With 'Can-Can' raising the roof at the Union Theatre, ENO's acclaimed production of The Merry Widow returning to the Coliseum next month and this wonderful Gilbert and Sullivan revival at Wilton's Music Hall, it's a good time for operetta on all kinds of London stages at the moment.Sasha Regan's all male Pirates of Penzance is ten years old now and has been a big hit all over the country, it even had a sell-out tour in Australia, a country with a noble tradition of its own G&S productions, so it must be doing something right. What it does is gather together an immensely talented cast, respects the original show, strips it back so we can admire the artistry of Gilbert and Sullivan's words and music and goes for it with all sabres blazing.
Strangely, and very smartly, the fact that the female roles are played without wigs, just some lovely simple dresses indicating their sex, de-camps what could otherwise be a bit of a drag nightmare. Alan Richardson as Ruth and Tom Bales as Mabel, with strong falsetto voices, pre-empt any titters as they inhabit their roles completely, without recourse to cheap tricks. They are then free to be as funny as they like - and Ruth's famous "When Fred'ric was a little lad" near the beginning of the show is very funny indeed - without offence. This is true of all the gender-swapped roles and some of the ensemble have to swop back and forth all evening, having great fun in the process.
Frederic himself, raised by the snowflake pirates but now wanting to find out more about the world and its women, is played by the very handsome Tom Senior. He has a fine, ringing tenor voice, his masculinity tempered by a cute naivety.
It's all held together by Richard Baker on a lovely upright piano, its slightly jangley tone perfect for the Music Hall atmosphere at Wilton's. If the overtures sound a bit thin, the rest of the accompaniment is just right and when the full ensemble sing together the sound is magnificent. It drew gasps from the audience with its power and beauty, they seemed to love every minute.
So, if you want to find out why this particular art form, a half-way house between opera and musical is so enduring, try and get a ticket for 'Can-Can' which re-works a number of operetta's greatest hits with new, very witty lyrics and a new - if knowingly old fashioned - book. Then pop along to Wilton's Music Hall for this great production of a 'classic', then treat yourself to a night at the opera and the Merry Widow, the main tune of which you won't ever forget. Enjoy!
I love to see new writing, and I have to admit I did see the embryonic version of this piece at a scratch night. It left me then impressed and intrigued. The Boomerang I saw last night filled in much more detail, exploring far further the history and layers of the core three relationships, and left me much the same way.