Saw a fantastic production of The Pirates of Penzance.
I like Musical and Gilbert and Sullivan is great fun - I know this has been out of fashion for some time but maybe it's on its way back!?
This production was fantastic, the costumes, the make-up, great comic timing, the orchestra and most of all the singing!
I think I first saw Gilbert and Sullivan aged 15, as an amateur production done at the local all girls private school (my mother taught physics their). I remember being really impressed - I think they teamed up with local boys private school. This was elite schooling at it best, teenagers doing something quite remarkable.
Today's production was cracking again - I was really impressed with the Carl Rosa Opera company! Mabel (lead soprano) trilled beautifully, a soaring wonderful voice. Samuel was sung by a well-rounded and deeply comfortable voice.
This is sung nearly perfectly by a very talented ensemble, complemented by some excellent individual performers, including two members of the original cast of Phantom of the Opera. Everyone sang well with brilliantly clear diction too, something so very necessary in getting across the full humour and cleverness of the lyrics. Rosie Ashe as pirate wench Ruth was superb, dexterously handling her exposition-heavy lyrics yet still hitting all the right comedic notes; Barry Clark’s Major General and Bruce Graham’s Police Sergeant were both nicely bumptious and Katy Batho impressed with a piercingly clear voice, hitting those top notes with a beautiful sound.
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