Gilbert & sullivan’s ‘pirates’ delight at the eno | thearticle

Mike Leigh’s production of _ Pirates of Penzance _ is wonderful. It retains the hard edge of Gilbert’s genius, and uses gloriously bold colours in Alison Chitty’s excellent designs, well lit

by Paul Pyant. Mike Leigh is the director who made that beautiful film _ Topsy-Turvy _ about Gilbert and Sullivan, and this production is fun, without too much sentimentality or camp

posturing. The Act II designs make a clear distinction between the three levels of action (Girls, Pirates, and Police), with the police peeping inside the rear-most circle of the set to see

what’s going on. This is musical theatre at its best, and with Natalie Murray Beale in the pit directing the orchestra, along with the singers and stage action, we enjoyed a unified

expression of exuberance. The wit of Gilbert’s libretto combines whimsicality with brutality, but all with a pinch of salt. This is the operetta featuring that famous patter song, “I am the

very model of a modern Major-General”. Do buy a programme to read about its many allusions. The pirates themselves are a charming bunch, and like outlaws of all kinds, had been a staple of

early nineteenth century melodrama. Indeed, this is a spoof on opera from that period, which was enormously popular, as Gilbert and Sullivan’s work also turned out to be. This particular one

was originally intended to feature burglars, but pirates lend themselves better to a more colourful staging, and as Gilbert said, “Comic opera should appeal to both the eye and the ear.”

This does the trick. In America the earlier opera _ HMS Pinafore _ had been mangled by various unauthorised productions (copyright law at the time not having the strength it has now), so

Gilbert and Sullivan went to the U.S.A. to show Americans the real thing. They brought with them their new work _ Pirates of Penzance _ , and its official premiere was on New Year’s Eve in

New York (31 December 1879). It was an immediate hit. This revival of Mike Leigh’s production at the London Coliseum featured William Morgan as the Pirate Apprentice, with Isabelle Peters as

Mabel, singing splendidly together, John Savournin as a wily and generous Pirate King, Richard Suart as the Major-General, and the resonant voice and stage presence of James Creswell as an

excellent Sergeant of Police. As a pre-Christmas treat this is ideal, and of course fun for the entire family. A MESSAGE FROM THEARTICLE _We are the only publication that’s committed to

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