THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Touring to 4 May 2002

Tour

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
by Gilbert and Sullivan. Joe Papp's version.

Runs 2hr 25min One interval
Review Timothy Ramsden 3 December 2001 at Milton Keynes Theatre

Upbeat and over the top: Papp's Gilbert and Sullivan is a fine night out.It started out – literally out – in Regent's Park last summer. Revived there this year, these Pirates are off on a long round the country voyage. Not surprisingly, for this is a show that gives the best of two musical worlds. Sullivan's abundant tunes gain greatly from being structured according to the serious opera he pined after, and Gilbert's florid verbal inventiveness, which at times is mustily Victorian, more often works at a fine level of wit. Then there's Broadway pzzazz and New York knowingness. The two styles parody each other and a great time can be had by all watching this happen.

Gary Wilmot's Pirate King does not have the acrobatic prowess of his Regent's Park predecessor, but he employs a comic charm that is very – well, Gary Wilmot - only descending into panto. mode for a few moments in act two. At times it seems there's a camp competition going on between Wilmot, David Alder's mutton-chopped Major General Stanley and Giles Taylor's physically expressive Police Sergeant (in a two-striped uniform).

Highest in the competitiveness stakes must be Karen Evans' Mabel. This sweet little Miss was clearly the prima donna of the nursery and her glittering smile, which goes with the ability to take a bow before she's sung the song, is soon wiped off to reveal the tough nut under the sugar coating if anyone else tries to get a solo moment in edgewise.

Mind you, her sisters may come on dressed and dimpled like nineteenth century maidens but as soon as the male eye is averted, their sudden keenness for Frederic's male form, not to mention some very lustful sounds from the lower brass, show how closely, and competitively, they're teetering on the brink of a Victorian abyss.

Good work too at Milton Keynes from Alison Crowther, stepping up a generation to the matronly role of Ruth for a Su Pollard indisposed with a bout of panto. rehearsal in Llandudno.

Director Ian Talbot and choreographer Gillian Gregory use choric groups inventively, while Terry Parsons only encourages them with his set. This includes gravestones, some fixed so the pirates can emerge as if rising from the dead, other moveable so they can be slammed about by the pirates as if they really were in an Anvil Chorus.

Pirate King: Gary Wilmot
Ruth: Su Pollard
Major-General David Alder
Frederic: Joshua Dallas
Sergeant/Pirate: Giles Taylor
Samuel/Policeman: Mark Roper
Pirates/Policemen: Jamie Beamish, Steve Bradford, Rodger Dunklee, Howard Ellis, Dickon Gough, Andrew Hutchings, Ramin Karimloo
Mabel: Karen Evans
Edith: Sara Hillier
Kate: Alison Crowther
Isobel: Eileen Hunter
Nora: Catrin Darnell
Sailors: Sue O' Brien, Pierre Fabre

Director: Ian Talbot
Designer: Terry Parsons
Lighting: Jason Taylor
Sound: Mark Thompson, Ben Harrison
Fight director: Terry King
Musical director: Catherine Jayes
Musical arrangements: Steven Edis
Choreographer: Gillian Gregory

2001-12-04 00:25:07