D’Oyly Carte Opera Company To Celebrate its 150th Anniversary on D’Oyly Carte Island with Champagne Reception and Concert
For Immediate Release
Weybridge, Surrey, England – February 6, 2025 The D’Oyly Carte Foundation and its corporate patron, American Industrial Acquisition Corporation, announce a special evening in celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the legendary D’Oyly Carte Opera Company to be held at the historic Eyot House on D’Oyly Carte Island, Weybridge, Surrey, England, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The event will commence at 6:30 PM with a Champagne Reception featuring fine canapés, followed by a concert at 7:30 PM in the grand ballroom of the mansion. Renowned members of The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company will present a medley of Gilbert & Sullivan favorites, paying tribute to the opera company’s rich legacy and enduring impact on the world of opera and musical theatre.
The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, originally founded by Richard D’Oyly Carte, is one of the world’s oldest and most admired performing arts organizations, bringing the timeless works of Gilbert & Sullivan to audiences around the world.
Guests traveling from London can take a train departing from London Waterloo Station at 5:32 PM, arriving at Weybridge Station at 6:04 PM. A coach service will transport attendees from Weybridge Train Station to the island and return them for the train back to London Waterloo. For those arriving by car, parking will be available at the entrance on Walton Lane.
On Friday, February 6, Princess Anne, sister of King Charles, toured Eyot House on D’Oyly Carte Island, during which she greeted Ian Martin, director of the D’Oyly Carte Opera and Andy Hill, who has led the restoration of the island home of Richard and Helen D’Oyly Carte. Princess Anne marveled at the large collection of Gilbert & Sullivan memorabilia, displayed throughout the mansion and planted a tree as a tribute to its legacy. During her visit, she fondly recalled that, as a schoolgirl, she had gleefully performed in Gilbert & Sullivan’s opera, Trial By Jury, which she was pleased to learn was part of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s 2025 opera season.
ABOUT THE D’OYLY CARTE FOUNDATION
The D'Oyly Carte Foundation is the American affiliate of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Trust Limited, which supports the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Since 1875, the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company has professionally produced the 14 Savoy operas of Sir W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan in the UK, Europe, US, Canada, and Australia, spreading mirth and merriment to millions.
The D’Oyly Carte Foundation’s mission is to support and promote the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s UK and international touring, to support regional performance companies, schools, colleges, and universities dedicated to the staging of Gilbert & Sullivan operas, and to generally encourage the popular appreciation of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan.
ABOUT THE 2025 D’OYLY CARTE OPERA SEASON
In 2025, the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company will join forces with Scottish Opera and Opera Holland Park to mark a momentous milestone in theatre history: the 150th anniversary of Trial by Jury. Originally staged in 1875, Trial by Jury was the first collaboration between dramatist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan, brought together by impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte. The one-act comic opera, a sharp satire on the English legal system, premiered at London’s Royalty Theatre on March 25, 1875, and was an instant success, laying the foundation for one of the most celebrated partnerships in musical theatre history.
To commemorate this historic anniversary, a brand-new production of Trial by Jury will debut in Glasgow in May before traveling to Edinburgh and London. Directed by John Savournin, the production stars Richard Suart, a master of the Gilbert & Sullivan patter roles, as the Learned Judge, alongside a dynamic cast of emerging operatic talent.
Adding to the celebration, Scottish Opera and D’Oyly Carte have commissioned a brand-new satirical opera, A Matter of Misconduct. Written by Emma Jenkins and Toby Hession, this contemporary work is set in the Press Room at No. 9 Downing Street, offering a witty and incisive look at modern political maneuvering and legal loopholes.
Completing this exceptional season is a new production of Franz Lehár’s beloved operetta The Merry Widow, set in Manhattan during the 1950’s and featuring a fresh English translation by John Savournin and David Eaton.
Performance details and ticket information can be found at: Scottish Opera:
https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/shows/trial-by-jury-a-matter-of-misconduct/
Opera Holland Park: https://operahollandpark.com/
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D’OYLY CARTE ISLAND
D'Oyly Carte Island, a unique two-acre private island on the River Thames in Weybridge, Surrey, is a historically significant and picturesque location. Originally known as Folly Eyot, the island was purchased by Richard D'Oyly Carte in 1890, a renowned hotelier and London theatre impresario famous for producing all fourteen of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
At the heart of D'Oyly Carte Island is Eyot House, a grand residence which features 13 bedrooms, a grand ballroom, and five bathrooms. This mansion was used to host Richard and Helen D’Oyly Carte ’s celebrated friends from the world of theatre, arts, journalism, politics, industry, finance, and the aristocracy. The property has been restored to its former glory, ensuring that its historic charm is preserved for future generations.
The island offers a unique blend of seclusion and accessibility. A private footbridge connects the island to the mainland, providing convenient access for visitors while maintaining a sense of exclusivity. Additionally, secure automobile parking is available on the mainland. The island is well-connected to major transport routes, with Heathrow Airport only 18 minutes away and central London easily accessible via train from Walton Station.
Music and entertainment remain central to the island’s identity. D'Oyly Carte Island hosts a variety of cultural events, including theatrical and musical performances in the grand ballroom. The island also features 'D’Oyly’s,' a café and bar offering a selection of food and beverages, making it a popular spot for visitors.
In addition to its musical and cultural significance, D'Oyly Carte Island is a sought-after destination for boating enthusiasts. The island features 13 purpose-built moorings, each equipped with electricity and water supply, allowing visitors to enjoy a tranquil retreat on the River Thames.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS, PLEASE SEE:
HTTPS://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/D%27OYLY_CARTE_ISLAND
FOR A MAP AND DIRECTIONS, PLEASE SEE:
HTTPS://MAPS.APP.GOO.GL/SXQHU5KYC3WQTAFV8
ABOUT AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL ACQUISITION CORPORATION
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation (AIAC) is a diversified industrial group with manufacturing and distribution sites in 24 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. AIAC has acquired and grown non-core subsidiaries and divisions of Boeing, Siemens, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Johnson Controls, Merck, Pfizer, Astellas, Visteon, Carlyle, Ahlstrom, Tolko, Groupe Suez, Groupe Rexel, and many other leading multinational corporations.
AIAC companies serve companies and governmental entities worldwide in all major sectors, including aviation, space, defense, automotive, truck, rail, marine, petrochemical, solar, nuclear, food, confectionary, beverage, civil engineering and infrastructure, commercial construction, mining, dredging, disaster relief, education, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. AIAC companies manufacture materials, components, assemblies, packaging, equipment, and finished products. In addition, AIAC companies are exclusive, authorized distributors of leading branded industrial and consumer products and serve as critical suppliers for major airports, schools, hospitals,
performing art and sports centers, offices and hotels throughout Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. AIAC is a leading manufacturer of building, street, and highway signage in Europe, signage and illumination structures in North America, and a distributor of electrical products throughout France.
Of note, AIAC purchased Boeing Canada in 2005 and has produced over 10,000 unique components for every Boeing jet plane ever since, reliably serving Boeing from manufacturing facilities in North America. A leader in ultra-high precision jet engine component manufacturing, AIAC companies produce 2,200 fan blades and blisks for each jet engine produced by GE, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls Royce, and Honeywell. AIAC companies produce the critical automotive wire and cable for Tesla, GM, Ford, Chrysler- Fiat, Toyota, and Nissan. In connection with its kraft paper manufacturing interests in Canada and the US, AIAC controls and sustainably manages 22 million acres of Manitoba, Canada forestland, an area equivalent in size to the nation of Hungary.
AIAC companies actively support exploration into outer space, manufacturing critical components for launching and propelling spacecraft and satellites. AIAC customers in this sector include NASA, the European Space Agency, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Boeing. AIAC companies also lead in the design and manufacture of undersea umbilical cables for worldwide oceanographic research.
Another AIAC affiliate, located in Germany, designs, manufactures and distributes high performance emergency portable power generators required during natural disasters, including extreme climate events worldwide. Clients include government agencies and the International Red Cross.
ABOUT AIAC PHILANTHROPY
AAIAC and their affiliates support a wide range of nonprofit, nonsectarian, bipartisan organizations which promote international conflict resolution, disaster relief, economic development, environmental sustainability, exploration, and the visual and performing arts.
AIAC supports the following arts and cultural institutions: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, La Societe des Amis de Versailles, the Louvre Museum, the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Morgan Library & Museum, the the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, the Frick Collection, the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., the National Gallery of Ireland, the Fred Jones Jr. Art Museum of the University of Oklahoma, Societa Venezia Per Sempre of Save Venice, the Venice International Foundation the World Monuments Fund, the Baryshnikov Arts Center, the D’Oyly Carte Foundation, the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, the W. S. Gilbert Society, the Sir Arthur Sullivan Society, and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society, Hall, the Encore Society the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and l’Opera National de Paris, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Royal Academy of Music.
AIAC’s beneficiaries which promote international exchange, dispute resolution, and fair trade include the Appeal of the Nobel Peace Laureates Foundation Inc., the Asia Society, the Atlantic Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - Gates Philanthropy Partners, the Bretton Woods Committee, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Carter Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of New York, the Foreign Policy Association, the Institut Française des Relations Internationales, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Crisis Group, the International Rescue Committee, the Japan Society, the JFK School of Government of Harvard University, the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), the Sierra Club, and the Trilateral Commission.
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Media Contact:
Isabel Carro-Toro, Vice President
American Industrial Acquisition Corporation
+34 689 295 827 (Spain)
+ 1 787 244 3175 (USA)
icarro-toro@aiac.com