The Pirates of Penzance
/ðə ˌpaɪrəts əv penˈzæns/
/ðə ˌpaɪrəts əv penˈzæns/
- a comic opera (1880) by W S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, one of their Savoy Operas. It is about a group of pirates who are all in fact of noble birth and a group of policemen who are not very brave. One of the best-known songs in the opera is A Policeman's Lot is Not a Happy One.