Pirates of
Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan
by Simon Gallaher and EssGee Entertainment
Melbourne
Concert Hall, January 8 to 14, 2003
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
Simon Gallaher's
company, EssGee Entertainment has a huge hit on its hands with this production
of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance.
2003 marks the 20th
anniversary of the production featuring John English and Gallaher. It feels like a private party to which we were
invited. The enormous crowd in the Concert Hall
leapt to its feet to applaud this mischievous and modern interpretation of the
musical.
English reprises his
role as the Pirate King. He plays
him as a bumbling but lovably incompetent buccaneer. English is a slapstick
king with a big rusty voice and oodles of personality.
The highlight is the
chorus of With Cat-like Tread. English and his pirates pound out this hearty song, hurling
themselves across the stage, hyping the audience until they scream for three
encores.
The show is deftly
directed by Craig Schaefer. Tightly staged scenes and songs are interspersed with loose,
ad libbed sections of dialogue that have the crowd roaring. English picks up on
any twitch or cough in the audience and makes a meal of it.
There is plenty of
swordplay and fall down comedy. The running gag is English grabbing his sword
by the blade.
Gallaher's bright
tenor is as good as ever. He plays Frederic the young pirate whose loyalties are split between his
new-found love, Mabel (Carmell
Parente) and his pirate mates. Parente's pretty
soprano does justice to Mabel's signature tune, Poor Wandering One.
The chorus of
pirates provides a powerful all-singing, all-dancing support to the production.
They double as the hilariously cowardly policemen. Choreography by Tony
Bartuccio is slick, jazzy and
funny, the orchestra are
superb and Musical Director, Kevin Hocking, is a constant cheeky presence in the pit.
As the Sergeant of Police,
David Gould's resonant bass, huge physique and mobile
clown's face give the role pizzazz.
The pirates seek
wives and all want one of the daughters of Major-General Stanley. Gerry Connelly, as Stanley, incorporates his mammoth
skill in impersonation. This production gives him licence to strut his stuff. He switches at will
into Queen Elizabeth, Bjelke-Petersen Thatcher and
Paul Keating. The crowd goes wild
at his clever wordplay and uncannily accurate characters.
Another leap away
from the original G and S script is Stanley three daughters. The Absolutely
Fabulettes (Andi Gallaher,
Diana Holt, Marissa Denyer) are a wickedly 60's trio sporting bee-hives,
pop music voices and plenty of spunk.
Pirates is perfect
summer fare.
By Kate Herbert
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