HMS Pinafore was the first of the Savoy Operas that I attended back in the early 1980s. It was also the first show in which I sang a principal role on arriving in Oxford at the end of that decade. So suffice it to say that I know it very well.
I also know the work of Opera Della Luna having seen them perform at the Playhouse a number of times in the past. They always seek to bring a fresh approach to each production. It used to be common for Gilbert and Sullivan to be presented very reverentially and that has left audiences with the impression that their works are pieces only fit for museums.
This particular production is now more than twenty years old and is a stripped back affair with a cast of eight and an onstage band of eight. The set design, by Graham Wynne, is particularly effective at creating the impression of a nineteenth century naval vessel using just a few key elements. The costumes are similarity visually appealing.
What works less well is the trimmed version of the score and libretto. Whilst I appreciate that this version is based on a sixty minute version that was later extended into a two act version, the cuts all too frequently do not make musical sense. Similarly the libretto loses too many good lines.
HMS Pinafore if presented as originally written comes in at two hours including interval. This version runs at one hour fifty minutes including the interval. So for the sake of ten minutes, the score is deprived of the flow of the original (particularly in the extended ensemble sequences) and the dialogue is not as funny as Gilbert intended.
To those who are less familiar with the original, none of this really matters. However changes to an original should deliver something at least on the same level with the original, if not better. I am by no means a purist, but I genuinely believe that these changes do not improve on the original and in too many places do some harm.
Thankfully there are some very strong performances at the core of the production. Most notable is the presence and vocal power of Matthew Siveter as Captain Corcoran. He is fully at home in the style of music and delivers the lyrics and dialogue with relish. Georgina Stalbow as his daughter Josephine has a wonderful voice and delivers her two showpiece arias with elegance and precision.
Special mention must also go to the scene stealing presence of Lynsey Docherty as Cousin Hebe. She made every opportunity count to bring a frequently overlooked character fully to life.
It is fantastic that Opera Della Luna are continuing to bring professional productions of Gilbert and Sullivan to UK stages, and I applaud their intent to not be hide bound by outdated staging conventions. On this occasion, this performing edition did not work for me. It would, however, not stop me from seeking them out next time they are in a local theatre.