THE Barrow Savoyards were all set to launch their shipshape and Bristol-fashion production of HMS Pineaford at the Coronation hall in 1990.

David Marcus directed the offering of Gillbert and Sullivan and played First Lord of the Admiralty Sir Joseph Porter KCB.

“Pineaford is a skit at the British class structure” he said.

“We will be stressing the point that he got his job due to his rise through the civil service and knows nothing whatever about the sea.

“We shall be getting a lot of fun out of this.”

The show began at 7:30pm and would run nightly that week up until the Saturday.

Tickets were available for purchase at the Barrow Town Hall, and the Coronation Hall Ulverston.

Two years later in 1992, the group had returned to launch another Gillbert and Sullivan number.

This time is was the Pirates of Penzance.

They were awarded the Francis and Frieda Memorial trophy for their production of the earlier mentioned HMS Pineaford, as well as Princess Ida in 1991 and hoped to make it a hat trick with that year’s show.

The Pirates of Penzance was a light hearted opera and included the well-known songs I am a pirate King, Poor Wandering One, A Policeman’s Lot and With Cat Like Tread to name but a few.

The production is to the traditional score, but the artistic licence of artistic director Neil Metcalf and choreographer June Janes as being used to ensure a hilariously funny and delightful show.

Peter Dyer was the musical and has directed Barrow Savoyards productions since 1987.

The quality of the orchestra and his conducting of both orchestras and singers was very well renowned.

The excellence of the chorus was very effective at producing the subtleties of the double chorus for which Sullivan was famous, none better than those found in the show.

The cast included the very well-known Eileen Lithgow, Helen Troughton John Twyford, Steve Freeland, Lian Nicholson, and Russel Palmer, to name but a few.