Major general fun with the Pirates of Penzance
Musical delight with Gilbert & Sullivan's comic operetta.
FOR a slice of Victorian whimsy there's nothing better than a blast of Gilbert and Sullivan. Their comedy operettas are as English as Union Jacks, last night at The Proms, and walks along the seafront in a ten force gale.
The very opening bars of The Pirates of Penzance conjures up images of that balmy cove of Cornish tranquillity where the very last thing you'd expect to find is a band of cut-throat pirates.
Actually cut-throat they weren't. The pirates on stage at Milton Keynes Theatre last week would cower in the presence of that arch dandy Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). For these were gentlemen pirates with a peculiar code of honour and voices to make the high seas tremble in their wake.
Pirates is a wonderful introduction to G & S, a unique style of musical that should be experienced by everyone at least once. It is quite addictive and more than a bit Pythonesque. I kept expecting to see Eric Idle and co pop out for a rousing chorus, waving flags and toasting Queen Vic.
This sparkling production was made even more attractive by casting that Peter Pan of the stage, Paul Nicholas, as the Pirate King.
I don't know how the man does it but I swear, from mid-way in the stalls, he looked as young and as fresh faced as when I saw rather more of him than I wished in Hair 40 years ago.
This time around he was the well-spoken leader of a bunch of renegades who sailed the seas around Cornwall proving to be absolutely useless at their chosen profession.
One indentured crew-member Frederic (Kevin Kyle) was desperate to leave – particularly after falling for the charms of a spiffing young gal he'd met on the beach.
Mabel (Rebecca Knight) had the voice of an angel. She sang so high that I thought the venue's bars would lose all their glasses. It certain shook a few dentures in the opening night audience.
In a scene reminiscent of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, his fellow pirates, who are a lusty, if somewhat scurvy bunch, declare their romantic intentions towards Mabel's nine other sisters. All that stands in their way is their widower father, Major General Stanley.
It's all good humoured fun with everyone having a rollicking good time both on stage and in the auditorium.
In one hilarious scene a bunch of blundering village bobbies drew their truncheons to attention and burst into song and dance before attempting to capture the brigands. There was sniggering all around me in the stalls as the scene progressed and those on stage milked the rather suggestive visual gag for all it was worth.
Nicholas is a lovely man, a fine actor, a great light comic and has a useful voice for musical theatre but he did look as though he was struggling with the distinctive vocal requirements of the part.
It wasn't helped by being surrounded by trained opera singers and, in particular, the powerfully voiced Michael Kerry, who was nothing short of amazing. It would have been wonderful to have heard him in a solo.
But our leading man was perfect as the charming rogue in a part not dissimilar to Vinnie in Just Good Friends which won him the hearts of ladies everywhere.
It was a silly, joyous romp over the high seas that provided a nautical but nice evening's entertainment. All that was missing was a quick burst of Land of Hope and Glory after the finale!
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
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Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
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