RUDDIGORE

I really enjoyed this version of Ruddigore – it was lively, fast-paced and had plenty of humour, plus more choreography than usual!

The Director brought out the fun element with wry comments and good characterisations, whilst making more of a feature of dance/movement than is normal for a G&S production, and I felt the cast strengths were used to help create a diversity of characters. 

Musically the principals were excellent, as was the ladies ensemble, unfortunately there was a small male chorus who did not always make their mark, but the enthusiasm was definitely there.  Just a note that more attention could be given to the balance between voices in trios and duos.

Costumes were mostly good – I loved the bridesmaids dresses, the male suits and ancestors costumes were also very good.  Everything else fitted in well with the era and were colourful.  I felt there was no real need for wigs, as a couple were very artificial and spoiled the general look.

The backdrops were lovely, particularly for Act 2.  The safety notices were also well-presented by the cast trio, and the projection during the overture giving cast details and a brief outline of the storyline was excellent – well thought out.  Lighting and sound were good throughout - no scope for really imaginative lighting but nicely plotted, and sound was a good balance between stage and band, considering no mics were used.

David Laurie (Robin/Sir Ruthven) had a nice demeanour for the character, and interacted well with the other cast members.  I liked his transition to the ‘bad Baronet’ both characterisation and costume-wise.

Harold Liberty (Old Adam) got a good variety of expressions in his role as Ruthven’s servant, I enjoyed the different ways he brought the character to life.

Claire Moore (Rose) gave a charming portrayal, very well sung, giving us a good sense of her confusion over her various suitors!  Claire looked suitably demure, but was also more forceful when she needed to be.

Dave Anstice-Pim (Dick) had a very definite twinkle in his eye, sang with great musicality and vigour and showed his dancing skills with some very nimble moves.  A very good addition to the PBGS family, and someone I hope to see more of in future productions.

Peter Davis (Sir Despard) gave us the two sides of his character very well, and had a good relationship with Margaret, nicely sung.  

Jessica Hallett (‘Mad’ Margaret) was outstanding on all fronts – lovely voice, plenty of expression, light and shade, with such diversity of expressions, a very accomplished performer.

Sue Wookey (Dame Hannah) gave gravitas, humour and an articulate well sung performance – whilst her counterpart, David Crew (Sir Roderic) complemented her, and showed his empathy as well as strength in his portrayal, again beautifully sung.

Katharine Crew (Zorah) created a delightfully bright person, flirting nicely with Dick and interacting well with Karen Wedekind (Ruth) and Gill Davidson (Laetitia), along with the other bridesmaids, giving us a charmingly light-hearted group.

Overall a nicely presented production, good musicality and a fresh approach, meaning we had a really good evening’s entertainment.  My thanks to David Crew and the FoH ladies who made us very welcome, it was good to catch up with the Director after the show, along with other Society members – thank you all.

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