19 – 20 January

In an era of cuts and closures, it’s heartening to encounter Opera Della Luna, a thriving touring company, dedicated to producing and performing some of the finest comic operas of the last three centuries. Their current rendering of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic is fast, funny and inventive and will be moving to Bath Theatre Royal for a longer run on the 24^th January.

Jeff Clarke, who directs both action and music, has taken a traditional approach and there are none of the usual nods to contemporary culture which are often the case in modern productions of Gilbert and Sullivan. Wisely, some might say, he has let the satire speak for itself. Social injustice and class prejudice need no tweaking to resonate in our times, particularly when the performances are so crisp, the comedy so well-timed, and every word of Gilbert’s libretto is perfectly audible. Using the costumes of the 1850s rather than the late 1870s may seem a small adjustment, but as Clarke explains in a programme note, this is his nod to Dickens. The costume designer is Nigel Howard and his attention to detail is striking, a significant contribution to the team effort involved in creating a wholly credible stage world.

Set designer Graham Wynne has conjured a lifelike vessel, against a changing cloudy backdrop, combining the roles of ship and stage crew to hoist the mast and rigging during the rousing overture. Purists will miss Sullivan’s rich orchestration in this pared down version, but Clarke makes a fine job of arranging the score for piano and onstage band of six instruments comprising strings, woodwind and percussion. One minor quibble is that the position of the large grand piano front stage and the resulting view of the director’s back is a little distracting, though it becomes less obtrusive as the show takes wing.

HMS Pinafore is an early Gilbert and Sullivan and lacks the depth and complexity of the later operettas. Despite dramatic pace and lively choreography, the first act, with its succession of entrances and declamations, can feel static to modern sensibilities. But the show takes off in Act Two, reaching its brilliant peak in the famous trio Never Mind The Why And Wherefore, when the Captain, the Admiral and Josephine all sing at cross purposes on the need for social levelling.

Georgina Stalbow as the captain’s daughter Josephine is a versatile lyric soprano, full hearted and perfectly poised for the comic elements of the role. She is well complemented by Lawrence Olsworth-Peter’s able tenor. Admiral Sir Joseph Porter ( Paul Featherstone) and his retinue have just the right degree of absurdity while Matthew Siveter is strangely appealing as the troubled Captain Corcoran, hidebound by the restrictions of his social class.

In short, this is a faithful rendering of a well-loved classic, performed to a high standard and, in an age when opera on the move is becoming a rarity, well worth supporting.

★★★★☆  Ros Carne, 20 January, 2024

Photo credit: Charles Smith