The Gondoliers

Dashing into the Norbury theatre from a stormy night, it was wonderful to be welcomed into the warm by the ABOS team, for their performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers.  Amusingly, there was an early reference in the show to unseasonable rain, echoing the conditions outside! 

The Gondoliers tells the story of Marco and Guiseppe Palmieri, a pair of not-so humble gondoliers who, having met their true loves Tessa and Gianetta, discover that one of them is apparently the long lost Prince of Barataria and was actually married as an infant to Casilda, daughter of the Duke of Plaza-Toro.  Or are they..? 

The show opened with a charming dance to accompany the overture, featuring the first of a number of very nice pieces of choreography from Beth Hemmings, who also led the eight-strong group of dancers.  This set the scene perfectly for the rest of the show and led seamlessly into ‘List and Learn’, a great opening song performed with gusto by almost the entire cast.  There was plenty of humour mined from the concept of so many ladies awaiting the appearance of the gondoliers, which set the tone for a show that was whimsically styled, with many a nod and a wink to the audience.

It wasn’t long before the titular gondoliers arrived in search of wives.  Ben Moore and Tom Mullins excelled as Giuseppe and Marco respectively, their strong singing accompanied by a keen eye for the ridiculousness inherent in the behaviour of these two preening peacocks.  Later, as the story unfolded and the potential for one of them to become a King was revealed, they found plenty of opportunity for comedy alongside a strain of melancholy as they were separated from their true loves.

This pair were well matched by Jen Nunn and Jo Hargreaves as Tessa and Gianetta, their chosen brides who certainly gave as good as they got!  Here were two performances full of wit and charm, well sung and characterful and with good chemistry.  Songs such as ‘When a Merry Maiden Marries’, ‘Here we are at the risk’ and ‘In a Contemplative Fashion’ (alongside Marco and Giuseppe) were superbly well executed, with plenty of sparkly vim and vigour to engage the audience. 

Ian Walton and Hayley Hemmings formed a superb and often hilarious double act as The Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro, forever in search of the Prince of Barataria.  They enjoyed several great scenes together, particularly in the second half as the comic energy was ramped up.  The Duchess in particular seemed to get more and more squiffy as the show went on, to very humorous effect.  Catherine Dhonau was suitably grumpy as their daughter Casilda, being forced to seek out the stranger to whom she is apparently married, when she was really in love with humble attendant Luiz (Jamie Nunn).  Of course, this being G&S there is a surprise waiting in the second act, as Luiz is revealed to be the Prince after all, in an amusingly and effectively staged revelation that also featured a neat lighting effect – well done to Oliver Dixon and the lighting team. 

Finally amongst the principals, Michael Treagust provided a great comic turn as the ridiculous Don Alhambra del Bolero, who nevertheless provided the conclusion to the plot as he tracked down Inez (Melanie Hart) for the big reveal!  There was further strong support from the soloists and ensemble, all of whom played their part in bringing their audience a show full of character and fun.

My congratulations to the production team, including directors Jen Nunn and Ben Moore, and Mike Dhonau who led a very strong fifteen-piece live band with an excellent sound.  This was a show that felt very true to the spirit of Gilbert and Sullivan, eschewing stuffy formality in favour of a fun and sometimes wacky approach of which I feel the great pair would surely have approved.

Scenery was provided by a marbled terrace, augmented with chains of flowers.  This was well constructed and allowed changes in height, making for a very good backdrop for the action.  I liked that the band (or at least some of them) were visible through a gap in the terrace, which also functioned as an effective entrance that was particularly enjoyed by Don Alhambra.  Costumes were also very good, well co-ordinated and absolutely in the spirit of the show (I loved Giuseppe and Marco’s ‘King’ aprons!)  Well done to Wardrobe Mistress Jean Chalk and her team. 

In his introductory programme note, ABOS President notes that The Gondoliers is a favourite of the Society’s, and in presenting this superbly entertaining version of the show it’s well on the way to becoming a favourite of mine too!  Well done to all involved, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

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