by WS Gilbert & Sir Arthur Sullivan& Essgee Ent. (adapted by EssGee Entertainment)

BMTC is setting sail with a show that couldn’t be more appropriate for our 75th Anniversary year – The Pirates of Penzance (Australian Version)

Gilbert & Sullivan have been part of BMTC’s story from the very beginning. When Burton Operatic Society was formed in 1952, G&S was its primary erpertoire — and our first production of The Pirates of Penzance followed just three years later, in 1955. Now we’re bringing it back for our 75th Anniversary year!

But this isn’t your traditional Pirates – the Australian Version is a modern, madcap take on the G&S classic, with a fresh pop feel to the music, outrageous characters and plenty of hilarious comedy. It stays true to the spirit of Gilbert & Sullivan, while giving this much-loved classic a fresh energy and contemporary feel.
BMTC last performed this version of The Pirates of Penzance in 2010, and it was hugely loved by audiences and cast alike.

So what better way to celebrate 75 years of BMTC than by returning to the composers who helped shape our history — and sending our pirates back out to sea?

Tickets on sale from 27th October 2026