The Pirates of Penzance

Published Friday 6 October 2006 at 13:35 by Jon Holliday

This lively presentation of the much-loved 127-year-old G&S classic is updated to the Victorian nineties and with new period costumes and settings, has fresh appeal. No time-honoured routines and theatre museum groupings but no irritating gimmickry either. Peter Mulloy’s designs and direction of this 1880 version, plus earlier additions, project a sense of light-hearted romp throughout, as the tortuous Gilbertian plot of orphaned pirates, slow-witted Cornish constabulary and the legal problems of being born on February 29, is played out.

If the comic content raises few laughs these days, what really counts are those memorable melodies, sentimental songs and foot tapping choruses. In this the cast is first class, with the orchestra conducted by Martin Handley bringing out the richness of Sullivan’s inventive score.

David Curry proves a dashing Frederic, well matched by the prettily sung Mabel of Charlotte Page. Barry Clark in the plum role of that very modern Major General is sheer tongue-twisting delight. Rosemary Ashe shows strong stage presence as the pivotal half pirate, half femme fatale Ruth. Steven Page brings a touch of the voguish Caribbean to his pirate king, while Bruce Graham scores heavily as the beefy big-booted police sergeant. This entertaining production, part of the celebratory offerings in the New Theatre’s 100th anniversary season, tours the UK before heading off to Canada and the United States in the spring.