OneTouch Theatre, Eden Court, 15 August 2008

The Gondoliers

YOU CAN’T really go wrong with Gilbert & Sullivan. Their light operas, stuffed full of lilting love songs, comic turns, hummable tunes and an obligatory happy ending have been deservedly popular for well over a century. British musical theatre still owes them a debt; without their groundwork it is debatable whether any of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals would ever have secured a backer.

Gilbert’s light touch with a plot, often involving satirical attacks on class and monarchy which are surprisingly relevant today, still has the potential to amuse, while the reputation of Sullivan’s music has been growing for the last fifty years, particularly since the centenary of his death in 2000.

The Gondoliers was the last of their great successes, its initial run including a command performance for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. There were, as far as I could see, no Royals in the audience at Eden Court on Friday night, but the One Touch Theatre was solidly packed for the debut appearance of the Inner Sound Operatic Society, a community group from the Isle of Skye.

Formed by Ann Lampard, formerly a voice coach at the Junior Academy of London’s Royal Academy of Music, they now number nearly 50 folk ranging in age across nine decades. As the lights dimmed, rather than the usual hush, there was an eager hum of anticipation, not something one often hears.

This was not a professional production, but both the set and costumes were well designed, simple and effective, and the Gondola in which the Plaza-Toro family arrived in Venice was a comic delight. Throughout the show the blocking of movement showed a sure, thoroughly professional touch; it is no mean feat to order nearly 40 people around a relatively small stage, (the set design had effectively cut the One Touch stage in half) and keep it looking natural.

The chorus stayed in character throughout in an equally professional manner, incorporating lots of deft personal touches without becoming distracting. There was all manner of deftly inserted “business”, from Don Alhambra (Allan Macleod) with his flip charts and water pistol, to the sudden sidestep into stage magic as the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro produced scarves, flowers, and a toy rabbit from their costumes mid-duet. Contemporary references to Northern Rock and some hip-hop style dancing were entirely in the spirit of G&S and were appreciated by the audience.

I don’t know if it’s something in the water over on Skye, but they’re starting them young nowadays. As well as three children in the chorus, the part of Casilda, daughter of the Duke of Plaza-Toro, was sung by 14-year old Charlotte Brooks, who started her stage career with Scottish Opera at the tender age of 9 and shows a promising talent for acting as well as singing.

Her Luiz was a pantomime-style principal boy (or rather girl), Morag Miller, who has just left Plockton High School. However, the show was held together by a core of stronger voices, those of Giuseppe (Thomas Colwell), Marco (Christopher Moon-Little), Gianetta (Rhona Colwell), Tessa (Mhairi Coogan), which were shown off at their best during the complexities of the madrigal-like ‘In a Contemplative Fashion’, plus the singing, acting, clowning (and conjuring) skills of the Duke and Duchess (Andrew Stevenson and Penny Turnbull).

Congratulations also to pianist Catherine Barnett who played continuously for nearly three hours. All in all, a very enjoyable evening.

© Jennie Macfie, 2008