Utopia (Limited)
Mayfair Theatre
Sunday, September 11
The Really Authentic Gilbert and Sullivan Performance Trust has just opened a season of a rarely performed G & S opera, Utopia (Limited) at the Mayfair Theatre, produced by John Drummond.
The composers could never have imagined this 1893 comic opera, set in a fictitious tropical kingdom, would survive to be staged with an unmistakable Lanarch Castle on the backdrop horizon, in a South Sea island Victorian theatre.
Witty text develops a typical G & S plot, complicated and unlikely, as King Paramount (Joel Allen) imports British traditions and ideals to govern his tropical island. The military, parliamentarians and British law are satirised with Victorian humour and pithy comments, requiring quite demanding audience attention to dialogue in Act 1.
Act 2 was full of action and humour, abounding with patter as roles grew in characterisation. The inevitable love match developed between Princess Zara (Nadya Shaw-Bennett) and the very desirable Captain Fitzbattleaxe (Stephen Brown - guest tenor from the UK).
Their vocal quality and character interpretation was a highlight, especially in duet Words of Love Too Loudly Spoken. Zara's sisters Princess Nekaya (Reva Grills) and Princess Kalyba (Emily Sutton) recently returned from extreme grooming as English young ladies were delightfully upper class.
Jacob Easton (Lord Dramaleigh) and the "baddies" who have been manipulating the King, Scaphio (Dave Solomon), Phantis (Murray Davidson) and Tarara (Bruce McMillan) also provided excellent cameos and fancy footwork.
Musical director Michael Andrewes conducted 26 Southern Sinfonia musicians.
Vocal strength and excellence in the full company drawing room scene, with teacups in hand (pinkies extended) was particularly thrilling.
Well-tailored classic garments and uniforms (Annette Waugh) were a feature of every scene, with plenty of brilliant reds and gold trim, especially in the colourful throne-room scene.
Other lead roles were: Tanara Stedman (Captain Sir Edward Corcoran), Geoff Patton (Mr Goldbury), Geoff Swift (Sir Bailey Barre), Campbell Thomson (Mr Blushington) Brenda Jones (Lady Sophy), and Dougal Stevenson (Calynx).
Utopia runs until September 16.
