Trial by Jury & HMS Pinafore

Theatregoers in Stamford were offered a bargain when the local Gilbert & Sullivan Players staged a double bill production of “Trial by Jury” and “HMS Pinafore”. As its title suggests, the first piece follows the progress of court proceedings of a breach of promise case and was the first collaborative work produced by the great duo. This relatively short one act opera is entirely without dialogue, thus it presents an extensive range of opportunities for the vocalists to support the messages contained in the songs with actions and, my goodness, what a lively innovative bunch they turned out to be. Having been in session’s courts many times as Tipstaff, responsible for ensuring good conduct of the people in court, never did I see such wickedly entertaining behaviour by those seeking to attract attention as I witnessed in this case. Guilty of such behaviour was The Judge (Ian Ferguson), Counsel (Margaret Wainwright), Usher (Ken Wainwright), Plaintiff (Ruth Palmer), and Defendant (Laurence Lewis)! Following the interval there was a lively production of one of Gilbert & Sullivan’s more popular works - “HMS Pinafore”. During the overture to this operetta a group of young students from the Welland School of Dance performed a cleverly choreographed routine that was skilfully executed and much appreciated by the audience. The leading players were well cast and very capably supported by a strong chorus; Sullivan’s music was brilliantly performed by the fifteen piece orchestra under the direction of Lynne Loose whose interpretation was magnificent. Adam Bishop, who has considerable experience in the work of G&S, produced these highly entertaining humorous shows with costumes and sets of a high standard. Well done all who were involved! 

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