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This review was of the show at the Union Theatre in 2013.
The latest in the string of all-male musical productions from the tiny Union Theatre in Southwark is Gilbert & Sullivan’s frothy comic opera ‘HMS Pinafore’. The piece, which was the first international hit for the collaborators in 1878, pokes unashamed fun at British society’s obsession with social status.
In truth, the story is water-thin: a lowly tar falls in love with Josephine the captain’s daughter and she with him. But social decorum and the head of the navy (who’s also looking to get his hands on Josephine) get in the way. It’s all topped by an improbable twist that wraps everything up all-too easily.
But the sparky fun in Sasha Regan’s production more than makes up for the less-than-meaty drama. There are flashes of great ingenuity in Lizzi Gee’s choreography, where she transforms the bare stage into a bustling deck and members of the ensemble from hulking men into dainty ladies.
There’s not too much camp here, though. Rather than dominating the comedy, the cross-dressing lifts and embellishes the humour and balances very well with other caricatures such as the red-nosed, smarmy Sir Joseph Porter and the hapless captain of the Pinafore.
The ensemble work exceptionally well together and much must be said for Ciaran O’Driscoll as Buttercup and Bex Roberts as Josephine, who pull off the high notes effortlessly.
Set in the underbelly of the ship, but with only a metal bunk bed to set the scene, Regan’s production is stripped bare, leaving room to bring out the sharp satire of the piece as well as Gilbert’s superb lyrics and Sullivan’s beautiful harmonies.
By Daisy Bowie-Sell