St Michael at the North Gate, 6-9 May 2009

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Miranda Rose May 6, 2009

It is a concert performance in a church, but the OU G&S Society put so much of the essential spirit into it, that it's well worth seeing despite the restrictions of the narrow space and foggy acoustics.

There were efficient costumes (the sailors looking very trim in white shirts with matching light blue scarves) and as much moving around as could be managed, but, obviously, no set, and accompaniment on a piano rather than an orchestra.

I believe this is the fourth Gilbert and Sullivan opera, a sillier-than-usual satire on social and naval hierarchies. Young love, hypocrisy, unmerited success and a happy ending. The second act was much livelier than the first. This is partly the fault of the libretto (neither the delightful music nor the ludicrous book are as complex as in later works such as Ruddigore or the Gondoliers), but I did feel that we could have done with more of the daft choreography earlier in the show (I thought that "This should be his customary attitude" had many wasted opportunities for actions). Having said that, all the set-piece songs between principals were musically highly polished, and in the second act the choreography caught up.

Their main weapon is Anna Sideris as Josephine, the Captain's daughter. She has an exquisite voice, which won her the first spontaneous audience applause of the evening and made her big solo ("God of Love and God of Reason") a joy to listen to. Her opposite number, Thomas Wade (the low-born but valiant Ralph Rackstraw) while he has sweet tone, definitely has trouble with the pitch of his high notes. However, his eager blond prettiness is such that one, rather unfairly, forgives him.

The Musical Director, Samuel Swinnerton, who played all the accompaniment throughout without flagging, is obviously a good pianist. Unfortunately you'd have to be something of a genius to make it really enjoyable to hear the whole thing played by one person on a slightly tinny piano. He has, however, made a very good job of his other responsibilities, particularly with the chorus, who were spot on. The acoustics of this venue are a problem, especially for those unfamiliar with the piece, but great attention has obviously been paid to this, and the effect is pretty good.

Huw Davies is marvellous in the small but crucial role of the sinister Dick Deadeye, and Christopher Milton ponces with entertaining conviction as Sir Joseph Porter KCB, the Ruler of the Queen's Navee. Katherine Fairhurst (Buttercup) has a less highly-trained voice than some, but also has a delightful rich timbre and great presence. The owlish Robert Hazle is entertainingly ineffectual as Captain Corcoran, and while soft-voiced, has a lovely sound.

All in all a very spirited and technically accomplished production on a shoestring (which is reflected in the prices - only £3 for students!). Worth going; you'll come out humming.

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Rowena Purrett May 6, 2009

This performance of H.M.S Pinafore marks the most recent in a lengthy stream of Gilbert & Sullivan productions for the OUG&SS (Oxford University Gilbert & Sullivan Society,) a society that apparently dates back to the 1920s. As should be expected of any Gilbert & Sullivan opera this production was certainly entertaining and at times amusing.

The plot of H.M.S Pinafore involves a form of love triangle between a sailor on board the ship, the Captain’s daughter and “The Right Honourable Sir Joseph Porter.” This confusing situation emphasises the fact that the opera appears to be taking a satirical look at class systems, as each of the three main characters falls for someone who is of another social class. However, by the end of Pinafore all characters are with their rightful partners due to what can only be described as the kind of mix up that Shakespeare was fond of.

The lack of an impressive set or an abundance of props may cause a die-hard Gilbert & Sullivan fan to cast a sceptical eye over the performance, but in fact instead of diminishing the effect of this particular production the rather sparse stage simply encourages the audience to pay more attention to the actual music. Accompanied flawlessly throughout on piano by Samuel Swinnerton, the voices of the cast are truly impressive, especially that of Anna Sideris, playing the part of Josephine, whose powerful delivery is definitely a reminder that H.M.S Pinafore is an opera, not a musical.

Overall, the OUG&SS production of Pinafore provides a refreshing look at an old classic that any fan of Gilbert & Sullivan should be sorry to have missed!

I was expecting great things when I stepped into St. Michael’s church yesterday evening. I have seen several of the University’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s productions over the last few years and have greatly enjoyed them; this time I was both shown both excellence and mediocrity.

Firstly I should point out that this is obviously meant to be a concert performance, you won’t find either elaborate sets or costumes. However even for this type of production the setting was rather austere. I have seen staging used in this venue before and it would have been rather nice to have seen this used. (I was sitting towards the back and often found it quite difficult to see what was going on when the leads were standing on the floor at the front). Some bunting around the pulpit seemed to be the only indication that we were being transported to a ship – if you are going to have the principals moving about a lot is it not to your advantage to suggest locale to the greatest possible extent?!

In a concert production emphasis and audience attention is automatically thrown on the singing (in fact both directors suggest this in the program). Unfortunately the singing standard was decidedly mixed throughout the production. Anna Sideris (Josephine) clearly had the strongest voice and her soaring soprano mixed beautifully with the natural acoustic properties of the venue. Robert Hazel (Captain Corcoran) also sang very well, his rich baritone conveying a great deal of expression in his second act opener whilst coping admirably with the faster passages. He was most convincing. Katherine Fairhurst (Little Buttercup) also got her voice across but unfortunately her limited dramatic capabilities hindered her performance.

Thomas Wade (Ralph) seemed hopelessly miscast as the love-struck tenor as he seemed to be neither. He sauntered about with an air of indifference to his co-star and his singing was often both flat and brash. The acting of some of the cast also occasionally lost dramatic direction and seemed confused. The stand out performance of the evening was most certainly Christopher Milton’s Sir Joseph Porter. He not only sang with cut-crystal clarity but also amused and delighted as soon as he arrived in the acting area. He carried his characterisation as a pompous but endearing chap throughout; his dialogue with Robert Hazel’s Captain was particularly entertaining.

I was perhaps most disappointed by the choral singing. Pinafore is a score that contains many wonderful moments for the chorus. I have been impressed by the choral work of some of the societies productions recently (I remember their Gondoliers, Utopia Ltd and even their recent Yeoman being very fine) and was somewhat dismayed to hear a rather bland and unmusical sound. The musical director (Samuel Swinnerton) has really missed a trick here. The opening number by upbeat and lively but unfortunately did not set the tone for the rest of the show. The singing was too frequently out of tune and unblended. There seemed hardly a dynamic in much of the music (the final number of the first act being notably dull) and some of the more dramatic sections sounded rather like shouting. It was not all bad however as some passages were handled well and did give a glimpse of what can be achieved. Samuel Swinnerton himself accompanied throughout from the piano. These scores are demanding and he on the whole coped; one feels he could have done better by following his singers more and altering some of the rather unusual tempo choices.

All this aside it was an enjoyable production with some excellent solo performances and amusing spectacle. Pinafore is always fun and I fail to see how anybody could be disappointed if this is what they’re after. The show runs on Friday and Saturday with a matinee.

3 stars.

Alex Bartlett 7 May 2009

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