THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Billericay Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

06.10.10

It's Frederick's birthday – for his party he's chosen a Pirate theme, complete with “alarming costume”. With this master-stroke, director, choreographer and birthday boy Wayne Carpenter brings Gilbert and Sullivan into the 21^st century.

Though not of course to 2010. Adrian Rilstone has an interestingly pedantic note in the programme, so I don't mind pointing out that the nearest we can manage for this particular birthday is 2009, with Frederick finally free from his indentures in 2072.

The ladies who surprise the lads on Penzance beach are fitness fanatics, dressed for the gym, and kept on their toes by Major-General Stanley [retd.] their personal trainer.

The whole show was done with style and relish; chorus movement used the tiny space ingeniously, and there were continual clever touches – the armorial weapons, the stashes of CDs, the truncheons and swords for the bridal arch, the patter songs encore. I think Gilbert would have been tickled.

Billericay did have the advantage of having some very seasoned performers to bring this novel interpretation to life: Brian Plumb's urbane Pirate King, Mark Clements' cynical Sergeant, Fiona Whittaker's impressive coloratura as Mabel, and John Larking as Stanley.

The Carpenters were very much to the fore: Wayne was an engaging Slave of Duty, Gail a wonderful Ruth, excellently sung and acted, and Matthew made a fine right-hand-man.

I wasn't convinced at first that this space and these forces needed sound re-inforcement, but it did work, and John Pitts's clever reduction was impressively served by Derrick Thompson's musicians in the wings.

COME AND SING

– THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Trinity Methodist Church

17.10.09

Distinctly unamused, flanked by the Union Flag and the Skull and Crossbones, Queen

Victoria averted her eyes from the Cornish capers going on beneath her.

Trinity, long renowned for their G&S, had invited all comers to sing the Pirates from scratch. A chorus of over fifty, responding to the firm encouragement of MD Felicity Wright, sounded wonderful, every syllable clearly enunciated. The hymn to Poetry was one of the most potent I've heard.

A talented team of soloists made this semi-staged performance – back projection, costumes by Tony Brett - hugely enjoyable.

Doyen of the patter roles Ken Rolf was the model of a modern Major General, Janet Moore was Ruth, Michael Wilson the unhappy Police Sergeant. Adam Sullivan, steeped, despite his tender years, in the Savoyard tradition, played the Pirate King, with Emma Byatt as his fresh-faced Lieutenant. The young Frederick was Richard Rossetti, with Beverley Lockyer his excellent Mabel.

The Paignton première in 1879 was a slapdash affair, with a few random costumes and everyone clutching scores. 130 years on, Trinity were much better organised, making the most of limited rehearsal time, and transforming the church into rocky shore and ruined chapel. Simon Harvey's piano was covered in lanterns for the burglars and tankards for the pirate sherry.