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Tuesday, 5 November 2024

Mike Leigh’s Acclaimed The Pirates of Penzance Returns to English National Opera This Winter

Set sail for an evening of swashbuckling humour, iconic songs, and sharp satire as the English National Opera (ENO) revives Mike Leigh’s The Pirates of Penzance at the London Coliseum, running from December 2nd, 2024, to February 21st, 2025. First directed by Leigh in 2015 to great acclaim, this production brings Gilbert & Sullivan’s beloved comic opera back to the stage for a second revival, guided by Revival Director Sarah Tipple and featuring the ENO Orchestra under the baton of Natalie Murray Beale, a conductor making her highly anticipated ENO debut.

With 15 scheduled performances, this production tells the charmingly absurd story of Frederic, a young pirate apprentice torn between his duty to his pirate crew and his love for Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley. Audiences can look forward to iconic numbers like 'I am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General' and 'I am a Pirate King'. delivered by an exceptional cast of G&S veterans and ENO regulars.

Richard Suart reprises his celebrated role as Major-General Stanley, joined by John Savournin as The Pirate King, bringing his G&S expertise from recent ENO productions Iolanthe and H.M.S. Pinafore. Tenor William Morgan makes his debut as Frederic, and Classic FM “30 Under 30 Rising Star” Isabelle Peters will play Mabel, following her appearance in ENO’s Jenufa in 2024. Rounding out the principal cast are James Creswell as Sergeant of Police, Bethan Langford as Edith, and Gaynor Keeble as Ruth.

Mike Leigh’s production, known for its vibrant direction and humour, is brought to life with design by Alison Chitty, lighting by Ian Jackson-French, and choreography by Francesca Jaynes. A relaxed performance will take place on Thursday, January 30, at 13:00, and a signed performance on Saturday, February 8, at 14:30.

Ticket Information:

Tickets begin at £10, with free options available for those under 21, and discounted prices for 21-35-year-olds. A booking fee of £3.75 applies for online and phone bookings. The production is a co-production with Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg and the Saarländische Staatstheater Saarbrücken.

Performance Dates:

Evening Performances: December 2, 4, 6, January 24, 25, 30, February 4, 6, 19 at 19:00

Matinee Performances: December 7, January 30 (13:00); January 25, February 8, 21 (14:30)

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Thursday, 21 June 2018

Kiss Me, Kate, London Coliseum | Review

Kiss Me, Kate

London Coliseum

Reviewed on Wednesday 20th June 2018 by Olivia Mitchell

★★★

Kiss Me Kate is Cole Porter's 1949 musical play in two acts which interweaves a production of The Taming of the Shrew with a number of dramatic backstage battles. After touring for a while, Opera North's production has slipped into the London Coliseum for a short run which showcases it's glorious score and stellar cast.

The book is certainly at the core of this show. We see the actors putting on a revised musical version of the Taming of the Shrew in addition to focussing on the battle between actors and ex-partners, Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi who can't seem to budge one another. At times, especially in Act 2, the show does drag; at three hours long you certainly need to grab a coffee beforehand but there's also enough variation to keep you somewhat on your toes.

The plot is helped along by the smooth set transitions that come from Colin Richmond's minimalistic backdrop featuring painted drops and revolving slides. These cleverly transport us from on stage, to backstage, but the whole production does feel a bit small for the vast space of the Coliseum. Much of the front stage is not used which makes the show feel distanced and somewhat unwelcoming as things get lost whilst being performed at the rear of the stage. Richmond's costumes are beautiful and bring an almost modern twist to the show whilst maintaining it's traditional Shakespearean roots.

The classic orchestrations are played in all their original glory which is truly magnificent to hear. From the jazzy Too Darn Hot to Olde English melodies, the orchestra of Opera North, led by David Greed do an outstanding job of making everything buoyant and virtuosic.

You couldn't ask for a better cast to perform this monstrous show; drawn from both the opera world and the musical theatre world, they combine to create some magical moments. Baritone Quirijn De Lang and soprano Stephanie Corley are musically outstanding as Fred and Lilli. Two fiery characters, they give boisterous performances which bite and claw, with a loving undertone throughout. Corley's I Hate Men is a true powerhouse moment.

Zoë Rainey sings as if her life depends on it and completely steals the show in act two with her vast rendition of Always True To You In My Fashion. The multiple repetitions in this song and others do become somewhat draining but Rainey's performance is worth the ticket price alone as she performs with energy and vocal brilliance.

Act two provides spellbinding moment after spellbinding moment with Alan Burkitt's tap number completely dancing everyone off the stage. He gives a magnetic, faultless performance which could be watched over and over.

A the two gunmen, John Savournin and Joseph Shovelton steal the scenes they're a part of and give humourous performances throughout.

The ensemble do a wonderful job of bulking out the show but at times do feel underdeveloped, especially in terms of choreography. There could have been some really powerful group choreographic moments but unfortunately these were left out.

Kiss Me Kate has comedy, innuendos, a beautiful score and a stellar cast. It's a long show that could definitely be chopped here and there but there's no denying that it's a marvellous piece of theatre. Despite some issues, the gems of performances that are spotted around do make it a Wunderbar production.

Kiss Me Kate runs until June 30th at the London Coliseum

For tickets and information about the show, visit https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk

photo credit: Tristram Kenton

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