Old Achimotans, as well as students in forms three and two of the school staged the operatta as part of events marking the 90^th year celebrations of the school. The auditorium was charged from the beginning of the operatta to the very end where the cast received a standing ovation from the audience.  The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was not left out of the excitement.  He graced the occasion with his beautiful wife, Rebecca. Other dignitaries present included, former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.

The Pirates of Penzance, more appropriately described as an operatta, because it is of a shorter version than the original opera, utilizes simpler musical arrangements and incorporates dialogue and a lot of comedy. The original lyrics were revised by Akora Nii Teiko Evans-Anfom of the 1974 year group who played the part of the Pirate King. Additional lyrics were provided by Akora Ananda Glover-Akpey of the 1984 year group who was also the Director of Music. Akora Kenn Kafui, who taught music at Achimota School for a number of years conducted Act 1 of the operatta and was also responsible for voice training of the cast. Akora Chrys Mensah Placa of the 1978 year group, conducted Act 2 of the operatta and was also the Master of song.

The Pirates of Penzance, also known as the Slave of Duty was written by W.S. Gilbert and the music scored by Arthur Sullivan.

Penzance is a coastal town where a band of ill-reputed pirates hang out. One of the them, Frederick, played by Akora Nana Dwemoh Benneh of the 1989 year group, was sent in the care of his nursemaid, Ruth, played by Akora Ann Selorm Fesu of the 2012 year group, to be apprenticed to a pilot. But she misunderstood her instructions, being hard of hearing, and apprenticed him instead to the Pirate King where she also stayed serving as a piratical-maid-of-all-work. Now turning 21 years old, Frederick’s service is finished, so he decides to leave the Pirates of Penzance. Ruth wants him to take her with him, as she had had her eyes on him as a prospective husband. Her chances are improved by the fact that hers is the only woman’s face that the young lad has seen and she had convinced him that she was beautiful.

However, Frederick soon meets some young maidens, the daughters of Major-General Stanley, acted by Akora Edward Owusu-Nyarko (1989) and realizes that 47 year old Ruth is "plain and old". Frederick quickly falls in love with one of them, Mabel acted by Akora Irene Logan (2003). He has a strong "sense of duty" and has vowed to lead a blameless life and to exterminate the pirates. Soon, however, the pirates return and seize the girls. Their father then arrives and lies to the pirates, telling them that he is an orphan. He knows that they are orphans themselves and never attack an orphan.

After the pirates leave, General Stanley wrestles with his conscience, having told a lie. Mabel and Frederick try to cheer him up, and Frederick engages the constabulary to help him defeat the pirates. The police arrive, but they turn out to be timid. Then, the Pirate King and Ruth find Frederick alone. They have reviewed the fine print on his apprenticeship indenture and have discovered that he is still a pirate because he was born in a leap year on February 29, meaning that he can only celebrate his birthday every four years. And so to them, he was only 5years and a quarter. He will, therefore, not be out of his indentures to the pirates until his 21st birthday when he actually turns about 63 years. Mabel agrees to wait for Frederic until then.

The Police return and, hearing the pirates approach, they hide. The pirates who have been told that the Major General lied about being an orphan, arrive and seize the still guilt-ridden Major-General. The police are coaxed to battle the pirates, but they are defeated. However, the Sergeant of Police, acted by Akora George Fleischer-Brock (2012) calls on the pirates to yield. The pirates tearfully do so and release the Major-General, surrendering to the police. The Major-General pardons them and invites them to marry his daughters, and all ends happily.

Since 1879, The Pirates of Penzance has entralled audiences the world over from the theatres of Broadway in New York to theatres in London.

In Achimota School, the operatta has seen many different troupes and performances over the years, the more recent one being in 1975 and in 1985, for which His Excellency, Akora Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and Akora Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the First Lady at the time, were in attendance as special invited guests.