The Gondoliers

The Cambridge Light Opera Group has once again demonstrated their passion in bringing the timeless works of Gilbert and Sullivan to life with their latest production of The Gondoliers. This operetta, which first premiered in 1889, blends whimsical satire with charming musicality and the usually complex plot.

From the moment one entered the village hall, the audience was transported to the canals of Venice, with different levels and a couple of eye catching bridges. The Venetian setting was complemented well by the expected stripey shirts and vibrant costumes of the various Gondoliers and townsfolk. This set was completely transformed in Act 2 into the royal household of Barataria. This was not as visually appealing as the Venetian set but a good effort to completely transform it and I like the fact the cast came out in ‘workmans’ costumes to do the rebuild.

The show was well cast with the two main Gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, played by the talented duo of Alec Buchan and Lucas Elkin. Their vocal performances were both powerful and captured the comedic elements of their roles.

The female leads, Gianetta and Tessa, portrayed by Vic Olphin and Caille Peri respectively, were equally impressive. All the lead vocals blended well and the ladies’ individual arias were delivered with technical precision.

The supporting cast, including the Duke of Plaza-Toro (Lake Falconer), the Duchess (Caroline Dyson), and Don Alhambra del Bolero or the Grand Inquisitor (Ariel Cahn), added depth and humour to the production, each delivering performances that complemented the main storyline. It was also nice to see some younger faces getting involved in G&S, with Luiz (James Rosser) doing a fine job falling for Casilda (Joanna Brabbs) who was one of the standouts of the evening both in terms of vocals, energy and performance.

The musical direction by Cleo Loi, playing as always several instruments, was proficient and delivered a good depth of orchestration with a small number of instruments. It was clear that a lot of work has been done in this location to overcome the acoustics of the hall to get a good balance between the orchestra and the singers as this was an issue in the past.

The whole production was supported well by the chorus with some strong harmonies and good diction, a vital component of any Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.

The staging and choreo was executed well throughout and Helen Bernacki should be commended for bringing the show together. I felt there was a little too much static singing out to the audience and just looking at each other. I do recognise that perhaps this is more a Gilbert and Sullivan stylistic choice, but I felt the ‘acting through song’ choices could have been more developed.

I heard very positive comments from the audience as the show concluded which is always the goal, so well done to all involved. I look forward to next  year’s production of the next Gilbert and Sullivan.

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