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OPERA - The Gondoliers
Gilbert & Sullivan Society

DIANA CARROLL - Reviewer
INDAILY - 13.8.12

THE Gondoliers is the last of the great Savoy Operas: two more, Utopia Unlimited and The Grand Duke, followed but they never achieved the acclaim of this or the earlier works. Adelaide's Gilbert & Sullivan Society has chosen The Gondoliers or The King of Barataria as this year's showcase production to mark its 75th anniversary, just as it did back in 2007 to mark the society's 70th birthday.

This new production is directed by David Lampard, a well-known performer who effortlessly straddles the divide between professional and community arts. He was on stage in the 70th anniversary production and has been involved on both sides of the footlights in numerous society productions. Lampard is ably supported here by two other local talents, Hayley Horton as assistant director and Ian Andrew as musical director. The jollity on stage is accompanied by the G&S Orchestra, hidden in the pit but in full command of the score.

The storyline of The Gondoliers is the usual G&S nonsense of romantic entanglements, mischief and mayhem, all gently infused with a little acerbic commentary on the concerns of the day. It debuted at the Savoy Theatre on December 7, 1889; such was its acclaim that a special performance was given at Windsor Castle in 1891 for a most regal audience. I'm sure "we" were much amused!

This is a feel-good production, brimming with the trademark G&S Society enthusiasm. Colourful costumes, careful choreography, and a bit of added silliness to mark the anniversary make this a fun night of musical theatre. The only real criticism is a lack of projection and amplification for most of the leads, rendering some of the singing incomprehensible. You can't appreciate the witticisms if you can't hear the words.

It hardly seems fair to "name names" in a show such as this, but David Rapkin really owned the stage as the Duke of Plaza-Toro and Anne Doherty gave a striking performance as the Duchess. The real star of the show on this occasion was the lovely Liana Nagy as their daughter Casilda, the charming ingénue who gets what she wants in the end. At the Arts Theatre until August 18.

ENDS.