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The Pirates of Penzance
King's Theatre, Edinburgh 
Thursday 15th March
2007
It's easy to be
forgiving about casting choices when it comes to amateur companies; why avoid a
great show just because everyone isn't precisely what the role demands?
Sometimes, though,
it's impossible to turn a blind eye. Case in point, the Gilbert & Sullivan
Society of Edinburgh's new production of Pirates. The action turns
on the fact that apprentice buccaneer Frederic has reached 21, but it's
obviously been a while since the actor playing him,
Darren Coutts, picked up the
key of the door. I'd say it's long since rusted.
Odder still, his
47-year-old nurse, whose attentions towards him we're supposed to find comical,
is Susanne Horsburgh, apparently young enough to be his daughter and an awful
long way from anyone's idea of unattractive.
They're both
excellent, with great voices, acting chops and stage presence to spare, but you
just can't forget that the age difference is the opposite to what it should be.
Elsewhere, we were
treated to delightful turns by Fiona Main,
Scott Thomson and
Simon Boothroyd -
as Mabel, the (modern) Major-General and Police Sergeant respectively - while
Ian Lawson charmingly channelled the spirit of Jack Sparrow into the Pirate
King.
There were spiffing
sight gags, the production design was witty, the direction zippy, chorus
creditable and orchestra rousing. The best of the well-known songs on the night
was 'With Cat-like Tread' but, basically, if you like G&S, you'll love this
show.
MARTIN GRAY
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