The Gondoliers

Thank you for your kind invitation to report on your recent production of “The Gondoliers” at the Mission Theatre, Bath.  I found myself wondering how you would fit this production into such a restricted space, in depicting Venice, alongside a palace, a plaza and the canals. I also wondered what creative elements would be incorporated into the show, to bring the fun up to date.  

The set was very ingenious, with a venetian bridge at one end of the space and gondolier mooring posts at the other.  This allowed the action to pass over distance with varying height, making the most of the available space. The idea of the window and masks on the back wall created a highly believable depiction of Venice, helped by the changing projection onto this back wall of appropriate scenes of the city. The interval change to the palace was very well done, showing the ingenuity and excellent planning in set design. Well done!

There was a very real sense of fun in the production, which was maintained throughout and was very much appreciated by the audience.  The Duchess being played as a pantomime dame was a wonderful touch, as was the mismatch in size between herself and the Duke, while her falsetto singing was amazing!  Also, Luiz being played as a principal boy heightened the sense of pantomime, as did the appearance onstage of the “walking” gondola.  Yet these touches of pantomime were beautifully in balance with the original score of the show, creating a really fun event. 

The music played live by a small group of musicians was excellent, and well adapted to the fun being had onstage.  Actually, I found that the simple orchestration made it easier to hear many of the musical nuances to very good effect and supported the singing well. The sound and lighting were well done in being unobtrusive but effective in bringing focus and sunshine into the theatre.

The costumes were very good, especially in the extraordinary wigs worn by the Duchess.  At first I was not sure about the matching dresses for all the contadine, but they looked lovely in the dances and hid the principal girls well in the opening.  The men’s costumes were very good with suitable jackets adding greatly to the sense of past times and a different world.  The choreography by the director was highly creative and fitted the atmosphere of the show very well. It enabled both sides of the audience to fully engage with the performances while creating interesting interactions between the characters onstage.  The moves for Don Alhamba were particularly good and enhanced his character to very good effect.

A special mention must be made of the walking gondola. This was an amazing piece of theatre, as the boat came in to collect Luiz with two gondoliers moving it round the stage. The small steps of the gondoliers were so well matched and the concept so creative that it deservedly won its own round of applause.  It was good that Luiz stepped down into it as if it were a real boat, and the name ‘Piazza Express’ was wonderful!  

However, as ever it was the cast that brought the show to life with some exceptional performances as listed below:

Duke of Plaza-Toro:  was well portrayed as hen-pecked and sometimes subdued. However, the egotistical side of his character was somewhat underplayed, possibly needing more flamboyant gestures and “business.”  His facial expressions were good and he was excellently paired with the Duchess, particularly size-wise, bringing extra humour to the role.

Luiz:  was perfectly portrayed as a jaunty pantomime Principal Boy, complete with the boots!  His disappointment at the loss of his lady love was very well depicted. How she sang the part at pitch was amazing!

Don Alhambra del Bolero:  a sinister, black-garbed figure, he was portrayed as sophisticated, suave and urbane.  The calculated pauses in his speech making him a spine-chilling character.  Superbly acted, and an exceptional performance.  

Marco Palmieri:  was delightfully portrayed as light-hearted and fun-loving.  He had excellent interaction with Giuseppe and was well-paired with Gianetta.  An exuberant, amusing performance that was very well acted.

Giuseppe Palmieri:  a lively, high-spirited portrayal, he brought out much of the humour in the role, reacting well with Marco and Tessa. His theatrical gestures made this a most entertaining and memorable performance.

Duchess of Plaza-Toro:  this was delightfully played in drag, with wonderfully innovative pantomime elements.  This character kept up his/her feminine mannerisms throughout and was portrayed as domineering and very conscious of her own importance.  With excellent body language and facial expressions, she interacted well with the other characters.  An outstanding performance.

Casilda:  was well portrayed as a strong character. She clearly showed her scorn for her shady family and great indignation at her early marriage.  She interacted well with her lost love, Luiz and her hapless father, the Duke.

Gianetta:  charmingly portrayed as a bubbly, vivacious character, she made a good partner for Marco.  With excellent body language and facial expression, this was a well-acted and animated performance.

Tessa:  was excellently depicted as a quietly confident character, with good facial expression and a glowing smile.  Her gleeful anticipation of becoming a queen, then her disgruntled realisation it was not to be, were amusing and well portrayed.

Inez:  was portrayed with great drama and immense stage presence, culminating in the triumphant declaration of Luiz as king. A small but vital role very well played.

The chorus were beautifully individual, with clear facial expressions and good body language.  They were never out of character and added an effective backdrop to much of the action.  Well done!

Altogether this was a wonderfully creative and entertaining evening, with good music and singing throughout, and a great sense of fun. Good use was made of all the available space in this small theatre, and it was lovely to see that the cast were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Such enjoyment is always infectious!  Congratulations to all involved on another exceptional production!  Thank you.

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