Join our Pirates-inspired screening of Topsy-Turvy at The Astor
18 Dec 2025
Ahead of our summer season of The Pirates of Penzance, we’re partnering with the Astor Theatre for a special screening of the Gilbert & Sullivan-inspired short The Very Models (1998) and film Topsy-Turvy (1999).
The special screening at the Astor will feature Q&A between film critic Zak Hepburn and Stuart Maunder AM, director of The Pirates of Penzance, and a performance of ‘I am the very Model of Modern Major General’ by theatre veteran Richard Piper.
The Very Models is a charming work by English animator Barry Purves. It follows Richard O’Doyly – the theatrical impresario who brought Gilbert and Sullivan together – as he is tormented in a dream by his memories of this tempestuous partnering
Topsy-Turvy is a critically acclaimed musical epic that follows the famed composer and librettist ahead of the premiere of their operetta The Mikado in 1885. Starring Jim Broadbent as WS Gilbert and Allan Corduner as Arthur Sullivan, Topsy-Turvy delves into the conflicts in their creative relationship with humour and heart.
Topsy-Turvy
Tuesday 20 January, 6:30pm
The Astor Theatre