Matlock G&S Society’s production of The Mikado

Gay Bolton Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times

How do you solve the problem of a shortage of young men and women?

A bit of imagination goes a long way as shown in Matlock Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s production of The Mikado this week. With the young males in the pub and the girls at Lady Manners School disco, director Angela Robinson has roped in society veterans masquerading as dinner ladies, bridge players and stooges planted in the audience to compensate. This simple solution works a treat - the spectators at Bakewell’s Medway Centre love it and the cast play along with it.

Chorus member Liz McKenzie sticks rubber gloves into the sash of her kimono, Chris Kraushaar is a beat or so behind his fellow noblemen’s opening routine and Richard Simmonds in the role of The Mikado reads part of his script from the back of a fan. Facebook and X-Factor get a couple of name checks while Ko-Ko’s not so little list references the Peak Park Planning Board, conservation officers and plans for a supermarket in Bakewell. Pooh-Bah is elevated to the newly created role of High Sheriff of High Peak to add to his extensive credits. And this must be the first time selfies have appeared in a G&S production as Yum-Yum and Peep-Bo capture the preparations for the former’s wedding.

Real-life schoolgirls Lizzy Blades and Liddy Buswell are shunning the disco to play the roles of Yum-Yum and Peep-Bo, aided by the slightly older Susan Devaney as Pitti-Sing - all performing a delightful rendition of Three Little Maids. This is Lizzy’s first lead role with the company and she shines in her characterisation of the comically vain bride-to-be with a golden singing voice. Her opposite number Andrew Moore brings the likeability factor and good singing to the part of Nanki-Poo, son of The Mikado who masquerades as a wandering minstrel.

Nic Wilson displays his trademark superlative performance skills in characterising Ko-Ko, playing him as a Yorkshireman and milking as much comedy out of the role as he can. He’s aided and abetted by Max Taylor as the scheming Pooh-Bah who appoints himself boss of everything and raises a chuckle with his “despicable me” line. Cathreen Henwood plays the formidable old maid Katisha, with a head-dress that looks like a cross between a jazzed-up TV aerial and an insect’s antennae which she trains on the poor subjects who dare to cross her.

There’s some glorious singing, particularly the madrigal Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day which was beautifully sung at the production last night (Friday, June 12). The nine-strong orchestra provide sensitive accompaniment and musical director Melanie Gilbert has a rare spoken line to deliver as part of this ingenious production.

Joyce Handbury

Supposedly, as a Banner hoisted at the back of the stage informed us, the staging of The Mikado was to have been held outdoors in The Bath Gardens but because of the inclement weather the company had to return to the Medway Centre. Unfortunately, some of the cast had decided to stop off at the pub and some of the young girls had decided to go to a school disco. We were told about all this by the Producer, Angela Robinson, who then proceeded to notice people in the audience from earlier productions and invited them to come on down and help out so that the ‘show could go on’ which of course they duly did and played along by adding certain items to their costume or being a little uncertain of what everyone else was doing and later, The Mikado, even read from the back of his fan. The producer kept interrupting at various times to tell us of further problems etc. - it was a very creative and imaginative approach.

Andrew Moore was ideal as Nanki Poo his natural acting skills and good singing voice were very much in evidence. Two of the 'Three Little Maids' playing Yum-Yum and Peep-Bo had decided not to go to the 'School Disco', (although in real-life they are schoolgirls) and I’m so glad they didn’t! Yum-Yum was delightfully played by Lizzy Blades in her first lead role with the company. She has such a sweet voice and her singing of 'The Sun Whose Rays are all Ablaze' was most impressive.

Lizzy was well supported by the two other maids, Liddy Buswell as Peep-Bo, a lovely singer and a very natural actress and Susan Devaney (no longer a schoolgirl I suspect), was fine as Pitti Sing. They made a charming trio and the singing of “Three Little Maids” was lovely and they even managed to take a few 'selfies'!

Nic Wilson was excellent in the role of Ko-Ko. His comic timing and facial expressions are superb and the amusing and updating of 'I’ve Got a Little List' included X-Factor, Ipads, the Peak Planning Board and a proposed supermaket in Bakewell was brilliantly delivered as was the rendition of 'Willow, tit-willow'. Max Taylor, as the corrupt and arrogant Pooh Bah who holds every official title going including that of High Sheriff of High Peak, was appropriately splendidly pompous, and his singing was oustanding.

Cathreen Henwood was an effective Katisha and though her singing voice is not particularly strong she excelled in her portrayal of the varying aspects of the character and what an incredible head-dress! Chris Hannant gives a creditable performance as Pish Push as does Richard Simmonds as The Mikado.

Throughout, the singing from the principals and the chorus was sublime and together with a first-rate orchestra it resulted in a most entertaining, enjoyable and cleverly conceived production and as the Three Little Maids said, "Everything is a source of fun" and indeed, this show was just that!