Emily Hunter Oulton presents H.M.S. Pinafore as part of the Grimeborn Opera Festival 2022. 23/24/26/27 August at 7.30. Studio 1, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street London E8 3DL. Tickets 020-7503-1646; https://www.
Director Emma Jude Harris sails this radical rethink of Gilbert and Sullivan’s beloved H.M.S. Pinafore to Grimeborn. Set aboard a British warship and originally intended to gently satirise the rigid British class system, H.M.S. Pinafore is renowned for its wit and silliness. But this anarchic new production looks beyond the fun and frills of Savoy opera to offer a sharp critique of the piece’s underlying imperialism. Helmed by a crew that includes some of opera and theatre’s most exciting emerging talent, join this familiar classic as it makes new waves.