Pineapple Poll

Pineapple Poll is a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired comic ballet, created by choreographer John Cranko with arranger Sir Charles Mackerras. Pineapple Poll is based on "The Bumboat Woman's Story", one of W. S. Gilbert's Bab Ballads, written in 1870. The Gilbert and Sullivan opera H.M.S. Pinafore was also based, in part, on this story. For the ballet, Cranko expanded the story of the Bab Ballad and added a happy ending.

The piece premiered in 1951 at Sadler's Wells Theatre and was given many revivals internationally during the following decades. It remains in the repertoire of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. It has also been recorded many times.

Background and productions

The copyright on Sullivan's music expired in 1950, and Mackerras, then assistant conductor and repetiteur for Sadler's Wells Opera, aware of the successful ballets based on Offenbach and Strauss - Gaîté Parisienne and Le Beau Danube - felt a similar arrangement of the music of Sullivan would be equally popular. Peggy van Praagh suggested that he work out the idea with the young choreographer John Cranko. Cranko expanded the plot of Gilbert's Bab Ballad "The Bumboat Woman's Story", in which the central character is named Poll Pineapple. The Gilbert and Sullivan opera H.M.S. Pinafore (especially its character Little Buttercup) was also based, in part, on this story. Cranko introduced new characters (Mrs Dimple) and gave Poll an admirer to enable a happy ending.Percival, pp....
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