The Mikado

Synopsis

A comic operetta with a Japanese theme. Songs such as 'Three Little Maids from School', 'A Wandering Minstrel', 'A Most Humane Mikado' etc. One of Gilbert and Sullivan's most popular works. In the town of Titipu, local government has fallen into the hands of two dubious characters: Ko-Ko, in charge of public executions; and Pooh-Bah, who has a finger in every pie. A young man arrives who, unknown to most, is Nanki-Poo, son of the Mikado. Fleeing an arranged marriage to the elderly Katisha, he falls for the beautiful Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko's fiancée. When the Mikado arrives, thirsty for executions, Ko-Ko thinks he has the perfect plan...until Katisha turns up, bent on revenge.

Our Review:

31 January 2008

It is ten years since the Carl Rosa company was relaunched, and I have to say that their Gilbert and Sullivan season, presented by Raymond Gubbay, had not filled me with pre-show excitement.

So much for expectation. Peter Mulloy’s opening production of The Mikado, conducted by Martin Handley, with footlights and cut-out scenery, is a total joy, beautifully sung and designed in the best of the old D’Oyly Carte traditions, and restoring what Jonathan Miller’s famous ENO production (coincidentally returning to the repertoire next week) expunged: a Victorian satirical/xenophobic take on all things Japanese.

Miller’s ENO version played the piece cod colonial when the whole point is that the Japanese political hierarchy looks different but is just like ours anyway. Eric Idle updated Ko-Ko’s “little list” every night; here, following that example, the society offenders include boybands, political donors and an MP’s paid-up relatives – and the Mikado...

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