Gilbert & Sullivan – HMS Pinafore

Gilbert & Sullivan – HMS Pinafore

Sat 1 June 2pm & 8pm Two Sisters’ Theatre

Standard Ticket £31.70

Friends Ticket £28.70

All Ticket Prices Below


Following their Festival debut with The Gondoliers in 2023, Forbear! Theatre is delighted to be returning to the Two Sisters’ Theatre with HMS Pinafore.

HMS Pinafore (or ‘The Lass That Loved a Sailor’) was Gilbert and Sullivan’s fourth collaboration. This opera opened May 28, 1878 at the Opera Comique. It ran for 571 performances and became a hugely popular in England, as well as in America.

Pinafore is among the most popular Gilbert and Sullivan operas, perhaps because of its infectious tunes and generally well-constructed libretto. Drawing on several of Gilbert’s ‘bab ballad’ poems, HMS Pinafore is full of mirth, with silliness to spare. The opera’s gentle satire reprises and builds upon one of The Sorcerer’s themes: Love between members of different social classes.

The timeless-ness of this piece makes it incredibly poignant, but it is by no means short of absurdity. We are forced to assume that these characters occupy a universe in which people born into the ‘upper classes’ are biologically different from those born into ‘lower classes’ and, if these get mixed up, hilarity will no-doubt ensue.

HMS Pinafore boasts some of the most lovable characters and memorable tunes in the canon, and along with sparkling choreography and a dash of Forbear!’s brand of silliness, this performance is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

MORE Gilbert & Sulivan, The Sorcerer will be performed by Charles Court Opera on Sun 18 Aug. 

Allocated Covered Seating£31.70
Festival Friends & Hever Castle, Hever Golf and Wellbeing Club Members £28.70
*Groups, over 20 tickets £28.70
Joint Theatre and Castle Garden entryAdult £46.40
Child £40.90

Two Sisters’ Theatre

Our main theatre, located on the glorious Two Sisters’ Lawn has allocated, covered seating. Lawn areas where you can bring your own seats, beanbags, rugs etc. are available for selected performances only.

Please check our access page for further information.

The Theatre Bar will be open on the theatre lawn before the show and during the interval for hot and cold, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, ice cream and snacks. We are also offering HOT sausage rolls, Traditional Cornish Pasties and vegetarian cheese and onion pasties.

NB: Crepes are NOT available this year.  

Pre-Theatre suppers in the Guthrie Pavilion are available before this performance. 

Please book your theatre tickets first, you will be able to book supper from the Spring of 2025.