TheatreguideLondon
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The TheatreguideLondon Review
The Pirates of Penzance
Wilton's Music Hall Spring 2010
This
Gilbert and Sullivan revival, transferred from the tiny but ambitious
Union Theatre, is an absolutely irresistible delight, as a show that is
great fun in itself is carried to new heights of both loveliness and
silliness by an inventive director and enthusiastic cast.
This is the one
about the stalwart hero who is forced to serve as a pirate because he
was born on February 29 (Don't ask). Like all G&S shows it is
sprinkled liberally with tunes alternately comic (The Major General)
and sweet (Poor Wand'ring One), all in the service of one of Gilbert's
patented ridiculous plots.
And to the inherent absurdity director Sasha Regan has added the brainstorm of casting it entirely with men.
Now, immediately
forget what you're thinking about flamboyant drag shows or galumphing
boys' school chorus lines. Regan has chosen carefully and directed her
cast to play with no more camp sending-up than the operetta can carry,
and just as much as it deserves.
Gilbert's chorus of
tittering girls are comic even when played and sung by women, so
putting men in the corsets and petticoats somehow fits right in,
especially when they sing so beautifully as sopranos - and the fact
that many of the same performers will reappear to sing in deeper voices
as pirates or policemen just adds to the fun.
Not only do the
'girls' sing and move so well, they've been guided by their director to
individual characterisations, so that each of the sisters (and each of
the pirates and policemen) has a recognisable personality and
everywhere you look there's some totally-in-the-Gilbert-spirit comedy
going on.
Meanwhile, as is wholely appropriate, Russell Whitehead plays the manly hero absolutely
straight (so to speak), singing and acting like the admirable and
faintly ridiculous boy scout he is.
And Alan Richardson
not only invests the romantic heroine with un-campy grace and
loveliness, but he also shines as singer of the most melodic songs,
complete with all the trills and flourishes Sullivan put in to show off
his soprano diva.
Fred Broom is fun
as the patter-singing Major General, Samuel J. Holmes is droll as the
Katisha-like Ruth, Ricky Rojas an admirable antagonist as the Pirate
King, and each member of the ensemble enjoyable in the various roles they
play.
In all, then, as happy a couple of hours as you are likely to find on any London stage. And I'd like to add another point.
The cast are ably
accompanied by Chris Mundy at a single piano and, unlike too many
singers of their generation, they can all project their voices over
that minimal competition.
Not the least of the evening's pleasures is hearing so many unamplified voices enunciating so clearly and singing so well.
Gerald Berkowitz
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Review- Pirates of Penzance - Wilton's 2010
