HMS Pinafore

It is always a pleasure to come and see Ipswich G & S’s annual production and this did not disappoint.  G & S productions can be performed in any time period and for this one Director, James had rolled it back to the 18th Century with all the lavish costumes which were a spectacle in themselves.  The men in their smart sailor suits and the ladies along with the chorus of “Sisters Cousins and Aunts” as they were called, were absolutely beautiful together with their wigs and hats.  Moving around stage with their multitude of large, hooped petticoats is no easy task and I did see a Facebook post of them in rehearsals in their petticoats to get used to them, such was their attention to detail!

This was a well-directed production and James had certainly captured all the comic humour in both the script and visually in the choreography which was cleverly portrayed.  The attentive and supportive audience certainly appreciated, as did we, the comedy aspects along with the anachronisms which kept cropping up.

The story revolves around one of those all too familiar scenarios with the Captain’s daughter Josephine who is in love with a sailor Ralph Rackstraw, but with the typical British society class system of the time he is regarded too lowly and her father wants her to marry Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Becca Kirby was the delightful Josephine, with Mark Ellis as the Captain of the HMS Pinafore along with Paul Jennings as Sir Joseph Porter and Phillip Tattersall as Ralph, the Able Seaman making up the love triangle. They all captured their characters perfectly picking up on the comedy acting, good timing and facial expressions and excellent throughout all their numerous musical numbers. Mention must also go to Lucy Pakes as the formidable Hebe (Sir Joseph’s Cousin) and Mareth Bassett as Little Buttercup who eventually gets her man. These strong principals were supported by an equally talented ensemble who sang and danced their way through the show with gusto.  I know you had some illness in one of the leads who carried on like a real trooper, with the cast covering any problems so your audience were never made aware of any of this. The show must go on, or should I say, you all sailed your way through brilliantly.

This was Sue Wightman, the Musical Directors’ second production with Ipswich G & S having moved to Suffolk in 2021. With 23 numbers in this show the cast certainly gave us some great performances. Traditionally G & S are performed without microphones as was the case here. Unfortunately, we did lose the occasional words when the singers were slightly too quiet but generally, they were performed to a high standard. This was complemented by the excellent, full 14-piece orchestra. It was a joy to hear and a rare thing in amateur theatre these days being a luxury that many venues cannot accommodate.

The set, which did not change throughout, looked good with stairs on each side of the stage leading to an upper Poop Deck, giving some good tableaus with the elegantly dressed ladies making a colourful spectacle. This was enhanced with some equally colourful lighting effects changing the mood of the scenes along with the occasional sound effects, particularly evident when one of the sailors was thrown overboard. A very effective and comic moment.

We and your sell out audience were certainly treated to an enjoyable and entertaining evening. Thank you to James and all who made this possible. We will look forward to Iolanthe next year.

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