PIRATES are renowned for sailing the seven seas and travelling to distant lands, and in the aid of York Opera’s November production of The Pirates Of Penzance, one such pirate has been doing just that.

However, this is no ordinary pirate. He is the York Opera Pirate Bear, and to spread the word of the show he has been travelling from coast to coast and even making trips across the English Channel. He has indeed, to quote Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta, been climbing over rocky mountains and skipping rivulet and fountain.

As he is a pirate bear from the 21st century, however, he has seen fit to let the world know where he has visited by posting pictures of his adventures on Twitter. Leaving York on the day of Le Grand Depart, he commandeered a boat travelling along the Ouse and set off for the rest of the United Kingdom. He he has since visited London, Cambridge, Norwich, Bristol and Scotland.

Pirate Bear has been involved in all kinds of mischief, whether entering a photography competition on the Norfolk Broads or seeing his cousins at Bristol Zoo. He has even managed to stop by his hometown of Penzance for a visit. From there, he made his way to the Continent to sip cocktails in Paris and taste wine in Italy, and in between trips he managed to sneak in his very own ice bucket challenge.

The pictures documenting his escapades can be found at the York Opera Twitter page, @yorkopera, and Pirate Bear will return to York in time for the production run at York Theatre Royal from November 4 to 8.

At the 4.30pm Saturday show, he will help to adjudicate a Best Dressed Pirate competition, with a prize for the most piratical entry. Who knows what kind of adventures might follow for him afterwards? For it is a glorious thing to be a Pirate Bear.

• Tickets for the Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm shows are on sale on 01904 623568 or at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk