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Merry Widow Patience Pink Champagne Pirates of Penzance Princess Ida Ruddigore The Gondoliers The Grand Duke The Lost Continent The Mikado The Sorcerer and the Zoo Trial by Jury Yeomen of the Guard HMS Pinafore About Us
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Act 1 Early morning sunshine streams into the apartment of Gabriel and Rosalinda Eistenstein. The servants are going about their daily business when they hear singing coming from outside. It turns out that Alfred (a tenor from the local opera) is attempting to woo Rosalinda with his vocal talents. Fortunately for Alfred, Gabriel is not at home, as he has been out for a night on the tiles with his friend Dr Falke. Adele’s sister, Ida arrives with two ballerina friends and an inviation to Prince Orlovsky’s Pink Champagne party – an excuse for the evening off must be found! Adele tries her excuse out, but it is to no avail, as Rosalinda has an anniversary meal planned for the evening which Adele needs to keep an eye on. Alfred manages to gain access to the apartment and attempts to seduce Rosalinda. Once he has been disposed of, Rosalinda shows the servants the present she has bought for Gabriel, and remembers the day they met. Gabriel chooses this moment to arrive home rather worse for wear after his evening. Needless to say, this does not go down well with his wife. The presence of his Lawyer, Dr Blind indicates that something is amiss – in fact Gabriel has been arrested and sentenced to eight days in prison, starting tonight, for pushing Dr Falke into a fountain. At this news Rosalinda’s mind wanders back to Alfred… Adele receives the evening off after all. Dr Falke arrives at the door in forgiving mood, with an invitation to the party for Gabriel, who decides that prison can wait until the morning! That evening, Alfred is drowning his sorrows in the Café Trauber, but when he learns of Gabriel’s fate his spirits lift. Back at the Eisenstein apartment later on, Gabriel is leaving for ‘prison’ and receives some measure of sympathy from Adele and Rosalinda. However once he has gone Rosalinda signals to Alfred that he might be welcome after all. He clambers in through the window and starts to make himself rather too much at home. The arrival of Frank (the Governor of the City Gaol) to arrest Gabriel forces Rosalinda into an embarrassed cover-up. Frank jumps to the intended conclusion, and arrests Alfred. Rosalinda realises that she must now face the evening alone, only to be rescued by Dr Falke who just happens to have an invitation… Act 2 Prince Orlovsky’s party is in full swing. Adele admonishes a passing guest for yawning, not realising that he is the host. Orlovsky has to explain how tiresome it is being so rich and going to so many parties. Dr Falke is announced and immediately un-bores the Prince, who has seen a picture of Falke dressed as a bat floundering in the fountain. Falke explains that his ‘Bat’s Revenge’ takes the form of an impromptu play to be performed at the party. The first unwitting character is announced – Gabriel, alias Le Marquis de Renard. Falke sees an opportunity for further mischief and introduces Gabriel to ‘Olga’. Gabriel notices that she bears an uncanny resemblance to Adele, so she feigns indignation at being mistaken for a servant girl. The footman announces Le Chevalier Chagrin (Frank), who Falke introduces to Gabriel. The two "fellow countrymen" hit it off immediately and disappear for some flirtation with the ladies. A masked lady from Budapest is introduced as the next guest and she sings of her homeland. Rosalinda (for it is she) tells Falke that she has seen Gabriel flirting with Adele. A little later, ‘Le Marquis’ and ‘Le Chevalier’ flirt outrageously with the girls, watched by Rosalinda who resolves to expose Gabriel. However, Falke persuades her to get Gabriel to flirt with her so that she can use it against him when it best suits her. Gabriel spies the masked lady, who yields to his seductions just long enough to steal his watch as evidence. By now everyone has had a little too much ‘Pink’ and the Marquis and Chevalier swear an oath of brotherhood to each other. The clock chimes six, and both Gabriel and Frank realise that it is about time they were at the gaol for their differing reasons. The party continues a while yet... Act 3 During the night, Alfred has refused to go to his cell until he has seen a lawyer, and so has been entertaining the warders with his top C’s. In the morning, Sergeant Frosh sends for one at random, picking a Dr Blind (remember him?). Frank arrives back from the party, still feeling the effects of the champagne and falls asleep. He is woken by Frosch and a knocking at the door, so goes to get some peace away from the visitors. At the door is Adele, wanting to see Gabriel to explain that it was her at the party so that he doesn’t let anything slip to Rosalinda. Frosch is easily persuaded to bend the rules and lets them in. There is a ring at the door, and when nobody answers, Frank goes to open it himself, and is dismayed to find that it is the Marquis. He has to own up to who he really is, and Gabriel tries to do the same. He fails due to the fact that Frank thinks that Eisenstein is already locked up, and Gabriel is a little peeved when he realises that Frank has arrested an impostor with his wife. Dr Blind arrives to represent the impostor, but Gabriel intercepts him and disguises himself as Blind so that he can see who the impostor is. Rosalinda is brought to Alfred, who she continues to pretend is Gabriel, and Gabriel is brought in, disguised as Blind. Rosalinda knows that Blind knows Gabriel, so tries to explain the situation, not realising that Blind is in fact Gabriel. (Read that again slowly – it should make sense!) Eventually all reveal their true identities, and mutual blackmails and embarrassments mean that no one can blame anyone else. Falke arrives with Prince Orlovsky and the rest of the Company to gloat over his ‘Bat’s Revenge.’
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