The Hot Mikado

This could be described as an American take-over of a Savoy opera but such is the quality of the original that it survives without difficulty.  With only minimal interference, Gilbert’s libretto still brings plenty of laughs and much of the “business”, whilst not perhaps D’Oyly Carte, is familiar from more modern productions of the original. It is, however, Sullivan’s tunes which receive the more brutal treatment, transformed as they are into a variety of styles, a 1940s mixture of jazz, blues, swing and even gospel.

Though something of a shock to a regular G and S performer at first, I soon adapted to the change and found myself eagerly anticipating each of the familiar songs, albeit that this adaptation omits one or two of the originals.  What this treatment brings, of course, is the opportunity for much livelier dance routines and these were the highlights of this production.  It has been a few years since the Company has chosen a show which allows their members to show us their dancing skills to this extent and they lost no time in seizing the opportunity to do so.  Each of the principals handled their roles with confidence and those with experience of more traditional G and S productions adapted to the style without difficulty.  I particularly enjoyed the performance of Laura Meek as Katisha, a Cruella De-vil, complete with a costume owing something to the canines she so admired, who described her predicament with an appropriate torch song style of delivery.  Costumes and hair styles faithfully reflected 1940s America rather than Japan and credit also goes to David Pumfrey and Sarah Jewell for the design of the attractive art deco set, built by members of the Company, which also housed the seven-piece “Titipu Town Band” and singers.                   

The question remains: would Sullivan be turning in his grave or would he himself have written in this musical style had he been born sixty years later?  Judging by the pleasure which this production gave to the cast and to the audience, including this G and S stalwart, it scarcely matters.    

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