Review - The Mikado
October 29, 2008
Date Reviewed: 28th October, 2008
Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle
The Mikado is the latest Gilbert and Sullivan production to be toured by Carl Rosa and very enjoyable it is too. Using the Oscar winning Topsy Turvey settings and costumes, Director Peter Mulloy gets the most from his cast, they produce an energy which certainly crosses the footlights. It is therefore a pity that the orchestra continually drown out a first rate cast making many of the lyrics inaudible.
Set in Japan the production tells the story of Nanki -Poo , the son of the Mikado, who has run away to stop his marriage to the elderly Katisha. He has though fallen in love with Yum-Yum, but cannot marry due to her guardian Ko-Ko. When Ko-Ko is ordered by the Mikado to execute someone, Nanki-Poo is the ideal victim as he is preparing to commit suicide as he cannot marry Yum-Yum.
But of course things do not run that smoothly and by the time the Mikado arrives Ko-Ko is having to pretend he has executed Nanki-Poo. But upon realising that as he is the Mikado’s son, he knows he will also be executed, so to save his life he marries the elderly Katisha himself. Finally we have the happy ending we have been waiting for as the Mikado finds out his son is not in fact dead, but really married to Yum-Yum.
The score is littered with instantly recognisable numbers including “Three Little Maids From School Are We” “Tit-Willow” and “A Wandering Mistral I” .
Carl Rosa have placed an excellent cast in this production led by Sylvester McCoyfrom TVs Dr Who as the Mikado and as Katisha , Nicola McAuliffe. Having played the role in the London season she now joins this relatively short tour, bringing her own style to the role. Having seen her play the Baroness in the original stage cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,where she even outshone the flying car, McAuliffe does not disappoint as the betrayed Katisha, even getting a round of applause for one of her aside comments.
With such wonderful characters as Poo-Bah, Pish-Tush, Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing this delightful revival held the audiences attention from the start, even my eight year old daughter was engrossed on her fist outing to a Gilbert and Sullivan production. It was just such a pity the large orchestra drown out the singers on numerous occasions.
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