The Mikado

or the Town of Titipu

Royal Hall, Harrogate

Wednesday 16th August 2017

Review by Geoffrey Mogridge

Gilbert & Sullivan's 'Japanese' comic masterpiece is bought into micro close-up by the nine principal characters. They also sing the chorus parts in Charles Court Opera's energetic 'boutique' production, directed by John Savournin.

Minimal props include a Chesterfield sofa and small drinks bar; there are no Japanese furnishings except for a tall vase and some pictures. A sign above the stage indicates that we are inside a British Consulate. The ambience suggests a cosy lounge-suited gentlemen's club for Titipu's English ex-pats.

Philip Lee's wiry Ko-Ko personifies the chirpy, wide-boy suburban tailor elevated to Lord High Executioner and willing to size up anyone for a cheap cut. John Savournin's Pooh-Bah (Lord High Everything Else) amusingly satirises corruption and innate superiority with deadpan patrician smoothness. Few could resist the high notes of Oliver Brignall's ardent Nanki-Poo. Certainly not Alexandra Hutton's mellifuous Yum-Yum in her school uniform skirt and top, or Amy J Payne's Katisha with her big hair and sequins. Katisha is the bloodthirsty battleaxe who has the hots for Nanki-Poo and is now circling her 'prey'. Donald Maxwell's genial Mikado is welcomed by these frightfully English characters who dutifully recite from song sheets the chorus Miya Sama (noble Prince). The whole thing ends in joy unconfined with a double wedding and the Mikado pouring the glasses of bubbly.

The sparkle of this cast and the projection of vocal numbers and spoken dialogue frequently hits the spot when larger scale productions fall short. Conductor David Eaton maintained a cracking pace and his small chamber ensemble revealed much of Sullivan's delicate orchestration. A shame these excellent musicians were not credited in the performance programme.