Welcome to the 1979 production of Ruddigore

Synopsis

The setting is a Cornish fishing village which is unique in that it possesses a corps of professional bridesmaids who, at the slightest hint of a betrothal, sing "Hail the Bridegroom - Hail the Bride". They suggest to Dame Hannah that she marry. They are tired of waiting for a match between Robin Oakapple and Rose Maybud, the former being diffident and shy.
From the briny sea comes Richard Dauntless, welcomed rapturously by the Bridesmaids and the Fisherwomen. He relates his adventures in the famous "Parley-voo" ballad and rounds it off with the even more famous hornpipe.
Robin gets Richard to propose to Rose for him, but in the process Richard falls for her himself. A wild distraught creature enters and is discovered by Rose. She is poor Mad Margaret who loves Sir Despard the bad Baronet of Ruddigore.
The finale to the first act would have gone off happily enough with the Bridesmaids hailing Robin and Rose as Bridegroom and Bride but for the fact that Richard's heart has dictated to him that he reveals that Robin is in reality the bad Baronet in disguise. In comes Despard and claims Robin as his elder brother. The Bridesmaids really let themselves go, hailing Robin and Rose, Richard and Rose, and, Despard and Margaret. The curtain comes down on - not Robin - but sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, the bad bart.

The second act is more serious. The spectre of the late Sir Roderic Murgatroyd and the shades of his other ancestors tax the erstwhile Robin about the commission of his daily crimes. The high spot is Roderic's solo "The Ghosts' high noon". The spectres have stepped out of the pictures in the Murgatroyd picture gallery. This is the most dramatic scene of all the operas. The act is not all ghosts and gloom for there is a delightful comic duet between Despard and Margaret and a brilliant patter trio "So it really doesn't matter".