John Savournin, James Creswell and the cast of The Pirates of Penzance at the London Coliseum. Picture: Craig Fuller
The Pirates of Penzance continues at the London Coliseum until 21 February 2025.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Gilbert and Sullivan were poking fun at the musical pirates who were not paying royalties to them when they penned their third hit, The Pirates of Penzance.
Kindly pirates, an inept police force and the true love of youth abound in this topsy-turvy tale of Frederic, accidentally apprenticed to the pirates. In one of their best-loved works, we hear some of their most famous songs, including ‘I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General’ and ‘When a Felon’s Not Engaged in His Employment’.
Award-winning film director Mike Leigh’s 2015 production is as traditional as it comes, and it is all the funnier for it. Alison Chitty’s set of enormous stairs and ever-widening upright circles is clever but too minimalist for the vast Coliseum stage. The sound balance suffers initially with the singers inside the different spaces created. We first see the pirates as if through a telescope, and the show ends with the action framed as a giant picture. Chitty lights up the stage with an array of brightly coloured dresses for the ladies and a motley crew of colourful pirates. Paul Pyant’s strong lighting of blues, purples and greens enriches the colourful effect.
The wonderful Richard Suart, the very model of an ancient Major-General, uses the stairs for classic comic effect and delivers his patter song with style. His two maidservants, who never quite make it down the stairs behind him, are a nice touch. Everything is magnificently topsy-turvy and full of contradictions.
William Morgan’s sulky Frederic almost grows up. However, he is too torn by his sense of duty to rise to the occasion and rescue his true love, and yet he commands the stage with his ringing tenor. John Savournin’s glorious pantomime Pirate King would rival any Captain Hook, and yet he sings with an incongruously silky tone.
Harewood Artist Isabelle Peters is a star in the making with her warm and sparkling coloratura singing as she seduces the baffled Frederic. James Creswell is perfect as the bumbling Sergeant of Police, replete with a huge tummy and funny walk. His resounding bass voice is worth the price of the ticket, and Henry Neill is an excellent Samuel with a rich baritone voice.
The pirates’ choruses are rousing, and the General’s daughters have a suitably sentimental blend. The policeman peeking out from the edge of a giant stage high circle is hilarious, and they bring the house down with their expressive ‘ta-rant-ta-ra’s.
Under the baton of Natalie Murray Beale, the ENO orchestra is in top form, the tunes flying out of the pit. This is family entertainment at its best. Under-21s can get free tickets, and there are discounts for 21- to 35-year-olds. Tickets for everyone begin at £10; you won’t find better value anywhere.
Effie Gray
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.