Charming and wonderfully conducted orchestration accompanied UoY’s Gilbert & Sullivan’s production of The Gondoliers at Joseph Rowntree Theatre in the classic Victorian comedy-opera, spoofing aristocracy and continental Europeans. It was everything a Gilbert & Sullivan production should be, wonderful costumes, well-timed humour and, of course, opera singing.
The premise consists of two Gondoliers trying to figure out who is the son of the deceased King of the fictional Barataria, who was deposed for his conversion to Wesleyan Methodist (as someone from a Methodist background myself, I found that quite funny). To further complicate matters, the son was betrothed as a baby to the daughter of the penniless Duke of Plaza-Toro, and the two men are already married! What follows is two hours of delightful operatic chaos.
Katie Leckey as the Duchess of Plaza-Toro was by far the production’s tour de force, her acting, comedic timing and mannerisms were a powerful presence on stage. The chemistry between her and Eli Evdokimova (playing the Duke) was great as well, adding to the comedy. The production was full of great duo acts, with Ben Long and Wilf Tomlinson making an excellent pair of Gondoliers, complimented really well by Grace Stannard and Molly Raine as their wives, Gianetta and Tessa. A further word to Thomas Weddell, their performance as the Grand Inquisitor was a great spoof and another highlight.
One of the criticisms I would say is that some of the dancing and harmonies were quite iffy, as well as the projection of the singing at points. Nonetheless, it was an impressive feat for the cast to perform such a challenging show, it was clear to the audience this was a show that the cast and crew put immense effort into and had a great time performing it! The director, Amber Medway, and Musical Director, Philippa Salmon, should be really proud of their joint effort to put on a thoroughly enjoyable show.
[Thanks to Kirkpatrick Photography for the photos}