| What: The Pirates of Penzance When: July 4-12, 2026 Where: Artscape, Cape Town Musical director: Alastair Cockburn Cast: 60 performers Orchestra: Cape Town Sinfonietta Tickets: R225-R350 Bookings: Webtickets or via the Artscape Box Office on +27 21 421 7695. |
In The Pirates of Penzance, Mabel is the first woman that Frederic meets, other than his nurse maid, Ruth. Mabel is supportive and encourages him to leave his life as pirate. In G&S’s new production at Artscape, director Darryl J Spijkers has re-imagined her a mermaid – adding to the magic of the story. Mabel is played by Frances van Vuuren. She is a soprano and graduate of the South African College of Music and a recipient of the David Aldred Memorial Prize for Sopranos and the Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards. Read on for more:
Mabel the mermaid brings a magical twist to The Pirates of Penzance, July 2026, Cape Town
G&S’s new production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance comes to Artscape from July 4 -12, 2026, bringing Victorian charm, comic chaos, a large cast, live orchestra and a few unexpected surprises to one of the most beloved works in comic opera.
Directed by Darryl J Spijkers, with musical direction by Alastair Cockburn, this production remains rooted in the world of Victorian England. But along the way, audiences can expect a few playful theatrical touches that add sparkle, humour and visual delight to the classic story.
One such playful twist is when Frederic first sees Mabel. Having grown up among pirates, he has never seen a young woman before, and in this staging, director Darryl J Spijkers imagines her through Frederic’s eyes as a mermaid – romantic, dreamlike and touched by the Victorian fascination with pirates, mermaids and mysteries of the sea.
Spijkers is no stranger to G&S audiences. He has been associated with the society since 2011, appearing in productions including Fiddler on the Roof, The Yeomen of the Guard and The Wizard of Oz, and directing Snoopy the Musical for G&S at the Artscape Arena. Beyond G&S, he has directed extensively in Cape Town, with credits including A Streetcar Named Desire, Blood Brothers, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hairspray, Sister Act and Shrek. He is currently Head of Culture and Dramatic Arts at Parel Vallei High School and heads the Helderberg Academy of Theatre.
The production features Renier van Rooyen as Frederic, Frances van Vuuren as Mabel and Bevan Timm as Major-General Stanley. Van Rooyen is a Cape Town-based baritone and Stellenbosch University music graduate whose credits include La Bohème, Les Misérables and Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Van Vuuren is a soprano and graduate of the South African College of Music, and a recipient of the David Aldred Memorial Prize for Sopranos and the Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards. Timm makes his G&S debut as the iconic Major-General, bringing with him strong comic credentials from stage productions including ’Allo ’Allo!.
With a cast of more than 60 performers, dancers and live accompaniment from the Cape Town Sinfonietta, The Pirates of Penzance promises laughter, romance, spectacle and musical brilliance in equal measure. The show runs at Artscape from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 12 July 2026.
Tickets range from R225 to R350 and are available through Webtickets at:
https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1590018957
or via the Artscape Dial-a-Seat on 021 421 7695.
❇ Featured image: In the July 2026 G&S’s production of The Pirates of Penzance at Artscape, Mabel is portrayed as a mermaid – performed by Frances van Vuuren. Van Vuuren is a soprano and graduate of the South African College of Music and a recipient of the David Aldred Memorial Prize for Sopranos and the Fine Music Radio Bursary Trust Awards. Sponsored content.
