Iolanthe - Poster

designed by Viv Morgan

The Yeomen of the Guard - Poster

designed by Viv Morgan

Patience - Poster

designed by Viv Morgan

Patience - Review

STYLE CHALLENGE

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

It's become the fashion to give classic works a modern look

What better way to attract new spectators than set an old-fashioned 19th century comedy about competitive poets in the world of rival television makeover kings?

Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society's updated version of Patience painted on the colour with a wide brush - from starstruck groupies in bright outfits to the hilarious song and dance act of Max Taylor as Handy Andy Duke and Sue Kinsella as makeover applicant Tara.

I thought the company missed a golden opportunity not to include Trinny and Susannah as makeover hopefuls - but you can't win em all.

The men's chorus, wearing overalls and hard hats came on stage wielding steel frames and built a plant stand.

One of them, Nic Wilson, who produced the show, entertained with the G & S standard 'patter song' including everyone from Jonah Lomu to lan Hislop while references to the National Lottery, Tony Blair, B & Q and Ikea littered the script.

It was only Christine Gilman as Patience who didn't have a new look. Her mop cap and dress were 1880s fashion, although this Patience was cook rather than milkmaid.

Eric Morgan, as the flowery dreamer Lawrence Bowenthorne had the best line : "Come On In, The Wardobe's Lovely!" and lan Clulow as rival Archibald Titchmarsh amused everyone as the bighead with a line in naff verse.

The staging was simple but its different levels proved a stumbling block for one of the elder actresses who fell at Bakewell's Medway Centre on Thursday. In true showbiz tradition, she got back on her feet and carried on.

While the company took liberties with the libretto, the music stayed true to the original and a pat on the back to musical director Melanie Gilbert for informative notes in the programme.

Highlights included ensemble piece I Heard The Soft Note, the solo by Ann Hawkswood of Sad Is That Woman's Lot and Christine Gilman's Love Is A Plaintive Song.

All in all it was a terrific creation from a sound force.

The Mikado - Poster

designed by Nic Wilson

The Mikado - Review

Society scores a triumph as The Mikado adopts a gangster-style theme

Break with tradition is key to success...

Ian Dempsey
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

There was all to play for as Matlock Gilbert & Sullivan Society staged The Mikado on the eve of the European soccer championships.

It marked the society's first away fixture since being founded in 1992 - all their previous productions having taken place in Matlock.

But this time they decided to uproot and travel along the A6 to the neighbouring town of Bakewell.

And there was another new development as the society took to the stage at the Medway Centre - for the first time they were accompanied by a live band under the baton of musical director Melanie Gilbert.

Seedy nightclub

In addition to this, producer Nic Wilson dispensed with the traditional Oriental style of The Mikado and set the action in a seedy nightclub, complete with gangsters.

The society must have wondered whether all these changes would produce the right result.

But they needn't have worried ... so many people turned up they had to delay the kick-off for at least five minutes while extra seating was found to accommodate everyone.

Writing in the programme, society chairman Jos Lowe explained the reasons behind the move out of Matlock: "The facilities at the Medway Centre are so ideal that we could not resist. More convenient accommodation, better stage access and lighting, immeasurably better acoustics- and much more comfort for our audience, both in the foyers and seating."

In keeping with the gangster theme,the costumes were mainly black and white, and there were shades of famous movies such as The Godfather, Bugsy Malone, Guys and Dolls and The Blues Brothers. Even the 101 Dalmatians proved a valuable source of inspiration with Liz McKenzie playing the lovelorn Katisha in the guise of Cruella de Vil - a role she revelled in.

Nic Wilson played Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, with great comic flair and enjoyed some memorable exchanges with Katisha. He also found an excellent foil in Ian Clulow as Pooh-Bah, the club 'fixer', bore and Lord High Everything Else!

Nic's Little List song of "people we can do without" gave scope for much amusement. Football featured in the shape of England captain David Beckham (that was before his costly penalty miss against France) but it wasn't him, it was Posh who got her marching orders. Others included candidates in the TV show I'm a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here, various political cronies and tabloid journalists - thankfully, this did not include members of the provinicial press!

David Pope was a swaggering presence as The Mikado, the nightclub owner. His character was very much in The Godfather mode - definitely not a man to be trifled with.

Max Taylor as The Mikado's son, Nanki-Poo, and his beloved Yum-Yum (Sue Sloan) skilfully captured the contrasting emotions as their fortunes swung from one extreme to another.

The youngest member of the cast, 16-year-old Hannah Boron, sparkled as Yum-Yum's younger sister Peep-Bo and delivered some amusing lines with aplomb.

As Yum-Yum prepared to marry Nanki-Poo, who was under sentence of death by decapitation, she reminded her that her enjoyment would soon be "cut short".

Susan Devaney, playing Yum-Yum's older sister Pitti-Sing, provided rousing support, along with Ken Watson as head barman Pish-Tush and Calum Kinsella as assistant barman Go-To.

The presence of a small orchestra added greatly to the atmosphere, creating just the right ambience.

Matlock G&S Society's first away fixture was acclaimed a resounding success by the capacity audience.

They couldn't have wished for a better result...

The Zoo & HMS Pinafore - Poster

designed by Nic Wilson

The Zoo & HMS Pinafore - Review

Double delight in the heat of the night

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

Want to conjure up a heatwave? Just stage HMS Pinafore in flaming June.

Nearly 130 years ago Gilbert and Sullivan's new comic opera almost bombed because searing heat put off the audiences and those that did support it were unenthusiastic.

Two centuries later. Mother Nature turns up the heat again but this time it's a much rosier picture for Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

Despite scorching temperatures for the launch of the show in Bakewell's Medway Centre on Thursday, the enthusiasm of the cast swept over the spectators like a tidal wave.

After nearly three hours under spotlights, the ladies' chorus in buttoned-up full-length dresses, wide-brimmed hats and woolly tights looked as fresh and fragrant as the first minute they stepped out as did bowler-hatted producer Nic Wilson trussed up in a tight three-piece suit.

This production saw Matlock G&S return to a more traditional approach to their chosen art, rather than the liberties they took with their two previous shows, The Mikado and Patience. But they didn't stick to the script rigidly. The setting was relocated from dockside to boating lake and Nic Wilson's hilarious portrayal of first lord of the admiralty Sir Joseph Porter set him up as a pompous Northerner with a touch the Irish. During one scene, Nic clambered onto a small stage which was a masterstroke in depicting his character as a testy little man with a big ego.

Magnificent Max Taylor has a voice that could launch a thousand ships and was the best able seaman Ralph Rackstraw I have seen to date. His stage presence was as commanding as his voice.

Wendy Costigan's singing was a delight and her confidence grew as the show progressed, making her an eminently likeable and lovable Josephine, daughter of Captain Corcoran who was played with aplomb by Eric Morgan.

Liz McKenzie, in her first contralto role, rose to the challenge of performing Buttercup's songs such as Sir, You Are Sad and A Many Years Ago. As well as putting her own stamp on the character with an uppercrust accent and slimline figure, Liz held the audience in the palm of her hand in the scene where Buttercup reveals her secret.

Staged as part of the Matlock Live festival, HMS Pinafore was part of a double-bill celebrating British patriotism. The opening show was a rarely performed little number called The Zoo on which composer Arthur Sullivan collaborated with writer Bolton Rowe.

The Zoo is a strange tale of suicide attempts, gluttony and a master of disguise.

It highlights England in a bygone era where afternoons were spent looking at animals in cages and taking afternoon tea, served by a glamorous maid in long black dress, white apron and hat.

Vivienne Morgan gave a delightful performance as the refreshment stallholder, Eliza Smith. Once again. Max Taylor took the honours as her high-bom suitor Thomas, as well as being responsible for the orchestral arrangements of the piece.

Despite the signs for bears, racoons and elephants, there wasn't an animal in sight. From my vantage point at the side ot the back row. I thought the only danger lurked in the orchestra pit where the volume of the music came perilously close to drowning out the soloists.

For the main production of HMS Pinafore I transferred to ground level and took a seat in the centre of the audience where the balance of singers and musicians sounded much better.

The Pirates of Penzance - Poster

designed by Nic Wilson

The Pirates of Penzance - Review

Pirate Kings

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

Carnival day in Bakewell rounded off with a rollicking good show in front of a surprisingly large audience.

On one of the hottest days of the year and less than an hour after England crashed out of the World Cup, I expected most people to be drowning their sorrows in pubs or at home.

But the Medway Centre was positively buzzing with joie de vivre as performers washed away any post-match blues in a lively production of The Pirates of Penzance.

While our nation's footballers may not be the best on the planet, Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society set out to show why England is the envy of the world when it comes to putting on a first-rate production.

Top-notch singing and comedy was delivered in bucketloads in a show which fizzed along at a rate of knots.

First-time director Max Taylor had promised a few surprises and he didn't disappoint. Several of the pirates looked like quintessential Englishmen in straw boaters - one even had a riding hat and a hobby horse named Fury - while the Major General's daughter wore 50s-style polka dot dresses and accessories.

Max, playing the role of Major General, had adapted the traditional "patter song" to include a reference to Bakewell pudding and Delia. The nearest it came to football was a mention of Wembley, which was a little bit of a let-down given the dramatic events of the night but perhaps timing was against a last-minute rewrite of the song on Saturday

Susan Devaney and Liz McKenzie provided the comic piece de resistance as the singing detectives, proving mistresses in the art of sleuth defence in their buttoned-up macs and delivering police speak together in a robotic monotone.

And the classic With Cat-Like Tread was sung heartily, rather than softly, by the pirates, under the leadership of a bearded Eric Morgan as the Pirate King.

Nic Wilson was outstanding in his role as leading man and apprentice pirate Frederic. His diction was crystal clear, his delivery engaging and his outfit lived up to an "effective but alarming costume" resembling a cross-between Just William and a boyish-looking Scout master.

Nic's duets with Lesley Kraushaar, who played leading lady Mabel and reached sky-scraping high notes with apparent ease, and Carole Pilkington, who played Ruth, were among the show's highlights.

Under the baton of musical director Melanie Gilbert, the orchestra pitched its playing just perfectly and the simple staging allowed the large cast to ebb and flow effortlessly.

Last week's three-night run of Pirates even stole a march on the rest of the world the International Festival of Gilbert and Sullivan lands at Buxton later this month.

Ruddigore - Poster

designed by Nic Wilson

Ruddigore - Review

Raising the roof!

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

Top-class singing, spirited dancing, comic characterisation and impressive costumes - Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society's production of Ruddigore brought the house down quite literally.

Flimsy artwork's ruddy poor show saw house rooftops brought down by the swirling dresses of peachy bridesmaids rushing around the stage during the opening minutes of launch night.

But the cheap-looking cardboard scenery propped up against the backdrop was the only weakest link in a show which highlighted the strengths of this small, but enthusiastic company.

A society as small as Matlock's is fortunate in having principals who wouldn't look out of place on a larger stage than that of the Medway Centre, Bakewell, where the show ran last week.

They brought an air of professionalism to the tale about a witch's curse, bad baronets and desperate bridesmaids.

Lesley Kraushaar as Rose Maybud, a maiden whose constant companion was her book of etiquette, has a voice to die for. Her impressive singing shone out alongside that of counterpart Nic Wilson in their signature duet "I Know A Youth". The tip-toeing style of the music, played by a nine-strong orchestra under the baton of Melanie Gilbert, was complemented by the lead pair's acting which embodied the essence of a shy couple attracted to each other.

This was one of Nic's finest performances - and one where he was required to play two different characters; the first as a modest farmer labouring under a false identity and the second where he revealed his true colours as a baronet, scowling and creeping around the stage with all the menace of a pantomime villain.

Show producer Max Taylor brought maximum comedy to his role as humble mariner Richard Dauntless, skipping around the stage with a posse of bridesmaids, heading up a hornpipe dance and then collapsing on a bench looking worn out by his exertions.

Larger-than-life characterisations require actors of a big stature and the towering presence of Bernard Gardner as the wicked baronet Sir Despard proved a trump card in the production.

Chris Kraushaar as baronet Sir Roderick showed off a fine singing voice in "When The Night Wind Howls" while "There Grew A Little Flower" sung with Liz McKenzie (who played Dame Hannah) was one of the best in the show.

Producer Max added a few neat touches to the original script, substituted Bakewell for Birmingham and making reference to the Peak District.

For the last word on these polished performers, it's over to Wendy Costigan's killer line in her role as Mad Margaret: "They sing choruses in public — that's mad enough."

The Sorcerer - Poster

designed by Nic Wilson

The Sorcerer - Review

Pioneer patient lan takes centre stage

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

Brave performance by MS sufferer wins plaudits in magical performance of G&S classic The Sorcerer

By the time you read this, Multiple Sclerosis sufferer lan Clulow will have started a revolutionary medical procedure aimed at transforming his life for the better. He has put himself forward for a stem cell transplant which, if successful, could bring relief to thousands of sufferers who share his walking and sight difficulties. But there was no trace of pre-hospital nerves when lan bravely stepped onto the stage for Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society's opening night of "The Sorcerer" on Thursday.

Few performers have displayed such stoicism as lan who took measured steps across the stage at Bakewell's Medway Centre, his face displaying no hint of discomfort. In the role of Dr Daly, lan delivered his opening song, Time Was When Love And I Were Well Acquainted, with confidence and clarity and an instrumental solo on recorder was testament to the hours of practice which he had put in.

lan was also part of a quintet which aired a song about nursing, tending and mending, particularly poignant given that his friends in the society are launching a £24,000 appeal to fund his treatment which is not available on the NHS.

The Sorcerer, which ran for three nights last week, provided plenty of light relief for the audience as well as giving some of the society's younger members a chance to shine. Playing Constance, the teenager with an eye for middle-aged men, Hannah Boron showed she had the singing qualities and acting ability to be a leading lady of the future, while ten-year-old Elizabeth Blades as the sorcerer's apprentice, Hercules, had an engagingly mischievous smile as she faced the audience having dripped love potion into the teacups of her fellow characters.

Nic Wilson and Lesley Kraushaar as principal couple Alexis and Aline amused with lovey-dovey expressions like "exquisite rapture" and "unmingled joy." He had some of the finest lines in the show such as the tongue-twister "lucid lake of liquid love" and "steep the village up to its lips in love" while she had some of the prettiest songs which were delivered with confidence and charm.

The flirting factor stepped up a gear during an hilarious scene between Aline's mother Lady Sangazure and The Sorcerer, John Wellington Wells, characterised by Liz McKenzie and Max Taylor. Their "love me/hate me" duet had been cleverly rewritten so Max could sing: "Hate Me, I sing in Chesterfield a lot!" It wasn't the only change to the script which Max unveiled. In an earlier incantantion, his Prophetic Tables spiel had been updated to include references to "change in Prime Minister and a rise in petrol," which drew a chuckle from the audience.

And the hours of work Max had put into reworking the musical script for a smaller group than an orchestra paid off with some delightful accompaniment from a nine-strong ensemble, conducted by Melanie Gilbert.

But it was as The Sorcerer brewing up his magic "love at first sight" potion that proved to be Max's finest moment in the spotlight. He looked like a man possessed as be huddled over a kettle reciting incantantions and summoning up eerie spirit-like voices which sang from behind a gauze screen at the side of the stage. The exploding kettle scene was sheer magic as it shot out stars and a jet of steam high into the air. But if you don't want to know how they did it, stop reading now....

According to its enterprising creator David 'Mac' McKenzie it was a fire extinguisher triggered by a foot pump!

Iolanthe - Poster

images designed by Anne Turner

Iolanthe - Review

Peerless performance is a vote winner...

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

Fairies and peers - the former a make-belief which you outgrow in adulthood, the latter you may believe have outlived their usefulness in today's society.

The coupling of fairy kingdom and political chamber provides the foundations for one of Gilbert and Sullivan's strangest creations, Iolanthe.

But can a work first performed 127 years ago when Whigs stalked the corridors of power and the Labour Party had yet to be born have any relevance to today's society?

Step forward Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society which, with a wave of its magic wand, managed to conjure up a work that was topical while staying true to the roots of the comic opera.

This vote-winning production at Bakewell's Medway Centre last week took liberties with the libretto, poked fun at politicians past and present and ran fairy rings around any other amateur version of Iolanthe that I'd previously watched.

Priceless scenes saw Susan Devaney as the Fairy Queen transform from a soft and gentle chief to a tough-talking Margaret Thatcher-esque leader as she delivered a manifesto of no expenses, lower pensions and congestion charges.

Chris Kraushaar as Lord Mountararat resembled Labour's answer to Boris Johnson, a dodgy blond wig and slightly crumpled suit captured the Mayor of London to a tee.

A masterstroke saw the fairies transformed into militant members of the WI, a good move because dressing ladies of a certain age in floaty chiffon and glitter looks wrong, even at panto time.

These 'fairies' wore pearls, carried handbags containing guidebooks on Derbyshire tourist attractions and were dressed in the most sensible of outfits.

But the fairy image wasn't eradicated completely. Young Elizabeth Blades was the epitome of pretty fairy with attitude, beautiful costume and glitter in her hair, and cheeky with it, poking her tongue out at figures of authority.

Elizabeth's grandfather Max Taylor is always a powerful force on stage and his characterisation of the Tory grandee Lord Tolloller was no exception. From leading his party in a forceful Tarantara chant to their Labour opponents (the outstanding scene of the show) to his verbal jousting with his opposition equal, this was one of Max's finest performances with the society. And his orchestration of a piece, dropped from the original production of Iolanthe, but inserted into a different part of Matlock G&S's production, fitted so well into the show that you couldn't spot the join.

Forbidden

While satirising the country's law-makers, describing politicians as 'leaving their brains at the door', Iolanthe is also a tale of forbidden love between half-man, half mortal Strephon and the ward of court Phyllis.

These substantial roles were played by show director Nic Wilson and Lesley Kraushaar whose voices blended beautifully in some of the show's trademark ballads.

Nic brought fresh spirit to his characterisation of Strephon and even slipped in an update or two - substituting the word Socialists for the original Radicals and sporting a tie in the colour of a Lib-Dem representative instead of a Whig.

Dressed like a Sloane Ranger, Lesley packed plenty of emotion into her role, swtiching between love and flirtatiousness, happiness and anger.

Society newcomer Simon Reynolds, who played the Lord Chancellor, coped well with his baptism of fire. He brought plenty of comedy to his role, dancing around with tremendous energy or being involved in a frantic chase around stiff-upper-lipped peers.

Simon rose to the challenge of the notoriously difficult 'patter' song with spot-on timing and faultless delivery, although, through no fault of his own, the volume of the musical accompaniment made it hard for spectators to hear every word of this.

Simon's partner Emma Waterhouse played the title role of Iolanthe. A good singing voice was matched by quality acting in a small, but perfectly formed, first appearance with the society.

And like all good fairy stories, Emma's lolanthe was even the subject of magic -being transformed in just seconds from downhearted dowdy mum in full-length wax jacket and wellies to radiant hippy chick in floral dress and sandals.

This production featured a number of performers from Chesterfield G&S Society including Anne Turner who sang the part of fairy Fleta beautifully and David Stokes who towered over the fairies as the comical police officer Sgt Willis.

Accompanying music was stunning, but it was in the lengthy overture that the nine players in the orchestra, conducted by Melanie Gilbert, really got to show off their talents.

The biggest challenge now facing Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society is how to top this peerless reinvention of Iolanthe.

The Gondoliers - Poster

designed by Nic Wilson

The Gondoliers - Reviews

See also the NODA Review

Vote-winning venture

Gay Bolton
Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

Novel spin on G&S classic

WANNA know what's going to happen on the political stage? Then join Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan's party of supporters.

For after last year's production of lolanthe hinted at MPs' expenses scandal, this year's adaptation of The Gondoliers incorporated a ruling coalition.

In his programme notes for The Gondoliers, producer Nic Wilson wrote: "Though almost certainly the most jolly of the G&S canon, it is probably seen as one of the least satirical.

"However we did not reckon on the assistance of the British electorate whose own choices have led to our present coalition government. In fact, with the illness and injury we have experienced, we've even had late thoughts of asking David Cameron and Nick Clegg to play the brothers, Marco and Giuseppe - they already seem to be acting well in the role of ruling the State as 'one individual'.

Nic, who played Marco in last week's production, and Max Taylor, in the role of Giuseppe, had worked hard on their show of solidarity with the cheesy grins, dramatic waves and extravagant displays of bonhomie that we have grown accustomed to from government chiefs.

Even the libretto emphasised the political connection, with the song There lived a King containing the lines "Now that's a sight, you couldn't beat, two party leader in each street."

Supporters

But in their first appearance in The Gondoliers, Nic and Max looked more like England football supporters decked in red and white garlands to depict the roses referred to in the List and Learn song - a nice touch in the week that our boys were playing their first World Cup match in South Africa.

Even those who weren't huge fans of G&S could find plenty of entertainment in this clever adaptation.

Gondolas of Venice were replaced with a cruise liner entitled Saga Venetia on which the gondolieri were ship's officers, one passenger asked whether she was going to see the tulips and the ducal party was piped aboard by kazoo player Andrew Moore.

Andrew was one of handful of performers imported from Chesterfield G&S Society and handled the role of ship's steward and king-in-waiting Luiz skilfully and confidently.

His opposite number Anne Turner gave a magnificent performance as queen-in-waiting Casilda with some of the production's best singing.

Chris Kraushaar brought the house down as the colourful Duke of Plaza Toro with daft dancing and garish clothes. In act one he pranced
around the ship's deck with a knotted handkerchief on his head, clashing holiday shirt and shorts combo and socks with sandals on. Act two saw a sober suited appearance in which the duke became King of Bling with six big jewelled rings on his fingers and an equal number of medals on his chest.

Chris's wife Lesley Kraushaar teamed up with Liz McKenzie to give well-sung and assured performances as the sisters Gianetta and Tessa, who capture the hearts of Marco and Giuseppe.

And Susan Devaney was equally as good in her role as the condescending Duchess of Plaza Toro whose withering looks and harsh words to her husband were priceless.

In smaller but vital roles, David Stokes and Carole Pilkington flourished as the Grand Inquisitor and king's foster mother.

Of the supporting cast, Helen Booker brought polished singing to the role of Fiametta which stands her in good stead should she cast her net for a principal part in the future.

Orchestra

The Gondolier has some of the most recognisable songs and delightful music of G&S, which were sensitively and skilfully accompanied and
performed by a seven-piece orchestra, under the baton of musical director Melanie Gilbert.

The only disappointment I had with the show was the stage setting for act two. After the first-class depiction of the ship's sundeck in act one, the depiction of the palace of Barataria was a let down.

The Gondoliers ran at the Medway Centre, Bakewell, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.