THEATRE REVIEWS

Scarborough has been waiting for this. This is a musical show at its best. The Pirates of Penzance marks the start of a new musical era at the Stephen Joseph with this brilliant new interpretation of the much loved Gilbert and Sullivan light operetta, adapted with much care by Chris Monks, who also directed this very accomplished cast of singers and actors. Everything was right about this production, the plot was tightened up for today's audiences, the orchestration was just right for a small theatre, the stagecraft was imaginative and intriguing and the audience loved it.

We have the story of the boy apprenticed to a pirate by mistake, who finds the girl of his dreams upon finishing his apprenticeship. Simple, but the plot is spot on. The two lovely voices of Frederic played by Ian McLarnon, the young pirate, and Mabel played by Rosie Jenkins, filled the theatre with their tenor and soprano tones as they told their story of young love. Woven round this were the pirates played by Keiran Buckeridge, Theo Cross, Pete Gallagher and John Killoran and the young girls played by Emilia Brodie, Clare Corbett and Anna Lowe. Add to this the nurse maid played by Marilyn Cutts and the Major General played by Robert Austin, and you have the players to weave the plot together.

What was delightful was the intuitive choreography by Beverley Norris-Edmunds and the accomplished musical direction of Richard Atkinson which came together on a stage dressed by Jan Bee Brown.

What you noticed about this production was how quickly time passed and the audience found themselves at the end before they seemed to have begun. A pleasure of an evening at the theatre. Something too good for the London stage, tell your friends and let them come to Scarborough for this feast of musical comedy by the almost forgotten masters Mr Gilbert and Mr Sullivan. Bravo. © BA

“The Pirates of Penzance” is in repertory at the Round, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough from the 3rd July to the 22nd of August, 2009. Box Office Telephone: 01723 370541

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