Pirates of Penzance/Mikado

Having performed in both of these shows in the past, I was intrigued as to how they were both going to be performed on the same evening, and I wasn’t disappointed. Ruth Shelley and Liam Simkins had been very skilful in condensing the script into chunks for narrators, who were very clear throughout both performances, and minimum dialogue for the cast, making sure to include all recognisable musical numbers.

The performance began with The Pirates of Penzance, where our hero Frederic, a junior pirate, sets about wooing Mabel on his 21st birthday, only to find he was born on February 29th therefore Frederic isn't technically 21! The arias and duets by both characters were well performed and their voices complemented each other beautifully, Frederic even produced some moves that Elvis himself would have been proud of! Gilbert & Sullivan are well known for their patter songs, none more so than the Major General song which was well delivered and never ceases to impress. Although many would not associate Gilbert & Sullivan with humour, there was plenty of it, displayed in this performance by Ruth the nursery maid who made sure that the audience were not short of material to laugh at. There were also notable performances from The Pirate King and the Sergeant of Police, giving us well performed songs to tap our feet to. These were well supported by a very musical ensemble, with strong harmonies throughout.

During the interval we were served with a magnificent Cream Tea. Personally, I stayed with the Cornish theme and made sure I put jam on my scone first followed by cream! This was very well presented, and thanks must go to the people who produced them.

We then turned our attention to the town of Titipu for the performance of the Mikado. A tale of a wandering minstrel by the name of Nanki-Poo, he comes in search of his beloved, a schoolgirl called Yum-Yum.  Here again, we were treated to arias and duets from the leading couple who continued the high standard of soloists associated with Walsall G & S. Quartets and trios were equally performed with quality and expression, personal favourites of mine were 3 little maids and the quartet singing Brightly dawns our wedding day. There were also commendable performances from the Lord High Executioner, Pooh-Bah and Katisha who certainly know how to perform a song.  Once again, there were strong harmonies from a well-disciplined chorus.  I must make reference to The Mikado himself, whose diction was superb, being able to hear every single syllable he uttered.

The costumes for Pirates and Mikado were well thought out and very effective, as were the simplified props which added to the performances, there was also good use of projection for scenery.

Both performances were expertly accompanied by Rachel Eyre on the piano under the direction of Liam Simkins for Pirates and Ian Hayward for The Mikado, with clear musical guidance for everyone on stage.

All in all, the evening was very entertaining and enjoyable and was in keeping with the high standard set by Walsall G & S, congratulations to all involved.

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