 16 11 12 13 7 8 9 10 16 14 15 13 12 11 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

BOX E

H

GRAND CIRCLE

2

BOX C BOX D

13 14 15 7 8 9 10 11 12

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 11 12 13 14 15 16 10 9 8 6 7 3 4 5 13 14 15 16 8 9 10 11 12 7 6 3 4 5 14 15 16 13 12 11 10 6 7 8 9 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 9 8 7 6 3 4 5 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 5 6 7 8 2 3 4

1

BOX A BOX B

7 8 9 10

STAGE EXITS

ACCESSIBLE SEATING

Book your tickets Online: www.gsfestivals.org Telephone: 01422 323 252

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FRIENDS Charity No. 1103178

We rely on the generosity of our friends and supporters to sustain the Festival and our work throughout the year.

Eighty five per cent of our income comes from ticket sales. Whilst this is an amazing achievement it also poses a significant risk. Five years ago our move to Harrogate saw our ticket sales drop. This was not a suprise but it highlighted the fact that we were beginning afresh

in a new location and it would take up to five years to get back to where we needed to be.

This meant we had to make up the difference from other sources primarily from increasing the membership of our Friends of the Gilbert and Sullivan Charilty which, over the years, has contributed more than £250,000 to support various youth initiatives.

You can join at one of four levels from as little as £35 to as much as you would care to donate.

You can pay by standing order or annual direct debit. There are many benefits - but equally important you are helping to preserve the legacy and ensure a future for Gilbert and Sullivan.

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Join now online at www.gsfestivals.org or at our “Friends of the Festival” desk in the Utopia Pavilion

FESTIVAL FRIEND

JOIN NOW

Single £35.00 Joint £50.00 Family £75.00 Student £25.00

Priority Draw for tickets and discount offers Pin Badge/s Free Member Activities during the Festival Acknowledgment of support in Festival Programme Regular newsletters

BENEFACTOR Single £100.00

Joint £150.00

ALL THE BENEFITS OF A FESTIVAL FRIEND plus...

Special Priority Draw for tickets and discount offers Invitation to the Chairman’s weekly Festival Reception in Harrogate Free Festival Souvenir programme Free Festival DVD of your choice (>£18.50) Pass for the Utopia Festival Club Festival “Goody bag” in Harrogate Regular newsletters

FESTIVAL PARTNER Single £350.00

Joint £500.00

ALL THE BENEFITS OF A BENEFACTOR plus...

Free ticket to Festival Youth Production 2 complimentary tickets to the show of your choice in The Savoy Theatre, Harrogate Select your specific seats in the Royal Hall throughout the G&S Festival Regular newsletters

LIFE MEMBER Single £1,000.00

Joint £1,500.00

ALL THE BENEFITS OF A BENEFACTOR

PATRON

MINIMUM ANNUAL DONATION £1,000 ALL THE BENEFITS OF A FESTIVAL PARTNER

All Friends together!

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Activities

Most National Opera Companies receive millions of pounds worth of funding from Government, Lottery, Trusts and Foundations. We get less than £20,000 a year and have to cover the rest through ticket sales and our own ingenuity and activities. Will you help us? Join our Friends Charity and help support our various Youth Initiatives. Or support some exciting new activities.

GIANT CASH BONANZA

Sign up today and win weekly cash prizes, annual jackpots and a range of non cash rewards including a cabin for two on our 2020 cruise up the River Douro in Portugal. This is just one way of your helping protect the long term future of our unique festival. For just £2 a week ( less than the cost of a cup of coffee) you have the chance to win one of 30 cash prizes drawn every week. Once a year there is a Mega Draw with a first prize of £10,000.

Members of the draw will also receive exclusive offers and discounts.

When you play you are making a real and lasting difference to the Gilbert & Sullivan Festival for years to come.

Find out more and sign up on our Great Cash Bonanza stand in the Utopia Pavilion in Harrogate or online at www.gsfestivals.org Good luck!

WALK FOR CHARITY

We have two sponsored 2km walks this summer. The first is in the Pavilion Gardens Buxton at 12.30pm on Saturday July 27th and the second at 12.30pm on Saturday August 17th from the entrance to the Utopia Pavilion in Harrogate. There is no time limit – we just ask that you complete the easy course which has been set by Harrogate’s famous walking guide.

What we do ask you to do is get friends, family and workmates to sponsor you. All money raised goes towards our various youth initiatives. You can download a sponsorship form from our website: www.gsfestivals.org

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Wednesday August 7th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

(A brief introduction to the show will be given in the Utopia Pavilion 45 minutes before each Royal Hall performance)

THE GONDOLIERS

The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company

7:30pm Royal Hall £25.00 - £42.50 We open the 26th International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival with one of the most joyous and colourful operas – The Gondoliers. And what better start could we have than matinee and evening productions by our own National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company.

Of course it is a love story. A story of mistaken identity. Two Gondoliers have just got married but are informed that one of them is the King of Barataria. But which one? Nobody knows so they have to go to Barataria and reign jointly. Their problems worsen when it is discovered that the King was married when a baby to the beautiful daughter of the Duke of Plaza-Toro and is thus identified as an unintentional bigamist! Don’t worry! In typical Gilbertian manner it all ends happily amid a cascade of sparkling music and dance.

We have a fabulous line-up of principals for the show and our chorus must be the envy of every Opera Company in Britain.

Many are fresh out of music college or university full of youthful talent, excitement and enthusiasm as they start out on their career. And what better start than with some wonderful Gilbert and Sullivan.

2:30PM Brainstorm! Halt the amateur G&S decline Utopia Pavilion FREE Representatives from amateur groups and universities are invited to discuss a strategy for the future of Gilbert & Sullivan.

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Tonight we have an all-American opening cabaret followed by a pot-luck show with the audience singing the chorus .

Thursday August 8th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.30am UTOPIA PAVILION £7.50 Introduction to “The Mikado” and “Pirates of Penzance” Stephen Turnbull, secretary of the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society is, as you would expect, a Sullivan expert and this morning he digs out of his treasure chest some fascinating background information to The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance including rare musical illustrations.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia Pavilion

2:30pm Hull University G&S Society The Yeomen of the Guard Utopia Theatre Unifest £15.00 2019 has seen the 50th Anniversary of Hull University Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and with that their first Production of ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’ since 1975. HUGSS have made several appearances at UNIFEST, It provides an opportunity to meet up with friends over the summer and prepare a show and has become a regular part of the yearly calendar.

“Yeomen has been a real joy to work on for everyone involved.

Everything about it, from the grandness of the music to the elaborateness of the plot, is bigger and bolder than any other of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas. This show leaves so much scope to delve deep between the lines of Gilbert’s writing and we’ve especially enjoyed exploring the relationship between the characters and the journeys they each take as individuals as the events at the tower unravel. With a lot of the cast having little experience of G&S before this show, we are extremely proud of how far the society has come this year. Pure grit and determination, and a real love for what we do, has gone into ‘Yeomen’ and we know that everyone involved will be loving every second they spend telling you the story of the tower. The only question is: will it all end with a happily ever after?”

(A brief introduction to the show will be given in the Utopia Pavilion 45 minutes before each Royal Hall performance)

Patience

FORBEAR! Theatre

7:30pm Royal Hall £25.00 - £42.50 Forbear! Theatre is delighted to return to the Harrogate Festival for their second year after Iolanthe in 2018. Our approach to Gilbert and Sullivan pieces involves carefully examining the text to find new interpretations of character and story, along with crisp and dynamic movement and music. In Patience, we play around with the concept of gender and love. Seeing Lady Jane as a trans woman and Grosvenor as a person who transcends gender completely, challenges us to look at the story with fresh eyes. The maidens fawn over Bunthorne, and then Grosvenor with little regard for the gender of either poet, showing just how arbitrary their feelings of love are. In our production, Jane has more challenges to face than usual, making her apparent alienation from the group seem more poignant, and Patience, confused as to why none of the dragoons are appealing to her, finds the answer in her childhood sweetheart, then struggles with the implications of that throughout the rest of the piece.

Above everything else, we will strive to present an entertaining performance that appeals to both traditionalists and non-traditionalists; that will be both funny and moving.

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) with our friends from FORBEAR! Theatre.

Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Friday

August 9th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.30am UTOPIA PAVILION ÂŁ7.50 In Conversation With Bruce Graham We are bringing back this very popular morning series where our Festival Director chats with major stars of the Opera Company. And what a start. This morning we welcome Bruce Graham who has starred in many West End Productions - most recently Follies. Come and hear his story.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT 2:30

Utopia pavilion

Birmingham G&S Society Ruddigore Utopia Theatre Unifest ÂŁ15.00

Celebrating ten years since formation this year, The University of Birmingham's Gilbert & Sullivan Society is made up of enthusiastic performers, from seasoned singers to those that have never been on stage before. Our un-auditioned chorus and orchestra are ideal for students who are looking to pursue their musical interests in a relaxed and friendly environment. We always strive to put on high quality productions with two fully staged shows a year alongside concert performances. Recent productions have included Yeomen of the Guard, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Gondoliers and Iolanthe. Together with socials and other events, including the exciting opportunity to perform at the International G&S Festival in Harrogate, our members certainly stay busy and have fun doing it!

(A brief introduction to the show will be given in the Utopia Pavilion 45 minutes before each Royal Hall performance)

Iolanthe

New London Opera Group 7:30pm Royal Hall £25.00 - £42.50 The New London Opera Group (affectionally known as “new-LOG”) is an amateur company dedicated to producing high quality opera and operetta in London and around the country. It was founded in 2003 by members of the disbanded University of London Opera Group who sought to preserve the heritage and traditions of the society, whilst expanding the membership base and repertoire.

In London, the group is based at the beautiful Holy Trinity Church in South Kensington, but also has a very happy home-from-home at the Riverhead Theatre in Louth, Lincolnshire. Since 2003, the Group has performed an annual Spring Concert in Louth, together with a fully staged Summer tour in June. In Louth the group has performed all the extant G&S operas, plus Cox and Box, The Contrabandista and The Zoo, plus concerts of G&S, French and Viennese operetta and, most recently, Sir Lennox Berkeley’s comic opera A Dinner Engagement.

Since their first appearance in 2013, the New London Opera Group has become a welcome visitor to the International G&S Festival, with award winning productions of The Sorcerer (2013), Utopia Limited (2015), The Yeomen of the Guard (second runner-up, 2017) and Patience (first runner-up, 2018)

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) with our friends from New London Opera Group .

Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Saturday

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

August 10th 10.00am

Memorabilia Fair

UTOPIA PAVILION

10.30am UTOPIA PAVILION £7.50 Organising a Festival including backstage tour Festival Founder and artistic director Ian Smith tells us how each festival develops and what goes into the mix. We then go walkabout and see for ourselves the backstage secrets – the scenery and the hundreds of costumes and props involved in bringing the National G&S Opera Company to Harrogate.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia pavilion

2:30

Royal Holloway University The Sorcerer Utopia Theatre Unifest £15.00 ‘Savoy Opera Society is the oldest performing arts group at Royal Holloway, University of London and are based in Egham, Surrey.

With a close-knit family of performers and theatre-makers at its core, the society has been performing Gilbert & Sullivan since its inception in 1966.

The society made a triumphant return to the festival and the UNIFEST competition in 2018 with a 1950s inspired production of The Gondoliers and were lucky enough to not only be awarded Best Chorus and share Best Female Performer, but came second in the overall competition.

The cast, crew and committee are thrilled to be heading back to Harrogate this year with their unique take on an underrated Gilbert and Sullivan classic: The Sorcerer. Set in the world of Ancient Greece, Savoy Opera’s ‘The Sorcerer’ is joyous, hilarious and unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s not one to be missed’

(A brief introduction to the show will be given in the Utopia Pavilion 45 minutes before each Royal Hall performance)

THE ROYAL HALL

THE MIKADO

2.30pm £25.00 to £42.50 The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company The Mikado – The most popular Gilbert and Sullivan opera, and arguably the most popular opera ever written. It has delighted audiences for more than a century, and spawned a number of imitations. But none were nearly as good as the original, which represented both Gilbert and Sullivan at the height of their creative geniuses.

Festival favourite Richard Gauntlett returns to direct and star in this hilarious opera – and you can be sure he will deliver a joyous traditional production.

THE ROYAL HALL 7.10pm Singing From The Gallery 7.30pm £25.00 to £42.50

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE The National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company The Pirates of Penzance. Director Richard Gauntlett squeezes every ounce of humour from the script – and just listen and admire the soloists and the fantastic chorus.

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Tonight’s special cabaret presentation is given by choristers of the Opera Company.

Sunday

August 11th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

11.00am ANNUAL GILBERT & SULLIVAN CHURCH SERVICE, West Park United reform church

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT 2.30pm

Utopia pavilion

Durham Opera Ensemble IOLANTHE UNIFest Utopia Theatre £15.00 This year, Durham Opera Ensemble (DOE) bring their production of 'Iolanthe' to the Harrogate Festival. After a highly successful Durham run, the society is hugely excited to be performing in Harrogate for the first time. Having decided to adopt a more modern take on the show, the cast and crew have risen spectacularly to the challenge of maintaining the relevance of Gilbert's distinctive political satire, as well as managing to engage admirably with a modern audience. With an enormously talented ensemble cast the company has worked tirelessly over the past few months to prepare this show for three different venues (including the Cockpit Theatre in Marylebone at the end of August). Although perhaps one of the most intense production weeks DOE has experienced, the show was a triumph, and exhibited the huge range of young talent that the society has to offer

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 2.30PM Royal Hall £25.00 to £42.50 Richard Gauntlett is back with his hilarious Pirates of Penzance.

He is supported by a strong cast and our own National Gilbert and Sullivan Festival Orchestra.

Frederic as a child was apprenticed to a band of tenderhearted, orphaned pirates by his nurse who, being hard of hearing, had mistaken her master's instructions to apprentice the boy to a pilot. By the end of the opera, the pirates, a Major General who knows nothing of military strategy, his large family of beautiful daughters, and the timid constabulary contribute to a cacophony that can be silenced only by Queen Victoria's name.

THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD

National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 7.30PM Royal Hall £25.00 - £42.50 The setting of Yeomen is the Tower of London in the sixteenth century. The plot concerns Colonel Fairfax, who has been sentenced to death on a false charge of sorcery. To avoid leaving his estate to his accuser (a cousin), Fairfax secretly marries Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer, who expects to be a well-paid widow within the hour. Fairfax escapes, throwing the Tower and everyone in it into despair!

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Choristers from the Opera Company present tonight's cabaret

Monday August 12th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.30am Sullivan’s Light of the World Utopia Pavilion £15.00 The Light of the World - Sullivan's oratorio on the life of Jesus was one of his most ambitious and majestic works. Using extracts from the recent professional recording, Ian Bradley introduces and explores this intriguing and important choral work into which Sullivan put his musical talents and his faith.

10.30am UTOPIA PAVILION ENTRANCE - 90 Minute walking tour of Harrogate

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia pavilion

2.30pm

King’s College London - Ruddygore UNIFest Utopia Theatre £15.00 KCLG&S’s rollicking new production of RUDDYGORE brings the opera back to its roots, staging it as an impassioned, colourful melodrama of the kind that originally inspired Gilbert and Sullivan. Stage director Alex Kirstukas and musical director Mary Jayne Harding Scott have drawn on numerous historical drafts of the libretto and score to offer a new performing edition, including the restoration of Gilbert’s preferred spelling of the title. The result is a freshly conceived staging, with a strong emphasis on character, plot and musical and theatrical joy. So, expect a host of theatrical surprises, plus giddy bridesmaids, ancestral spectres, love triangles, gloriously scored moral quandaries and a whole lot of heart. Let the ghostly revels begin!

KCL Gilbert and Sullivan Society return to the festival this year after their successful double-bill of HMS Pinafore and Trial by Jury, which saw them crowned the 2018 UniFest champions.

KCLG&S is proud to be the only student-led G&S Society in London, and has been putting on high-quality, fun and imaginative shows for over thirty years.

THE SORCERER

Peak Opera 7.30pm ROYAL HALL £20.00-£30.00 Peak Opera was founded in 2005 especially to perform at the festival in Buxton – hence the name “Peak!” Over the years they have gone from strength to strength bringing performers to the festival from a wide variety of sources. They were runners up in 2014 and 2016.

After the resounding success of their one-act opera Trial By Jury in 1875, Gilbert and Sullivan, and their producer Richard D'Oyly Carte, decided to produce a full-length work, The Sorcerer.

Gilbert expanded on one of his earlier writings based on a favourite operatic theme to create a plot about a magic love potion that would result in everyone falling in love with the wrong partner.

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Tonight’s cabaret is presented by members of th Peak Cast.

Tuesday August 13th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.30am Learning from the Ladies: What the G&S Women Can Teach Us Today UTOPIA PAVILION £7.50 Adriane Berg delighted her audience last year when she presented a light-hearted yet serious look at “love, looks and laughter as G&S take on ageing.” Adriane is an American Emmy Award winning broadcaster and host of the radio show “Generation Bold – The Fountain of Truth About Ageing.” Don’t miss this sequel.

10.30am UTOPIA PAVILION ENTRANCE - 90 Minute walking tour of Harrogate

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT 2.30pm

Utopia pavilion

University of York Gilbert & Sullivan Society Pirates of Penzance UNIFest Utopia Theatre £15.00 Now in its 46th season it is our pleasure to welcome the return of York University G&S Society. They are a very active all-inclusive society that rehearse and perform three or four musicals throughout the year. In Autumn term they present, a collaborative concert with the JORVIK York G&S Society and in Spring, they perform their main, fully staged G&S production in the Joseph Rowntree Theatre.

TRIAL by JURY & HMS PINAFORE Bus Pass Opera 7.30pm Royal Hall £20.00-£30.00 Established exclusively for the over 60s this will be Bus Pass Opera’s sixth production and there is no doubt their audience support grows year on year. The performers themselves boast an amazing pedigree of experience in performing Gilbert and Sullivan and they certainly demonstrate that age is no barrier to the clear delivery of Gilbert words and the articulation of Sullivan’s music.

From 10pm Utopia Pavilion Festival Club and Cabaret (Tickets £3 on the door) with our friends from bus pass opera Hot and cold food is available and the bar is open till late.

Tonight's cabaret is from the cast of the show

wednesday August 14th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.00am VISIT TO THE MODEL VILLAGE OF SALTAIRE UTOPIA PAVILION £25.00 This morning we offer a sightseeing visit to Saltaire, West Yorkshire, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre featuring a complete and well-preserved industrial village of the second half of the 19th century. Its textile mills, public buildings and workers' housing are built in a harmonious style of high architectural standards and the urban plan survives intact, giving a vivid impression of Victorian philanthropic paternalism.

Salts Mill features a large art display by local artist David Hockney.

10.30am Meet The Gondoliers and the Yeomen of the Guard Utopia Theatre £7.50 Stephen Turnbull returns to introduce us to some of the fascinating background to two of this year’s Opera Company productions. As long time secretary of the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, with one of the largest G&S record collections in the world, he is the ideal commentator to the history of these two favourite shows.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia pavilion

2.30pm Unbreakable Bond Utopia Theatre £15.00 Introducing Catrine Kirkman in a specially written one-woman show about the soubrette star of the original Savoy Operas, Jessie Bond. With David Eaton at the piano, the show explores the colourful life of this fantastic woman whose captivating stage presence drew admiration from both Gilbert and Sullivan in her D'Oyly Carte debut creating the role of Cousin Hebe in HMS Pinafore.

THE MIKADO

National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 2.30pm ROYAL HALL £25.00 to £42.50 Festival favourite Richard Gauntlett returns to direct and star in this hilarious opera – and you can be sure he will deliver a joyous traditional production.

THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD

National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 7.30pm ROYAL HALL £25.00 to £42.50 Sullivan at his best. Wonderful music. Dramatic Story. Fantastic cast. It is set in the Tower of London and is the nearest that Gilbert and Sullivan got to Grand Opera. It will be a night to remember.

10PM Late night Festival Club and Cabaret. Utopia Pavilion £3.

Cabaret time plus a special Pot-luck presentation of Princess Ida. The audience is the chorus!

Thursday August 15th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.30am D’OYLY CARTE INSIDE OUT Utopia Pavilion £7.50 Roberta Morrell is back with more recollections from her latest book “The D’Oyly Carte – Inside Out!” Roberta is a highly respected figure in the global Gilbert and Sullivan community and honorary president of the New York G&S Society; an ex-original D’Oyly Carte principal, director and author. She will be telling more of her D’Oyly Carte life.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia pavilion

2.30pm Oxford Gilbert and Sullivan Society IOLANTHE Unifest Utopia Theatre £15.00 The Oxford University Gilbert and Sullivan Society was officially founded in 1927, making it one of the university’s oldest student societies, though it existed unofficially for some years before then. It is the most active dramatic society in the university; it has put on three shows every year of its existence, a record that continues to this day. Our alumni include Jane Glover CBE (former music director of Glyndebourne Touring Opera and artistic director at the Royal Academy of Music), Robin Wilson (Oxford mathematician and Gilbert and Sullivan author) and John Owen Edwards (music director of the D’Oyly Carte). The society was prominently featured in the 1981 Oscar-winning film Chariots of Fire.

Our recent shows, many of which are available online, include The Yeomen of the Guard, The Sorcerer and, most recently, H.M.S. Pinafore. In addition to shows, the society has an extremely vibrant social calendar, including formal dinners, punting, picnics, quizzes, ice skating, and weekly singthroughs of Gilbert and Sullivan operetti. We recently had our biennial marathon, in which we sing the entire canon in one night for charity. The society is delighted to be performing Iolanthe at the festival this year – we hope you have as much fun watching it as we have making it.

5.00pm UTOPIA PAVILION ENTRANCE. 90 MINUTE WALKING TOUR OF HARROGATE

PRINCESS IDA

SAVOYNET 7.30pm Royal HALL £20.00-£30.00 SavoyNet are the current International Champions following their outstanding production of “Patience” last year. Founded in 1994 by Bill Venman, an American G&S enthusiast who wanted to communicate with like-minded individuals via the newfangled Internet it now has almost 1000 Google and Facebook members around the world. The Savoynet performing group first performed at the festival in 1997 and has presented a full-length opera every year since 1999 rehearsing for a week prior to the single performance. With its innovative production of Thespis in 2014, Savoynet became the only group to complete the full 14 opera canon at the festival. Over the years participants from around the world have won numerous nominations and awards.

10PM Late night Festival Club and Cabaret. Utopia Pavilion £3.

Cabaret time with our friends from Savoynet!

Friday

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

August 16th 10am

A VISIT TO RIPON – THE UNSPOILT CATHEDRAL CITY £15.00 This cathedral city is a North Yorkshire gem, . With its imposing cathedral, fascinating museums and a bustling market square, there is plenty to entertain the visitor.

11am

BENEFIT CONCERT UTOPIA PAVIION £10 Everyone was sorry to hear of Nick Sale's illness and this morning many of his singing friends are coming together to sing a benefit concert for him. We hope for a full house which will certainly help Nick and his partner Sarah at this difficult time.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia pavilion

2.30pm University of Southampton Light Opera Society TRIAL BY JURY AND THE ZOO UNIFest, Utopia Theatre £15.00 LOpSoc, the award-winning University of Southampton Light Opera Society are looking forward to their return to Harrogate.

This friendly group with a strong, enthusiastic community of present and past members put on at least two shows and one tour each academic year. They also have regular socials, workshops for members and recitals within the society.

6.00pm JEWISH SABBATH SERVICE ( e ) We are pleased to welcome back Cantor Thom King to reprise his acclaimed “Savoy Shabbat” service, which he created to compliment the Festival’s annual Church service. The Friday evening service is a complex mixture of joy, sentiment, and peaceful contemplation. And best of all: you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy it!

It is Charles Court day at the Festival.

Charles Court Opera is a highly inventive chamber company, based in London, specialising in intimate performance. CCO has been described as one of the leading chamber companies taking opera and theatre into previously inaccessible places, and as leaders of the current reinvigoration of Gilbert and Sullivan in London, described as “the masters of G&S in small places”. They have performed across the UK in venues ranging from pub theatres to concert halls, and have toured internationally to Spain, the USA, Ireland and France.

2.30pm HMS Pinafore CHARLES COURT OPERA, Royal Hall £25.00 to £42.50 2.30pm All aboard a Royal Navy submarine for some of Sullivan’s sunniest music with a repeat of their ever-popular HMS Pinafore. Starring Joseph Shovelton, Alys Roberts and Matthew Siveter

7.30PM RUDDIGORE CHARLES COURT OPERA Royal Hall £25.00 to £42.50 John Savournin brings a brand new production of RUDDIGORE. It promises an evening of infectious choruses, great Sullivan music and the unique wit and energy of a Charles Court Opera production to be enjoyed by all ages. It stars John Savournin and Simon Butteriss.

10PM Late night Festival Club and Cabaret. Utopia Pavilion Cabaret time with a special Pot-luck presentation of HMS Pinafore. The audience is the chorus!

SATURDAY August 17th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.00am Annual meeting of the friends of the G&S Festival Charity 11.00am Planning a festival and backstage visit UTOPIA PAVILION £7.50 If you missed it last week – here’s another opportunity. Ian Smith tells us how each festival develops and what goes into the mix.

We then go walkabout and see for ourselves the backstage secrets – the scenery, the hundreds of costumes and props involved in bringing the National G&S Opera Company to Harrogate.

12.30pm - SPONSORED WALK (Utopia Pavilion Entrance) Will you join us & get family & friends to sponsor you? It’s only 2 Kilometers in Valley Gardens.

1pm LUNCH TIME ENTERTAINMENT

Utopia pavilion

2.30pm YOUTH PRODUCTION THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Unifest, Utopia Theatre £15.00 Always a highlight of the festival is our annual youth production.

Youngsters aged between nine and 19 travel from home and overseas for a week of intensive rehearsals with a professional director and conductor. The fruits of their labour – an outstanding new full-scale production. This year it is that all time favourite “The Pirates of Penzance.” Don’t miss it! We still have vacancies for a few new "pirates" and beautiful daughters!

You can get more details from Neil Smith 01422 323 252

THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD

National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 2.30pm ROYAL HALL £25.00 to £42.50 The Yeomen of the Guard, or The Merryman and His Maid is Gilbert and Sullivan’s sparkling comic opera. It is the most emotionally engaging of the Savoy Operas. The show takes place in the Tower of London where the gentleman Colonel Fairfax is wrongly accused of sorcery and sentenced to death within the hour. Fairfax hatches a plan to avoid letting his estate fall into the hands of his scheming cousin by secretly marrying Elsie Maynard, a strolling singer. She agrees to be blindfolded during the ceremony and expects to be a wealthy widow upon Fairfax's imminent demise, leaving her free to marry the jester Jack Point. Fairfax miraculously escapes his fate and chaos ensues.

7.10pm ROYAL HALL Singing from the Gallery

THE MIKADO

National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company 7.30pm ROYAL HALL £25.00 to £42.50 The idea for The Mikado reputedly first sprang into W.S. Gilbert's mind when an old Japanese sword, which had been hanging on the wall of his study for years, suddenly fell from its place. Gilbert took this as an omen. He did not have to look far to research the subject of his new play. He found all the material he wanted in Knightsbridge, a little village of Japanese immigrants within a mile of his own home in South Kensington.

Here, he witnessed the strange arts, devices and lifestyles of this proud race and decided to use an Asian background as a means of poking fun once again at the British establishment.

10PM Late night Festival Club and Cabaret. Utopia Pavilion £3 Tonight we have a special cabaret from our highly talented Opera Company Chorus. it will be special!

SUNDAY

August 18th

AUGUST

07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

10.30am IN CONVERSATION: RICHARD GAUNTLETT £7.50 Our final “In Conversation” is with our comedy star Richard Gauntlett. He has had a fascinating career from starring alongside Michael Crawford in “Barnum” to chairing the famous Leeds City Varieties; writing and performing in pantomime and performing on board some of the world’s major cruise liners – and of course directing and performing with our own Opera Company.

12.45pm FESTIVAL LUNCH – Crown Hotel £25.00 Come and join our G&S Themed final day lunch at the Crown Hotel in Harrogate. We have a number of surprises in store – and you will have time to get across to the Royal Hall for the matinees.

2.30pm THE GONDOLIERS National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company Royal Hall £25.00 to £42.50 The critics loved The Gondoliers. Leslie Bailey wrote: “The bubbling, champagne-quality of the libretto brought out the gayest Sullivan, and the Italian setting called up a warm, southern response from his own ancestry”. The Graphic (14 December 1889) pointed out that the music contains not only an English idiom but 'the composer has borrowed from France the stately gavotte, from Spain the Andalusian cachucha, from Italy the saltarello and the tarantella, and from Venice itself the Venetian barcarolle'.

5.15pm Awards Ceremony Utopia Pavilion 7.30pm THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company ROYAL HALL £25.00 to £42.50 The curtain falls on the 26th International Festival with a performance of the most popular of all the shows - The Pirates of Penzance. Director Richard Gauntlett squeezes every ounce of humour from the script – and just listen and admire the soloists and the fantastic chorus. It is indeed an appropriate conclusion to what we hope you will agree has been an outstanding festival.

10PM

We bid Goodbye! Final Festival Club FREE

go UP THE

NILE FEBRUARY 2020

(plus optional CAIRO extension)