HMS Pinafore

Review HMS Pinafore & Trial by Jury

HMS Pinafore

The action takes place aboard HMS Pinafore and is the story of romance, class and politics is full of humour was first performed in 1878 and is still enjoyed by audiences today.

The Overture conducted by Musical Director Keira Watson welcomed the audience and was a joy to sit and listen to giving a taste of the musical we could expect. The curtains opened to a simple but colourful set of the ships deck. It was filled with a Chorus of brightly dressed sailors singing and dancing We Sail the Ocean Blue ably led by Boatswain Bob Bobstay (Trevor Roberts) . Buttercup (Kathryn Buxton) selling her wares and hinting of a dark secret, Dick Deadeye (Leon Waksberg) looking and acting suitably loathsome. Enter Ralph Rackstraw (John Tattersall) a rating singing liltingly about his love for the captain’s daughter Josephine (Anna Trent)who had a powerful soprano voice . As usual in G&S the Captain Corcoran (Edward Thornton) wouldn’t consent to this due to the difference in class. She was promised to Sir Joseph Porter KCB, First Lord of the Admiralty. (Richard Buxton). I really enjoyed his comic telling of how he became into that title, obviously not on his knowledge of the High Seas. His Sisters Cousins and Aunts arriving through the audience then filled the stage with excellent singing from all. In the end all was settled when the secret was revealed that Ralph and Captain Corcoran had been swapped at birth so it all ended happily.

The music and singing throughout was very good. The costumes were colourful and fitted the Victorian era. I liked the lighting of the rigging in the second half which brought a gasp from the audience when the curtains lifted.

Trial by Jury

A short one act comic opera written in 1868 it is the story of a breach of promise and makes fun of the system in place at that time.

A court setting with The Learned Judge (John Tattersall) on a high platform at the back presiding over it. Members of the Jury (all men) with The Foreman (David Prosser) on one side and The Public Gallery (women) on the other side. The costumes were again colourful but for this they were modern and up to date including computers and microphones for Ladies of the Press. I thought it was very clever to make this change.

The Defendant Edward (Steven Greenwood) arrived looking worse for wear and had obviously just come from a night on the tiles. The Plaintiff Angelina (Rowena Thornton)) flirts with the Judge and the Jury members by feigning distress and falling into their arms. The Council for the Plaintiff (Leon Waksberg) details Edwin’s betrayal. The Usher of the Court (Nigel Rothery) tries to keep some resemblance of order. The whole thing descends into chaos and all ends happily when the Judge offers to marry The Plaintiff. The whole thing was very entertaining and the audience appreciated the timing of the ball of knitting wool flying into the courtroom.

I attended with someone who had not seen G&S before and she really enjoyed both shows as did I.

Well done for the staging, costumes, music and singing throughout the evening.

Special mention to Musical director Keira Watson and Stage Director Christine Roberts

Congratulations to all concerned for an excellent evening’s entertainment.

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