YORK Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society unveils its new offshoot, YAODS Youth, next week. In the week Paul Laidlaw directs the senior company in a Gilbert & Sullivan double bill of Trial By Jury and HMS Pinafore next Tuesday to Saturday, the youth group stages its inaugural show: one performance only of HMS Pinafore next Saturday afternoon.

Society stalwart Richard Bainbridge, Instructor of Drama at Thirsk School, directs this complementary production, and Jessa Marshall, music co-ordinator at Wigginton School, is the musical director.

Society chairman Jim Welsman says: "The young people's version of HMS Pinafore is a full-scale, traditional production with costumes, scenery and orchestra. This is quite a challenge but will give us the opportunity to build for the future.

"The decision to set up YAODS Youth was made in response to the enthusiasm of the young people involved in our Celebration 2000 concerts and we realised we should nurture this talent."

Explaining the historical reasoning behind the choice of HMS Pinafore for YAODS Youth's debut show, Jim says: "HMS Pinafore first set sail from London's Opera Comique in May 1878, and despite largely excellent reviews, a long hot summer combined with the sleazy location of the Opera Comique resulted in the box-office takings sinking rapidly.

"In desperation, Sullivan included a Pinafore selection in a Prom concert at Covent Garden and this proved so successful that almost overnight Pinafore was re-floated, selling 10,000 copies of the score in a single day. The revived success of Pinafore led to a children's production which was performed daily in the morning.

"So, we've decided to repeat this event with our youth section performing HMS Pinafore as its inaugural production."

Meanwhile, the senior York Amateur company will be presenting Paul Laidlaw's new, updated version of Trial By Jury, in which the trial is set in heaven and all the jury are clerics.

Paul has stepped down from his role of musical director for YAODS. He will be concentrating solely on directing duties, and John Parkes has picked up the musical director's baton, with effect from this autumn production.

Familiar YAODS performers such as Graham Kay, David Hinde, Eric Daines, Mick Liversidge, Stephanie Crossley, Paul Blenkiron, Susan Blenkiron and Jenny Cohen are starring in HMS Pinafore. Joining their ranks for the first time will be Harrogate Gilbert and Sullivan Society performer Kevin Burton in the role of Ralph Rackstraw.

Trial By Jury and HMS Pinafore will be staged at 7.30pm, October 10 to 14, and tickets are on sale at £7.50, concessions £6, at York Theatre Royal, tel 01904 623568. Tickets for YAODS Youth's 2.30pm performance of HMS Pinafore next Saturday cost £6, concessions £5.