Pirates Of Penzance

Gilbert & Sullivan Operettas seem to be having a bit of a revival, although they were never rally out of fashion.  The joy of this particular show is that is can be re-interpreted in any period and it still works well.

Director Alli Smith chose a time in the future, which gave plenty of scope for some interesting costumes, all of which I loved!  The simple set was absolutely fine for the show with the use of simple pieces of moveable scenery there was no need for an elaborate set.

All the company gave excellent performances; there is a lot of talent in this society and it is nice to see it being utilised so well.  Ian Southgate (Frederic) gave his usual well considered and strong performance and Marcia Alderson was a revelation as Mabel, such an effortless and beautiful singing voice, it was a pleasure to watch her singing.   

Martin Harris was terrific as Major-General Stanley.    Martin has mastered the art of the G&S ‘speciality’ song so well and his performance of A Modern Major General was a joy to witness.  Alastair McIlwraith was excellent as the Pirate King and his cohort of pirates all had great individual characters.  Sarah Mayes (Ruth) gave a good performance in this role, which is often overlooked as principal character.   The sisters were all well portrayed and the individuality of their costumes came out in their characterisations as well.

The ensemble worked really hard and giving the policemen a futuristic uniform was an inspired idea, allowing the director to switch performers into the roles as needed.  This was a small company, by G&S standards, but the performance worked on all levels.

Thank you for your hospitality, BOS, I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

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