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Gilbert and Sullivan small group tour
This 9-day tour explores the beguiling operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. The senior traveller with an interest in comic opera will delight in this immersion in the works of England’s most iconic opera duo combined with a unique travel experience.
Gilbert and Sullivan collaborated on fourteen comic operas, which were written between 1871 and 1896. Their most famous works are H.M.S. Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado, all of which showcase their characteristically eccentric humour and sumptuous musical numbers.
This small group tour gives participants a chance to learn much more about this fascinating operatic duo. During the tour we experience a number of live performances and hear from Gilbert and Sullivan experts. The educational tour also includes visits to several destinations like important museums, including the Black Country Living Museum, the Haymarket Theatre, and the Royal Academy of Music.
Itinerary & highlights of the Gilbert & Sullivan tour
One highlight is experiencing the wonders of the Harrogate Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. During this festival, we enjoy leading performing Gilbert & Sullivan societies who compete for the championship trophy. The society performances take place during the week, while the professional performances for National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company are staged each weekend. The tour promises to be an unforgettable introduction to the world of Gilbert and Sullivan.
Our specialised educational tour begins in Manchester, where we enjoy a walking tour of the city that revolves around its Victorian Era sights and attractions. It was in this era that the partnership of the librettist W.S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan begun. The tour includes entrance to the Town Hall, one of the most iconic landmarks in the city and one of the most important buildings in England. We then travel across to Harrogate for the festival, where we enjoy our first major evening performance.
On our second day in Harrogate, we take a day trip to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the charming ancient Roman city of York. Here, we take a walking tour of the city with a local guide. In the afternoon, we travel back to Harrogate to see another performance at the Royal Hall.
We travel on to London. While here, we visit the Royal Academy of Music, where Arthur Sullivan studied. Afterwards, we visit the museum , which covers the history of the Academy and has numerous artefacts bequeathed by Arthur Sullivan.
Later on, we visit the Savoy Theatre, the symbol of their artistic collaboration. While here, we learn how producer Richard D’Oyly Carte brought Gilbert and Sullivan together and nurtured their collaboration. He built the Savoy theatre to present their joint works which came to be known as the Savoy Operas, and founded the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, which performed and promoted Gilbert and Sullivan's works for over a century.
Other highlights of this educational tour include visiting the Black Country Living Museum. Here, we view the collection and exhibits at the Royal Academy of Music. We also hear experts give insightful talks on the two composers, and explain their significance. Across the tour, we deepen our knowledge of and appreciation for these extraordinary musical collaborators. The pinnacle of this small group tour is the chance to experience four unforgettable live Gilbert and Sullivan shows: HMS Pinafore, Trial by Jury, Mikado, and Pirates of Penzance.
You can browse our profiles on Britain and England for more information where all our tour departures are listed as well. For more details on this tour, click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.