In their latest production at The King’s Head since King Tut: A Pyramid Panto, Charles Court Opera return with Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta The Mikado, directed by John Savournin. While Tut gave the company the opportunity to exhibit their skills in satire, The Mikado is a ready-made comedy farce which comes ripe for the picking.
It’s certainly one of the most luxurious looking sets The King’s Head has seen in some time, a luscious red patterned carpet adorning The British Consulate of Titipu, while leather suites and ornate wooden tables sit aside the ‘Ming’ vases. The Piano is pushed slightly in to one corner, from which Musical Director David Eaton plays that cherished score.
The Mikado may be a beloved remnant of days gone by, but there’s no getting away from the fact that in contemporary times it should be seen as terribly politically incorrect, Charles Court Opera have thankfully navigated around this. There’s some Japanese looking art on the wall, and a couple of the costumes may have had some oriental inspiration, but on the whole it’s ostensibly British.
The Mikado himself, played by Matthew Palmer, is a blustering Army officer, who looks ready to break in to that other Gilbert and Sullivan classic ‘I Am the Very Model of Modern Major-General’ at any moment. The accents are all very upper class, with the majority of the costumes quintessentially English, and in the end, I suspect we’re all more than a little grateful not to witness another In The Depths of Dead Love. A fact that doesn’t escape Charles Court Opera “but it’s all in Japanese” exclaims Pitti-Sing, played with real warmth by Jessica Temple, when asked to serenade the arrival of The Mikado.
While a couple of the ensemble numbers sound a little clumsy, there are definite stand-out performances; Jack Roberts, who is still in training at The Guildhall, gives a very polished performance as Nanki-Poo demonstrating wonderful control of his rich voice. Soprano, Alys Roberts is delightful as Yum-Yum, again giving excellent vocal performances, no more so than with ‘The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze’.
No one can say that this 19th Century operetta isn’t being produced with up to the minute satire, Nigel Farage’s trip down the Thames in a fishing boat, and even President Trump’s “Stormy” private life get a mention. For all the modern flourishes, this is still recognisable as that wonderful Gilbert and Sullivan classic, and proves that even The Mikado hasn’t lost its place in the modern world.
The Mikado is at The King’s Head Theatre until 21st April 2018.
