• London Coliseum, 5 – 23 May 2015
• Company: English National Opera (ENO)
• Director: Mike Leigh
• Conductor: David Parry/Timothy Henty (13 & 27 June)
• Choreographer: Francesca Jaynes
• Running time: 2hrs 20mins
• Website: English National Opera Site

The ENO’s latest production of the Pirates of Penzance at the London Coliseum is a great night out, with fantastic performances from all the principals and the whole company. The production is absolutely true to Gilbert and Sullivan’s words and music which have been a hit with audiences since the first production in New York in 1879.
The lyrics are witty and as fresh as ever: Andrew Shore gave a great rendition of the Major-General’s song and Jonathan Lemalu did the same with the equally well-known Police Man’s song. His lot may not be a happy one but the audience loved it.

Choreography and costumes were first class but I found the set with its simple primary colours just a little plain, particularly the set of the pirate ship in the first scene. I could have done with a bit more flamboyance to match the action on stage. That aside I had a great evening and look forward to more ENO G&S productions.