Opera review: The Pirates of Penzance, Glasgow
The Pirates of Penzance
Theatre Royal Glasgow
* * * *
Much of that is down to Jamie Vartin’s refreshing designs: a kind of picture-book concept that is clean, suggestive, crisp and – in the case of the Major General’s hilariously overcrowded chapel – part and parcel of the production’s well-tempered comedy.
And there are many genuine laughs to be had, from the feckless Pirates and comic-book Police, to a raft of solo performances that go well beyond G&S stereotypes, not least because they sing magnificently. With the occasional nod to Monty Python, Lloyd-Evans pitches it neatly between the satirical and the absurd.
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Hide AdSteven Page’s Pirate King has a dash of Jack Sparrow about him, cheeky, authoritative, but occasionally caught off his guard. Rosie Aldridge sings Ruth with a gentle maturity. The lightweight innocence of Nicholas Sharratt’s Frederic simply exaggerates the wonderful strain of lunacy that ignites Stephanie Corley’s bubbly Mabel. Richard Suart and Graeme Broadbent bring a refreshing individuality to the Major General and Sergeant of Police.
With advertised conductor John Owen Edwards removed from the opening night, Derek Clark stepped in admirably and efficiently, though there’s still some settling in to do from the orchestra perspective.
Otherwise, a great night’s entertainment.