Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore

I really enjoyed Kington’s’ modern interpretation of Trial by Jury. As with most Gilbert and Sullivan productions, humour is the key and this show was no exception.  I loved the interaction between the ladies chorus, portraying members of the press, and the male chorus as the Jury. Both groups remained in character, exchanging animated banter throughout. Greg Varney was a good Judge, (and a very good Judge was he) and played the role with flourishing style. David Hippard gave a proper ‘Jack the Lad’ performance as the Defendant which was a nice slant on the traditional role. Jim Smith was very commanding as the Usher and Tim Hollinghurst played a very aloof Counsel. Rachel Lingard was a delightful Plaintiff and as she really is pregnant, it added an extra touch of comedy.

The transformation for the second part of the evening was quick and colourful. With the cast back in their more traditional costumes, the audience coasted from the courtroom to the ocean very smoothly. Jim Smiths’ rendition of ‘I am the Captain of the Pinafore’ was perfect and so was the duet between Ralph (David Hippard) and Josephine (Jess Squire). Jess has a good stage presence and can speak volumes with her facial expression and mannerisms. Mark Beaton played Dick Deadeye very well and has a very nice voice. Dilys and Tim Hollinghurst, Greg and Gwen Varney and David Francis all contributed to the overall pleasure of the show. I particularly enjoyed the chorus numbers and the simple choreography for ‘half past ten’ was wonderful.

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