EUSOG would like to invite one and all to audition for our Fringe 2008 production of

HMS Pinafore

Performance

We will be performing in the Roxy1 venue at 10pm from the 18th to the 23rd of August (Monday to Saturday of week3). The profits will be donated to the Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital. Details of the auditions are below.

The Show

HMS Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan's first real smash hit. The story (in time honoured fashion) goes roughly thus:

Ralph, a handsome sailor, confesses to his shipmates his love for Josephine (daughter of the honourable Captain Corcoran), only to be reminded that the chances of getting it on with her are... minimal. Josephine meanwhile (despite harbouring a secret passion for Ralph), is being pursued by Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Perhaps unsurprisingly however she finds him rather stuffy and unattractive. After much general discussion of equality and the fact that any sailor is as good as his captain (and probably after no small amount of rum), Ralph (despite the admonitions of his shipmates) declares his love to Josephine who dutifully snubs him because (being a good and loyal daughter) she has decided to marry Sir Joseph. Ralph, in a depressed frenzy threatens suicide which snaps Josephine out of her bizzarro old-man fantasy world long enough to declare her true love for Ralph. Much rejoicing ensues and they decide to elope that night. Dick Deadeye (resident doom-sayer) warns that this is probably unwise, but then he's always bringing down the party, so no-one pays much attention.

The action continues in Act II where we see the mysterious "Little Buttercup" telling Captain Corcoran that things are not as they seem and that a change is coming. This is probably the best he can hope for at the moment as he is under threat of court-martial and has been deserted by all his friends. Sir Joseph moans to the Captain that his daughter has not yet accepted his proposal, to which the captain suggests a little more of the "love makes us all equal" banter which went down so well in Act I. This has rather the opposite of the intended effect on Josephine, who is now more determined than ever to marry Ralph. Dick Deadeye puts in his oar again and informs the captain of the elopers' plan, causing him to swear loudly on the deck, which is the final straw for Sir Joseph who relieves the Captain of duty. All is looking grim when Little Buttercup dons her Deus Ex Machina hat and announces that when she was a nursemaid and caring for both Ralph and the Captain, she inadvertently swapped them, meaning that Ralph is actually of moderately noble standing and the Captain is merely a common sailor. Now Josephine can marry Ralph, the Captain can marry Buttercup and sir Joseph gets it on with his cousin! Hooray!