The Grand Duke

To mark the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary, the society staged a rousing production of this lesser-known work from the G & S stable.  Although the plot is difficult for the uninitiated to follow, which may account for its lack of popularity, the music is very much up to scratch, and I thought that this production had more in the way of sparkle and vitality than some recent showings of more familiar works.  The staging was colourful in both scenery and costume, the action was crisp and good for pace, and the ensemble numbers, containing both movement and dance, were disciplined and well-rehearsed.

Much of the credit, however, must go to the handful of leading parts.  Mark Ward’s bubbling enthusiasm for all things G&S shone through in his portrayal of Ludwig, while Lisa Axworthy’s debut with the company as Julia was a revelation in both song and stagecraft.  Some of the society’s faithful ‘old-stagers’, (if they will excuse the expression), in the form of Jane Sykes, Brian Oliver, Christine Eastwood and Brian Morgan, projected their respective characters with relish and aplomb and were rock solid in support.  Once again director Nigel Finch forsook the rostrum in favour of the stage, handing his baton over to guest conductor Sarah Heard.  The orchestra of some seventeen players was up to its customary high standard throughout.  However, one issue to arise here, highlighted by complexity of this unfamiliar plot, was that of balance between voice and accompaniment.  On occasions, the words so essential to the understanding and enjoyment of the storyline were lost, and one wonders whether judicious use of voice microphones, as abhorrent as they may seem to some, might be helpful in resolving this problem.

But all things considered, this production was more than worthy of the event that it was chosen to celebrate, and most certainly deserved better audience attendance than it got.

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