The Scarlet Pimpernel runs at Shanklin Theatre on Steephill Road from 28 to 31 May, with the Saturday evening performance starting at 7.30pm. Shoreline Productions are behind it, the company whose Phantom of the Opera sold out this same stage. Based on Baroness Orczy's novel, the story follows a hero with a secret identity operating between revolutionary France and Georgian England, with disguises, daring rescues and forbidden love as the central engine. The score by Frank Wildhorn and Nan Knighton includes well-known numbers such as "Into The Fire," "When I Look At You," and "You Are My Home."
Shoreline have form at Shanklin for scale and production values, having brought Wind in the Willows and The Little Mermaid to this same stage in recent years. This one is pitched at a slightly older audience than those earlier shows; the political intrigue and romance suit adults and confident older children more than the very young. If you follow live music and performance on the Isle of Wight and haven't caught a Shoreline production before, this is a fair measure of what the company brings to a touring musical.
Tickets are £23, which includes a £1 booking fee, and group rates are available through the box office. The theatre sits close enough to Shanklin Old Village to make a meal beforehand a straightforward part of the evening, and the seafront is an easy walk once the curtain comes down. Coming from Ventnor or Sandown, you won't need to cross the whole island. Saturday 30th is the penultimate night of the run, so availability will tighten before the weekend is out. Check seats and book through the Shanklin Theatre event page.