Music by Johann Strauss II, Libretto by Ignaz
SYNOPSIS AND CAST
Sandor Barinkay was exiled with his father, who had committed a political offence. His castle is in ruins and is the site of a gipsy encampment. These Romanies regard Barinkay as their Baron and retain a sense of loyalty to the exiled Sandor. Czipra, the Queen of the Gipsies sees the return of Sandor in a dream. This greatly upsets Zsuspan, Mayor of Zrinyi, as he has made a fortune rearing pigs on the Barinkay estates. Her prediction is right, and Sandor returns, pardoned, to a rousing welcome. Count Kareska confides to Zsuzpan that the treasure of the Turkish Pasha is hiding in the ruins. They plot to find and share the treasure. Arletta, Zsuspan’s daughter, despite an attachment to Otto, has ambitions in which her father encourages her to be the chatelaine of the castle.
The Romanies acclaim Sandor as their “Gipsy Baron”. He and Saffi fall in love, and a gipsy wedding is arranged. Kareska upbraids Sandor for irregular behaviour and threatens to have him exiled. His threats are in vain, and so is the plot to steal the treasure. Czipra discloses that Saffi is the daughter of the Pasha, and as the rightful heir, claims the treasure.
The celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of Graf Homonoy and a troop of Hussars come to recruit a force to repel another Turkish invasion. Sandor and his gipsy friends form the “Romany Hussars”. Zsuspan and Otto drink the recruiting wine and to their horror find they too have enlisted.
The campaign is successful and the Turks defeated. In Vienna there are celebrations in anticipation of the entry of the victorious army. Sandor returns a hero and is created a real Baron. He is reunited wit his Saffi and there is nothing to prevent their gipsy wedding.
Directed and Choreographed by: Jim Snell
Musical Direction by: Christopher Slater
CAST
| Mishka | Iain Saville |
| Pali | Neil Catton |
| Franzi | Debbie Merry |
| Vanya | Cheryl Lansdell |
| Otto | David Field |
| Arletta | Jayne Wilcox |
| Kalman Zsupan | Peter Evans |
| Mirabella | Marie Bennett |
| Czipra | Norma Evans |
| Saffi | Elaine Hammonds |
| Count Kareska | David Freeman |
| Sandor Barinkay | Stephen Caytow |
| Captain of Hussars | Christopher Toole |
| Graf Peter Hamonoy | Laurence Cuckney |
| CHORUS: | Gipsies, Villagers, Attendants on Kareska, Soldiers, Vivandiers, Guests, Flunkeys, etc. |
| Ladies: | Kathie Burditt, Amanda Collin, Margaret Etches, Sue Fairman, Barbara Fleming, Doreen Legg, Joanne Merry, Jill Nutall, Mary O’Keefe, Marilyn Page, Anne Harvey-Smith, Marion Stewart, Jenny Silvestre, Sue Talbert, Peggy Thomson. |
| Gentlemen: | Peter Bagwell, Brian Card, Stephen Coulman, Malcolm Jones, Percy Morgan, Dick Plumridge, John Talbert, Chris Toole, Cyril Vance, Ken Warner, Stephen Welham, Richard Cox, Robert Fleece, Peter Morton, Stephen Norton, Ian Nash, Paul Thwaites |