Gilbert and Sullivan light opera never seems to go out of fashion, and this production of HMS Pinafore, directed by Keith Strachan for Take Note Theatre, gently updates the style while recognising the strengths of the original material.
The music is stripped back to a keyboard and flute as musical director Annemarie Lewis Thomas and triple-threat performer Marissa Landy (she plays flute, sings, dances, and is the choreographer) team up to bring Sullivan’s music up to date.
The story is a simple one. We are on the HMS Pinafore, a ship in Her Majesty’s Navy. The Captain of the ship and his lowly sailors are waiting for a visit from the “Ruler of the Queen’s Navy”, Sir Joseph Porter.
The ageing Admiral, who has never been to sea and has spent his life in desk jobs, seeks to marry Josephine, the Captain’s daughter, who, in turn, is in love with Ralph Rackstraw, a sailor on the crew.
This is one of the best-known of the G&S repertoire, with the songs “We sail the ocean blue”, “When I was a lad”, “In uttering reprobation … he is an Englishman”, “My gallant crew good morning … the captain of the Pinafore” or “I’m called Little Buttercup” containing melodies and lyrics that operetta lovers will recognise.
The eight-strong cast, led by Finan McKinney as Ralph and Stevie Jennings-Adams as Josephine, is flawless. I particularly enjoyed the jazz-infused Gloria Acquaah-Harrison as a raunchy Buttercup, set against the uptight and snobbish Captain (Leopold Benedict).
Add in the glorious voices of Ryan Erikson Downey and Kieran Wynne and the pompous and incompetent Sir Joseph (played with knowing mischief by John Griffiths), and you have a recipe for a hit.
Set and costume design are always strong at the Tabard. HMS Pinafore is no exception: Rob Miles, Pat McMahon, and Faith Powlett have placed us in a patriotic, flag-waving utopia with hints of the Second World War (the song “Over the bright blue sea” becomes an Andrews Sisters-inspired trio for Jennings-Adams, Acquaah-Harrison, and Landy).
Class is everything, where everyone knows their place. The audience is given flags to wave – the cast and tech desk have their flags dependent on their own countries, but we are strictly part of the Union. The fourth wall is gleefully broken when needed, and the energy is infectious.
Whether you like plaintive melodies, cheeky comic patter, or rousing choral pieces, you will find it all in HMS Pinafore. The denouement may be borderline ridiculous, but in the world of Gilbert and Sullivan, everything was up for comment, censure, and causticity.
These operas may be well over a century old, but they can still charm and amuse us with their sharp wit, pointed lyrics, and inevitable misunderstandings.
I’m giving this five stars.
HMS Pinafore continues at Theatre at the Tabard until 6 Jun – details here.
Photo credit: Hunter Collins Photography