THERE'S
nothing quite as devotional in the world of theatre as the effervescent
enthusiasm of a Gilbert and Sullivan Society member for the work of the
Victorian duo.
With eager societies established in all four corners
of the globe, slavishly dedicated to bringing the work of the pair to the
stage at frequent intervals, it's obvious that the work of Messrs Gilbert
and Sullivan will remain for a hell of a long time in the operatic canon,
like it or not.
And the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Edinburgh
is no different, as next week they set about entertaining the bejesus out
of us by putting on a performance of one of the duo's most famous works,
The Mikado at The King's Theatre.
For the director of this year's
show and Gilbert and Sullivan veteran, Alan Borthwick, the reason behind
the pair's longevity is pretty clear.
"I simply think that the
pieces themselves are absolute masterpieces," he says, bubbling over with
unmitigated fervour.
"If you look at operatic music over the years,
the really, really good pieces do last. There's nothing else from the late
19th century in Britain that's lasted at all – Gilbert and Sullivan were
absolutely tops of their trades, and together they were just
unbeatable."
Pausing briefly for breath, the gregarious Borthwick
proceeds to explain a bit more about the decision of the society to
perform The Mikado, one of the pair's most famous pieces.
The
Japanese-based opera, which features such flippant vignettes as Three
Little Maids From School Are We and A Wandering Minstrel I, must be known
to almost every theatre-goer in the land, but Borthwick reckons there's
still plenty of enthusiasm for it among the public.
"It's quite a
good one to do just now," he bubbles eagerly, "because it's got a high
profile ever since the Mike Leigh film Topsy-Turvy was out last year." And
there's another reason for putting it on: "The Mikado is such a great
piece that you can do God knows what to it and it still works," he says,
"because the actual basic material is so strong. Mind you, we'll maybe
prove otherwise when we kill it off next week, but don't you dare print
that."
Oops, printed it already. Of course, he's only having a
laugh, but speaking of "doing God knows what" to the opera, Borthwick and
musical director David Lyle have decided to put on a slightly unusual
version of the work, just to keep G&S aficionados on their
toes.
"Because The Mikado is done so often," he says somewhat
conspiratorially, "we decided to go for a little bit of a gimmick and to
do it in the version that was done on the actual opening night. After that
night, Gilbert and Sullivan rearranged it a little bit, so we're doing a
unique performance."
So if you reckon you know the works of William
Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan better than most, this particular
Mikado should still offer you something new and engaging. "I thought it
would add a touch of interest for people who knew the piece backwards,"
says Borthwick, "who might suddenly sit up and go, 'Oh, wait a minute,
should this not be such and such a song'. And for those who don't know it
so well, they'll hopefully just have a great time and enjoy
it."
Fine sentiments indeed. With Gilbert and Sullivan's work often
being seen as the village idiot of opera by snooty arts bores, it's
occasionally tempting to be patronising about the pair. However,
denigrating the skill involved in such a production as this would be a
mistake, as Borthwick explains.
"I think that performing Gilbert
and Sullivan is much more difficult than people think, because you have to
sing it well and act it well into the bargain," he says.
"This'll
probably open up a can of worms, but you can do opera without being a
great actor, and you can definitely do straight plays without having to
sing at all. But to do Gilbert and Sullivan you have to be able to act and
also to have a good voice."
So if it's a talented bunch of actors
and singers you want, and you're up for an unpretentious good-time night
out of rollicking operatic entertainment (and who isn't?), you could do a
lot worse than get down to The King's next week.
The Mikado, The
King's Theatre, Tuesday March 27-Saturday 31, 7.30pm, plus matinee
Saturday 2.30pm, £7-£12 (£5-£7), 0131 529 6000
