Revisions to the original include added dialogue for the maidens in Act I; new final verses for "Oh, Better Far to Live and Die" and "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" (which contains a specific reference to John Turner's 1984 Prime Ministry of Canada); and the ballet music for the fight between the pirates and policemen in Act II.
It has long been customary, when performing W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's operetta The Pirates of Penzance, to include many blatant anachronisms and breaks in the fourth wall. In particular, there is a tradition of adding a verse to the Major General's Song that describes very recent culture or politics. In this 1985 version, it is "I even know how short a time John Turner was Prime Minister." Turner's 11-week term as prime minister (30 June - 17 September 1984) is the second shortest in Canadian history. The shortest was Sir Charles Tupper, in office 1 May - 8 July 1896.
Wendy Abbott's debut.