Gilbert and Sullivan Festival

The festival will be back at the prestigious venue from Wednesday, August 7 to Sunday, August 18.

The event is now a firm favourite with local and international visitors alike who make their annual trip from as far afield as Hawaii, Australia and Japan for two weeks of entertainment.

The annual attraction is a celebration of the very best performances of one of the country’s most successful and enduring musical partnerships – Sir Arthur Sullivan and W S Gilbert. The American and British musicals owe a tremendous debt to Gilbert and Sullivan who paved the way for lyricists such as Novello, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Weber who cited the duo as their major influence and inspiration.

This year’s festival features 30 full-scale productions staged in the Royal Hall complex, and lectures and films will also be available on each morning.

The anticipated highlights include the four brand new productions of The Gondoliers, The Pirates of Penzance, The Yeomen of the Guard and The Mikado - performed by the National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company prior to their 2019 UK tour. The Company opened their summer season in Buxton in July and received five star national press reviews.

Experience the wit and humour of Gilbert’s magical dialogue along with Sullivan’s glorious music. The Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is fun, it’s friendly, it’s for all the family and a very warm Yorkshire welcome is waiting. Tickets, from £18, are now on sale from the Box Office on (01422) 323252, or online at www.gsfestivals.org. Tickets can also be purchased from the Tourist Information Offices in Harrogate, Ripon and Knaresborough.

Geoffrey Mogridge