Trial by Jury & HMS Pinafore

I am not going to give anything of a synopsis as I suspect anyone taking the time and trouble to read this will be in the Society and therefore more than aware of the plots – and after all they have all been rehearsing it for months!!  Suffice it to say that Trial is the ‘accepted’ curtain raiser to Pinafore and Pinafore itself was was the 4th opera in the Gilbert & Sullivan collaboration and their first international sensation.

This is not going to be an easy review to pen – mainly because all that really needs to be said can be said in a single sentence – It was a superb production, with excellent singers, a great chorus, bright and colourful, and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole evening.  Indeed, my consort for the evening (another great G & S fan) said it was the best show he had seen for some considerable time.   However, you probably want a little more than that so here goes…..

I must start by congratulating the entire Company on probably the best sound balance I have heard anywhere for quite some considerable time add to that the simply superb diction from the entire cast, chorus and principals alike which meant that we heard every single word – very, very many thanks and congratulations.

The orchestra were excellent not too loud and the overture was a delight to listen to. I was pleased that Trial was conducted as a ‘straight through’ so that the deserved applause came at the end.  The MD (and singers) are also to be congratulated in that I heard harmony lines, which I know are included, but which quite frankly I have never heard before – and they sounded wonderful also it was great to actually be able to hear Dead-eye over, but with, the chorus.

I also liked the very gentle and (for the most part) non-intrusive ‘updating’ the odd word here and there makes all the difference to modernising the whole thing, and throughout both shows there were some lovely and very funny directoral touches.  I would have expected a few more salutes particularly from Ralph and I saw some non-naval salutes too!  I loved the freezes which generally worked really well, and made some great pictures – but to make them really effective there should be no movement whatever, just one matelot was moving his head!   There were just a couple of ‘sticky’ moments in Pinafore and I was uncertain if they were memory lapses or a stumble over a word change but they in no way marred the enjoyment – indeed I suspect anyone who was not totally familiar with the show would hardly have noticed.  Movement was excellent and in no way intruded into the plot.

Costumes were very good across both shows – I especially liked the lady’s dresses in Pinafore (I am assuming we were in the 50’s) but whatever decade they looked simply splendid.  The uniforms looked quite good – from a distance I would have said they were authentic matelots jerseys – although the captains jacket looked like an ordinary blazer, there was no ‘scrambled egg’ on his hat, and the bosun had been promoted to a sub-lieutenant!  (Sorry, ex-WREN so really nit-picking now).   

The chorus were, as previously mentioned, excellent – really good and appropriate action and reaction to what was going on, very well-drilled and some super singing and diction.

Likewise the principals – the singing was simply superb – many wonderful characterisations across the whole cast with not a single weak link, good and very clear diction, great facial expressions and reactions, and simply delightful singing and whoever thought of Buttercup as first of all a Lancastrian then as Hylda Baker it was a touch of absolute brilliance – I was shaking with laughter every time she was on stage!

All in all a most memorable evening for all the right reasons – thank you SO much for a great show really showcasing how good G & S is – I thoroughly enjoyed every moment.  Thank you for making me so very welcome and for your kind and generous hospitality.

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