Barrow Savoyards would be hoping for better weather in 1995 than the previous year as they prepared to perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers that evening, wrote The Mail in its preview of the show on February 20, 1995.

ACT: Members of the cast of The Gondoliers in 1995

ACT: Members of the cast of The Gondoliers in 1995

The opera, which originally premiered at the Savoy Theatre on December 7, 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances, was due to be staged at Forum 28 in Barrow for a total of six nights.

The previous year, heavy snow meant that hundreds of people had not been able to get to see Iolanthe, reported The Mail. Even musical director Peter Dyer had not made it from his home in Gleaston on one of the nights.

At least inside the forum building it would be all sunshine from that Monday until Saturday as the society presented the well-loved tale of Giuseppe (played by Steve Freeland) and Marco (portrayed by Iain Nicholson).

POSE: John Twyford, playing Don Alhambra, with Helen Troughton (left) and Linda Marshall in The Gondoliers in 1995

POSE: John Twyford, playing Don Alhambra, with Helen Troughton (left) and Linda Marshall in The Gondoliers in 1995

They played poor gondoliering brothers, whose lives are turned upside down when one of them is declared a king, although nobody knows which brother is the rightful heir to the throne. The two young gondoliers have to jointly rule the kingdom until it can be determined which of them is the rightful king.

Talented performers Russell Palmer, John Brice, John Twyford, Maggie Hook, Anne Woods, Linda Marshall and Helen Troughton were all in the cast.

Prices were £4 for the opening night’s show and £5 for the rest of the week.

ACTING: A scene from Ruddigore in 1996

ACTING: A scene from Ruddigore in 1996

The show’s director was Ian Booth and the musical director was again Peter Dyer.

In 1996 a ghostly ancestor, portraits that came to life and a corps of professional bridesmaids were part of the plot as Barrow Savoyards performed Ruddigore at Forum 28.

In the principal parts were John Twyford, Helen Troughton, Andrew Barrow, Russ Palmer, Karen Whalley, Maggie Hook, Dave Inchliffe, Simon Hughes, Helen Canavan and Claire Phipps-Jones.