423 posts
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Post by dlevi on Feb 14, 2018 9:37:41 GMT
Cal McCrystal's joyous comic take on this G & S stalwart is a delight from start to finish. Beautifully sung and the ENO orchestra sounds as sumptuous as ever. And then there are the laughs which are plentiful and just plain silly. A 21st century production to rival the great Jonathan Miller productions from the 80's ( or was it the 70's?) Just go and have a great time.
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Post by bellboard27 on Feb 14, 2018 10:24:33 GMT
It is a very silly show. Take G&S, add some training at the Julian Clary school of double entendre, a sprinkling of physical comedy from the school of Mischief Theatre, some dodgy sheep, a big train, randy fairies and an errant flamingo and one is ready to sit on the noble benches of the House of Lords.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 14, 2018 11:27:37 GMT
I grew tired of the endless new jokes added to the piece. I presume Cal Crystal does not trust the text ? Unlike the recent and excellent Patience (ETO) and Trial by Jury (ON).
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Post by TallPaul on Feb 15, 2018 14:08:02 GMT
There's a story in The Times today that the 'extra' stage effects were paid for by Michael Bishop of BMI, or Baron Glendonbrook as he is now known.
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Post by tonyloco on Feb 15, 2018 16:16:26 GMT
I grew tired of the endless new jokes added to the piece. I presume Cal Crystal does not trust the text ? Unlike the recent and excellent Patience (ETO) and Trial by Jury (ON). Are you surprised? Mr Crystal certainly didn't trust Goldoni's text of 'The Servant of Two Masters' and stuffed 'One Man, Two Gov'ners' with a load of irrelevant additional material to get cheap laughs. Yes, I laughed at some of it at the time but became very conscious that none of the laughs were arising from the actual original play. Had I realised who Cal Crystal was I would never have booked to see his 'Iolanthe' but I suppose I can try to make the best of the situation by enjoying G&S's 'Iolanthe' as well as the Cal Crystal accretions! |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 15, 2018 16:45:04 GMT
This is getting good reviews. Perhaps I missed something
I loathed 1man2guvnors but I rather liked Life on the moon. Plus I love the score to Iolanthe, so I’m glad I have it a whirl
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Post by Dawnstar on Feb 15, 2018 19:47:30 GMT
This is getting good reviews. Perhaps I missed something I loathed 1man2guvnors but I rather liked Life on the moon. Plus I love the score to Iolanthe, so I’m glad I have it a whirl Whereas I detested Life On The Moon but quite liked 1 Man 2 Guvnors! I held off deciding whether to book for Iolanthe until I'd read the reviews but now having read them I still can't decide. Some of it sounds okay & some of it not so good. |
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Post by tmesis on Feb 15, 2018 22:14:58 GMT
I'm risking it!
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Post by oxfordsimon on Feb 15, 2018 23:15:23 GMT
Having played Strephon and Tolloller at various points in my past, I am rather cautious of additional material being added.
I am fine with back few tweaks to the list of demands that the Fairy Queen issues in the Act One Finale. A bit of tinkering the Liberal Conservative in the lib and in Willis' song at the start of Act 2 but the rest works perfectly well for a modern audience thank you very much.
I am far from a G&S purist but there is very little wrong with Iolanthe. Now if someone wants to make Gondoliers entertaining by radically reworking it, go for it. That is overlong and just dull. But Iolanthe is a clever bit of construction from start to finish and needs the lightest of touches to make it come alive.
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Post by crabtree on Feb 15, 2018 23:59:12 GMT
Well, one thing is for certain, and that is that it will be better that Mike Leigh's turgid Pirates of Penzance. How on earth can anyone make that a lifeless and dull piece.
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Post by tonyloco on Feb 16, 2018 12:02:23 GMT
I am far from a G&S purist but there is very little wrong with Iolanthe. Now if someone wants to make Gondoliers entertaining by radically reworking it, go for it. That is overlong and just dull. But Iolanthe is a clever bit of construction from start to finish and needs the lightest of touches to make it come alive. Yes, but it is also possible to reimagine G&S operas successfully and, provided one trusts the original texts, the new versions can be highly entertaining, as with Sasha Regan's all-male Mikado, Pirates and Pinafore and the Herbert Appleman version of Pinafore that Ian Talbot staged in Regent's Park in 2005. None of these relied on additional material for their humour but rather found new ways to explore what is already there in Gilbert's texts and Sullivan's music. But I too would welcome a new version of Gondoliers which to me seems to be the least satisfactory of all the main G&S canon. |
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Post by CG on the loose on Feb 16, 2018 12:36:21 GMT
Yes, but it is also possible to reimagine G&S operas successfully and, provided one trusts the original texts, the new versions can be highly entertaining, as with Sasha Regan's all-male Mikado, Pirates and Pinafore and the Herbert Appleman version of Pinafore that Ian Talbot staged in Regent's Park in 2005. None of these relied on additional material for their humour but rather found new ways to explore what is already there in Gilbert's texts and Sullivan's music. But I too would welcome a new version of Gondoliers which to me seems to be the least satisfactory of all the main G&S canon. ...and, going full-circle, her all-male Iolanthe! First seen at the Union in 2010, it's touring this year - April 30-July 28 www.rdww.co.uk/iolanthe/ |
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Post by tmesis on Feb 16, 2018 12:50:46 GMT
Well, one thing is for certain, and that is that it will be better that Mike Leigh's turgid Pirates of Penzance. How on earth can anyone make that a lifeless and dull piece. I agree. I'm a big Mike Leigh fan but this was unbelievably turgid. |
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Post by tonyloco on Feb 16, 2018 14:35:49 GMT
...and, going full-circle, her all-male Iolanthe! First seen at the Union in 2010, it's touring this year - April 30-July 28 www.rdww.co.uk/iolanthe/' Many thanks, CG on the loose, for that heads up about Sasha Regan's all male 'Iolanthe'. I don't know how I had missed the news of this year's tour but I have just booked to see it at Richmond in May in the same week as I am seeing the Coliseum version. I will report fully in due course – don't I always?! |
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Post by CG on the loose on Feb 16, 2018 15:14:25 GMT
You're welcome tonyloco - I only saw the news yesterday myself, in a tweet from Mark Shenton. My nearest venue is later in the run and not yet on sale... I may venture further afield to Winchester instead! |
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Post by tmesis on Feb 24, 2018 18:21:19 GMT
I saw the matinee today.
First of all The Coliseum was packed - not seen that in years for an ENO production!
I find this hard to sum up but for me the positives outweigh the negatives.
Positives:
Very well conducted, orchestra on cracking form, the extremely classy overture was beautifully done
All the principals were excellent. - Andrew Shore was predictably good as Lord Chancellor
Lovely set and costumes - by the current ENO standards it was an old fashioned, expensive production
On the whole it was pretty funny, the gags are mainly visual with not much text-tinkering.
Negatives:
It all seems to be trying a bit too hard and by the end I'd tired of the visual gags
The spoken dialogue was not always clear so some gags missed their mark
I love a bit of camp but by the end it made Benny Hill or Carry On look understated
A totally pointless tap dance was added to Iolanthe and Strephon's final duet - it really didn't fit the music and 42nd Street it was not!
Iolanthe is one Sullivan's very best scores, with more developed musical numbers than in his other operettas, great melodic charm and some exquisite scoring, worthy of Mendelssohn or Weber. The music was done considerable justice in this performance.
So I did enjoy it, but I've a funny feeling I'll enjoy Sasha Regan's version even more!
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Post by Someone in a tree on Feb 25, 2018 9:09:54 GMT
My issue with the clog dancing was that you couldn’t hear any of the lyrics
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Post by Polly1 on Mar 22, 2018 9:52:17 GMT
I fancy seeing this next Tuesday eve but the only tickets I can find have no view of the surtitles. How vital are they? (I'm not familiar with the work but happy to read up). Is it worth hanging on, do returns get put online? Thanks.
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Post by crabtree on Mar 22, 2018 22:16:02 GMT
Whilst I appreciate some members may require subtitles, but ENO would have failed Gilbert and Sullivan miserably if subtitles are necessary. I imagine Gilbert having a tirade of floribund verbosity if even one syllable was not heard clearly.
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Post by argon on Mar 24, 2018 18:13:08 GMT
Iolanthe is one Sullivan's very best scores, with more developed musical numbers than in his other operettas, great melodic charm and some exquisite scoring, worthy of Mendelssohn or Weber. The music was done considerable justice in this performance. So I did enjoy it, but I've a funny feeling I'll enjoy Sasha Regan's version even more! Completely agree it's a shame the comedy provided a distraction at times |
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Post by Polly1 on Apr 11, 2018 17:14:39 GMT
I've just realised that I didn't post on this, which I enjoyed hugely. The sets and costumes were staggering, such a shame Paul Brown didn't get a posthumous Olivier. I couldn't see the surtitles so lost a few of the words (ladies' chorus the worst culprit) but it made me concentrate more on the action, such a lot going on (ok, yes, sometimes too much). I was rather childishly entertained by the peer with the dog, most amusing! And I recognised a lot more of the music than I thought. Iolanthe's aria at the end - almost the only serious moment - was very touching. I think this will be in the rep for a long while and recommend people go when it returns.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jul 25, 2018 5:27:59 GMT
Just a quick note. Saw the Sasha Regan all male version at Greenwich last night.
It don't have a clue how, but it really works. At ENO there was the suspicion they thought it was all a bit of silly fun so lets amp that that bit up. Here despite bookending it (noo spoiler alert) they really believe in it as a piece and out of that it was great fun.
Top marks to Richard Russell Edwards Fairy Queen who with half frame glasses on the end of his nose, resemebled a young Larry Grayson. But the temptation to camp it ALL up was firmly resisted.
Reccomended as a piece of theatre and also to seee a huge contrast to the ENO version.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 25, 2018 6:19:46 GMT
I’m goibn on Saturday and I can’t wait
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2018 18:08:57 GMT
I thought it was one of the loveliest things I have seen this year in Greenwich last night, despite the heat. Genuinely delightful.
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Post by Someone in a tree on Jul 29, 2018 10:37:22 GMT
I loved this at Union Theatre and loved it again last night. I am on a high today.
Well sung, audible, great concept, good choreography and not tacky - ENO really should take note!
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