THE National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company is getting ready for its 2017 season and Malvern Theatres will be firmly in the mix.

The company started in the 1990s at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival with a professional line-up of ex-D’Oyly Carte principals including Kenneth Sanford, John Ayldon, Alistair Donkin, Geoffrey Shovelton, Patricia Leonard and Lorraine Daniels dressed in black tie and long dresses with a supporting amateur chorus staging "The Yeomen of the Guard”.

Since those heady early days, it has developed into one of the world's best known professional Gilbert and Sullivan performing groups, but it's still looking with ambition to the future, with a host of new face on board this year.

A spokesman said: "Nothing of course stands still and this year the line-up includes many new faces – and others who are making a welcome return. Vivian Coates is the founder and artistic director of Lyric Opera in Ireland. He was awarded a knighthood from the Italian President for his services in promoting Italian opera in Ireland. He will direct two brand-new productions – Princess Ida and The Pirates of Penzance.

"Michael McCaffery (Old Vic Company, National Theatre of Great Britain, Glyndebourne and the Bayreuth Festival) has directed for many of the world's leading theatres and directs a brand-new production of The Mikado. And Donald Maxwell returns to direct HMS Pinafore and star in Princess Ida. Andrew Nicklin takes over the Musical Director baton for three of the four shows and Aidan Faughey conducts Princess Ida."

The spokesman added: "Other frontline newcomers this year include Anthony Flaum who makes his mainstage debut with the English National Opera this year (Nanki Poo and Frederic); Mae Heydorn the Swedish/German mezzo soprano who has starred with Glydebourne, Grange Park Opera and in the critically acclaimed West End production of the “Rinse Cycle” ( Katisha, Buttercup, and Ruth); Emma Walsh(Lyric Opera, Nevill Holt Opera, Winslow Hall Opera) will play Princess Ida, Josephine and Mabel; Natalie Montakhab, rising star with Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera and English National Opera, Yum Yum.

"Toby Stafford-Allen is one of Britain’s leading baritones with a decade of critically acclaimed performances with English National Opera. He will play Pirate King, Pish Tush and Captain Corcoran. Simon Wilding who was the youngest member of the Bayreuth Opera Festival has also starred with English National Opera, Opera Holland Park and co-productions between the Royal Opera House and Broadway New York. He is the Sergeant of Police, Pooh Bah and Dick Deadeye."

The spokesman said: "When you add Richard Gauntlett (Major General, Sir Joseph and Ko-Ko); James Elliott (Ralph Rackstraw and Hilarion), Richard Suart (King Gama); Nicholas Sales (Cyril); James Cleverton (Arac) and Gaynor Keeble (Lady Blanche) you can understand why the production teams are excited at laying these new foundations as the Company moves towards its Silver Jubilee Season in 2018.

The dates for the Malvern shows are as follows:

Tuesday August 29 – HMS Pinafore

Wednesday August 30 - HMS Pinafore (2 performances)

Thursday August 31 – Princess Ida

Friday September 1 – The Pirates of Penzance

Saturday September 2 – The Pirates of Penzance (2 performances)

Tickets on, 01684 892277.