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Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard (2023) #1483
MUSIC
Special
BBC. English National Opera’s sparkling new production of the much-loved Gilbert and Sullivan classic, set in the Tower of London. The dashing Colonel Fairfax is under sentence of death. Can his old friend, the Beefeater Sergeant Merryl, save him? And what of Merryl’s daughter Phoebe, who has fallen hopelessly in love with the colonel? A fast-paced caper with forbidden romances, fantastical plots and unrequited love unfolds, with some surprising twists at the end. Widely regarded as one of Sullivan’s finest scores, the opera is full of delightful tunes, including I Have a Song to Sing, O!, When a Wooer Goes a-Wooing and Free From His Fetters Grim. The action has been shifted to the 1950s, the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, and the stellar cast includes Tony and Olivier Award-winning stage and screen actor Richard McCabe, who makes his operatic debut in the role of the travelling jester Jack Point, the opera’s comic baritone. |
| 2 |
The Gondoliers (2022) #1409
MUSIC
Main
150 mins. BBC. One of the finest of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas in a sumptuous production by Scottish Opera. Sunny, funny and with more 'tra-la-las' per square inch than any other opera in the canon, The Gondoliers is a joy from start to finish. This witty satire is jam-packed with unforgettable star roles, musical highlights and dancing, including numbers such as Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes, Regular Royal Queen and the Cachucha. The Gondoliers is a charming poke at the appeals and pitfalls of rulership, privilege and cronyism. Two happy-go-lucky Venetian gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, discover that one of them is, in fact, heir to the throne of a distant kingdom. True to their (adopted) republican roots, they set off together to rule in idealistic if somewhat chaotic style. Marco and Giuseppe have just chosen their brides, Gianetta and Tessa, when their lives are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the grand inquisitor, Don Alhambra, who informs them that one of them has acquired the throne of the distant Kingdom of Barataria. The Duke of Plaza-Toro brings his daughter to meet Don Alhambra because she has been betrothed to the new monarch - whichever he is. No-one can identify which of the gondoliers is to be the king, so they both agree to go and rule jointly and according to their strict republican instincts. It’s a fine but exhausting ideal, as they find that ‘equality’ means they end up doing all the work themselves. The Duke of Plaza-Toro, bringing his daughter, arrives in the chaotic kingdom, and after vain attempts to teach the monarchs decorum and judgement, the confusion and incompetence is resolved, and the rightful monarch is in place. In a co-production by D’Oyly Carte Opera and State Opera South Australia, Stuart Maunder directs the production with fun, verve and taste, with Scottish Opera’s music director, Derek Clark, conducting one of Arthur Sullivan’s most attractive and affecting scores. The designs are by Dick Bird, drawing on views of Venice by Canaletto and creating colourful costumes full of style and wit. Isabel Baquero has devised an energetic and boisterous choreography that matches the joy of the production. |
| 3 |
The Gondoliers (2022) #1410
MUSIC
Special
150 mins. BBC. One of the finest of Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas in a sumptuous production by Scottish Opera. Sunny, funny and with more 'tra-la-las' per square inch than any other opera in the canon, The Gondoliers is a joy from start to finish. This witty satire is jam-packed with unforgettable star roles, musical highlights and dancing, including numbers such as Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes, Regular Royal Queen and the Cachucha. The Gondoliers is a charming poke at the appeals and pitfalls of rulership, privilege and cronyism. Two happy-go-lucky Venetian gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, discover that one of them is, in fact, heir to the throne of a distant kingdom. True to their (adopted) republican roots, they set off together to rule in idealistic if somewhat chaotic style. Marco and Giuseppe have just chosen their brides, Gianetta and Tessa, when their lives are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the grand inquisitor, Don Alhambra, who informs them that one of them has acquired the throne of the distant Kingdom of Barataria. The Duke of Plaza-Toro brings his daughter to meet Don Alhambra because she has been betrothed to the new monarch - whichever he is. No-one can identify which of the gondoliers is to be the king, so they both agree to go and rule jointly and according to their strict republican instincts. It’s a fine but exhausting ideal, as they find that ‘equality’ means they end up doing all the work themselves. The Duke of Plaza-Toro, bringing his daughter, arrives in the chaotic kingdom, and after vain attempts to teach the monarchs decorum and judgement, the confusion and incompetence is resolved, and the rightful monarch is in place. In a co-production by D’Oyly Carte Opera and State Opera South Australia, Stuart Maunder directs the production with fun, verve and taste, with Scottish Opera’s music director, Derek Clark, conducting one of Arthur Sullivan’s most attractive and affecting scores. The designs are by Dick Bird, drawing on views of Venice by Canaletto and creating colourful costumes full of style and wit. Isabel Baquero has devised an energetic and boisterous choreography that matches the joy of the production. 2 DVDs - Act I & Act II |
| 4 |
HMS Pinafore / Trail by Jury (2006) #613
MUSIC
Main
Opera Australia. Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Colette Mann, John Bolton Wood, Tiffany Speight, Ali McGregor, Roxane Hislop, Richard Alexander, Andrew Jones Opera Australia Melbourne Chorus Orchestra Victoria / Andrew Greene. While HMS Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first full-length satirical work and first major international success, Trial by Jury was their first collaboration - the show's outrageous antics made it the toast of London. In this filmed recording, Anthony Warlow, Australia’s musical theatre superstar, is at the helm as both the "right good captain" and the "good judge" too. He is joined by a stellar cast featuring David Hobson, John Bolton Wood and Colette Mann as "dear little Buttercup". |
| 5 |
Topsy-Turvy (1999) #69
FILM
Main
Directed by Mike Leigh. With Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Dexter Fletcher, Sukie Smith. After Gilbert and Sullivan's latest play is critically panned, the frustrated team threatens to disband until it is inspired to write the masterpiece "The Mikado". |
| 6 |
Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) #533
FILM
Main
Directed by Sidney Gilliat. With Robert Morley, Maurice Evans, Eileen Herlie, Martyn Green. The common career of W.S. Gilbert,a barrister turned comic writer, and Arthur Sullivan, a classic composer turned converted against his will to light music, who wrote fourteen operettas between 1871 and 1896, to great public acclaim. |
| 7 |
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (1953) #1454
FILM
Main
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan: Directed by Sidney Gilliat. With Robert Morley, Maurice Evans, Eileen Herlie, Martyn Green. The common career of W.S. Gilbert,a barrister turned comic writer, and Arthur Sullivan, a classic composer turned converted against his will to light music, who wrote fourteen operettas between 1871 and 1896, to great public acclaim. Added 2nd December 2022 |