ST Peter’s Church in Old Woking will welcome Opera Anywhere to perform Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance on Saturday (September 30).

Opera Anywhere is a professional company which specialises in putting on light opera in unusual places, hence its visit to St Peter’s, which is hosting the performance having just opened up the chancel area to make it more flexible for church and community use.  

The work included a grant from Surrey County Council’s Members’ Allocation Fund.

The performance is a 5pm matinee to encourage both an older audience who do not like being out late and a younger audience whose parents do not want them up too late!

Opera Anywhere, founded by Mike and Vanessa Woodward in 2000, is a professional touring company presenting around 65 staged and pop-up performances every year. 

Its mission is to make opera enjoyable and accessible to everyone.

The company began by hosting a Proms on the Pond concert in Sunningwell, Oxfordshire, which led to the creation of the Sunningwell Festival of Music & Arts, renowned for its extraordinary performances staged on a pond in the centre of the village.

It has also toured across the UK with a repertoire including Gilbert and Sullivan favourites, Mozart, Puccini and more.

Pianist Matthew Rickard, from Woking, will be playing for the visit to one of his local churches.

Opera Anywhere’s unique approach caught the attention of music promoter Harvey Goldsmith, who commissioned the company to be one of six acts to feature in a Channel 4 documentary.

This led to significant TV exposure, including performances on ice rinks with its Arias On Ice production.

For more information and to book, visit operaanywhere.com