Reviewed by James Karas
HMS Pinafore is the
Stratford Festival’s second musical offering this year and this one is done in
the more intimate Avon Theatre. Savoyards will tell you that there are few
more delicious evenings at the theatre than a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta.
From the first line of the Chorus who “sail the ocean blue,” to the love
madrigals, to Sir Joseph’s patter song “I am the monarch of the sea” to the joy
and rapture and orb of love that bring serenity at the end, this is a work to
be relished. The production is quite successful subject to some questionable
choices by the director.
Sir Joseph, the First Lord of the
Admiralty who never went to sea as played
by Laurie Murdoch steals the show. He gets some of the most memorable tunes and
comedy and Murdoch is splendid in the role.
Steve Ross is funny as Captain
Corcoran, the commander of HMS Pinafore. He is Middle Crust and wants his
pretty daughter Josephine (Jennifer Rider-Shaw) to marry the Upper Crust Sir
Joseph. She is in love with the Lower Crust sailor Ralph (Mark Uhre) and you
got the whole plot. But do pay attention to Little Buttercup because Lisa
Horner is very entertaining as a bumboat woman and she (the character not Lisa)
may provide a solution to the class issue.
Rider-Shaw has a beautiful voice
that she uses to fine effect. She can rev her vocal chords to high gear with
ease while maintaining control of the melody. Uhre’s Ralph sings movingly and
forlornly as a stage lover and deserves to get Josephine no matter what his
social niche.
Members of the company
in HMS Pinafore. Photography by Cylla von Tiedemann.
There is a chorus of sailors and
Sir Joseph’s sisters, cousins and aunts who sing the ensemble songs. The
sailors can mop a deck and dance and sing something fierce.
Lezlie Wade takes care of the
directorial details and Patrick Clark designed the costumes. Easy for the
sailors and very beautiful for the ladies.
Wade and Set Designer Douglas
Paraschuk have the operetta open with a picture of the exterior of the stately
Portsmouth Manor and give some frantic activity in the interior of the grand
house. Parts of the set is removed and we see the quarter-deck of the ship. Quite
impressive but the programme tells us that the manor-home is a naval hospital.
A naval hospital in World War I?
What is the point of setting a silly love story with wonderful music and humour
in a hospital during a war? I have no idea except to toss the notion of
directorial attempt to give a personal twist to the production. It does not
work but lucky for us HMS Pinafore is unsinkable.
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I think the naval hospital was chosen to show that in 100 years things haven't changed. Also, often prisoners of war and hospitals would do light entertainment to raise the moral. The patients would be familiar with Gilbert & Sullivan so this makes perfect sense. Just like people of 2017 are watching and doing shows that were first produced in the 1950's (Guys & Dolls)
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