Opera
PIRATES OF PENZANCE
GILBERT & SULLIVAN
Frederick, accidentally apprenticed to Pirates as a child, is indentured to the Pirate King until his 21st birthday. On the day he reaches 21 he leaves the ship, announcing that he now intends to dedicate his life to the Pirates’ destruction. The Pirate King checks the contract’s small print – and realises that as Frederick’s birthday is 29th February on a leap year he has only had four birthdays and is actually indentured for another 63 years. With only the Penzance constabulary to protect him, will Frederick be forced to serve the pirates until he is 84? And will his sweetheart, Mabel, wait for him that long? Performed by a six-strong cast of actor/singers with fully orchestrated accompaniment, The Pirates of Penzance boasts such gloriously memorable songs as “To be a Pirate King!”; “Modern Major General” and “A Policeman’s Lot is Not a Happy One”. With razor sharp satire and glittering wit, it remains as fresh as if it had been written today.
Running time: 120-minutes (approx.), including a 20-minute interval.
Recommended for all ages.
Sun 2 Aug, 8pm
Chiddingstone Castle
All ticket prices will be confirmed by 19 Jan 2026
Chiddingstone Castle North Lawn
Come prepared for the weather in this uncovered, stunningly beautiful venue.
You can bring your own seats, beanbags, rugs etc. along with your picnic. Choose where you would like to sit when you arrive, you will view the performance from there whilst enjoying your picnic (if you can save pudding until then).
The Castle Cafe will be open before the show for hot and cold drinks and light meals and ice cream.
If you are considering making a day of it the castle opening hours are 11am – 5pm (last entry 4:15pm), so please ensure you have visited before the performance starts.
Please note: umbrellas are welcome if required, gazebo’s are not.
About Chiddingstone Castle
Chiddingstone Castle is nestled in the heart of the Kentish countryside, surrounded by beautiful grounds and filled with extraordinary treasures. Turn your theatre trip into a full day out by visiting the historic house first and discover its fascinating stories. There is also a quintessentially British tea room with plenty of traditional homemade goodies to choose from if you wanted to enjoy lunch before the performance.
The castle has Tudor origins, Victorian rooms and was remodelled in the 19th century to resemble a medieval castle. It has been owned and lived in by an eclectic mix of people: the Streatfeild family, Lord Astor, military forces during WWII, Long Dene School and the last owner, Denys Eyre Bower.
Denys Eyre Bower (1905-1977) was a gifted collector, devoting his life to finding fascinating objects and works of art. He bought Chiddingstone Castle in 1955 to home his collections of Ancient Egyptian, Japanese, Jacobite and Stuart, and Buddhist objects. These worldwide treasures can be found on display to this day thanks to the private charitable trust that was set up after his death in 1977.
The Chiddingstone Castle team endeavour to help bring the stories of the artefacts, Denys and the castle history to life as well as maintaining the grounds and running events to attract a wide audience of visitors.
