The Mikado is set as a cricket match. HMS Pinafore was set in a fast food outlet. Pirates had a modern setting which included the daughters arriving on mountain bikes and abseiling down from the roof of the theatre. All three productions were superb! We were right on the front row for the Mikado and therefore almost part of it as the Vic has all it's productions "in the round"
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Composer A.Sullivan Lyrics W.S.Gilbert Company New Vic Theatre Direction Chris Monks Design Lis Evans Direction Richard Atkinson (music) Direction Tim Sutton (music) Sound James Earls-Davis Lighting Jo Dawson Choreographer James McPherson Performers Nicky Adams (Yum Yum) Chris Garner (Pish Tush) Howard Gay (Pooh-Bah) Lana Green (Mrs Pooh-Bah) Shobna Gulati (Pitti-Sing) Ian McLarnon (Nanki-Poo) Alan McMahon (Ko-Ko) Christian Newton (First Team Captain) Carol Noakes (Katisha) Paula Scott (Groundsman) Deborah Stokes (Peep-Bo) Colin Wakefield (The Mikado) |
We went to the New Vic Theatre,
in Newcastle under Lyme, to watch The Mikado. Had we not known what to
expect it would have been quite a shock - the scene was set on Titipu Cricket
pitch! However, all of Gilbert's words and Sullivan's music were there with
only minor modifications to the libretto to account for the modern day setting
and the location.
All the chorus were cricket players, the three little maids were in modern
hockey dress, Pooh-Bah ( a blunt "northerner") and Pish-Tush (a "jordie")
were the umpires, and the Mikado was dressed as if from the MCC. Koko (a
Scot) was excellent. Katisha was dressed in full hockey goalkeepers dress - very
threatening. In total the cast was about 15.
Nanki-Poo was a rhythm guitarist - he used an excellent Irish accent when
"disguised" and an upper class accent when someone knew he was the
Mikado's
son.
All the singing was excellent - the two piece orchestra sounding as if there
were many more due to many changes in instruments!
The only changes to the words of major significance were in the entrance of the
Mikado when the chorus sang cricketing names such as:-
Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Dennis Lilly, Imran Khan - you can see how these
fit in?
During the time when the chorus tries to drown Katisha they sang cricketing
terms:-
Out, Caught, bowled, leg before, run-out etc followed by rousing
"How-zat"!
Over-all an excellent production playing to a full house (in the round) with
many children present - all enjoying what might be their first experience of
G&S.
The show ran at the Vic until Saturday 5th August and then it moved to the
Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough from the 8th to the 19th of August.
I am sorry if the terminology above does not mean much to anyone who does not
know the game of cricket.