The Pirates of Penzance | Foundary Theatre at the Star

The Pirates of Penzance

by Gilbert & Sullivan

Director and Adaptor Richard Carroll

Musical Director Jonathan Holmes

Foundry Theatre at The Star until June 7

Photo credit John McRae

Reviewed by Ron Lee, CSP

The works of Gilbert and Sullivan are performed in one of two ways. One is to play it seriously and straight, and guided by direction, allows the audience enjoy the humour that is intrinsic to W.S. Gilbert’s writing. The other is to play for laughs, which is more obvious. The Hayes Theatre Co production at the Foundry Theatre goes hard for the latter. Either way works as long as it’s in skilled hands.

This is an Aldi type of production; it’s good value on a very low budget. Five performers play the 52 characters that are in the movie. Each one doubles, trebles, quadruples and sometimes quintuples their roles.

Many audience members sit close to the stage and on and in the performing area in front. Some are on lounges. To cover the shortfall in cast members, some of the audience is invited to participate. On the opening night quite a few of the spectators are performers themselves and they willingly became part of the show even though they weren’t paid Equity minimum. It was their opportunity to unexpectedly shine. It was hard to keep one of them away from the microphone. Thought I spotted a member of Human Nature at the front. It would have been interesting to have seen him involved. 

The formidable police force consisted of two of the cast in costume, three audience volunteers under police helmets and four helmets on top of mic stands. Continuing the Aldi metaphor, it was like doing a self-checkout.

All of the other productions I’ve seen had full orchestras. Indicative of the low cost of this one, the music is supplied by a piano and occasionally an acoustic guitar. Musical Director Jonathon Holmes does all of the musical heavy lifting as well as playing the Major General. I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General would be a song that’s challenging to learn, especially as the lyrics have been contemporised. The Major General’s coat looks suspiciously like the ones that the ushers wear in the adjacent Lyric Theatre.

As The Pirate King, the stage presence of Jay Laga’aia is powerful, but when he’s in drag as one of the Major General’s shy, demure daughters, not so much.

Maxwell Simon is Frederic, the confused, twenty-one-year-old pirate. He turns in an excellent performance and sometimes gives off a young Elvis vibe.

Apart from several other characters, Brittanie Shipway plays both of the women who compete for Frederic’s affections. Mabel is the young, innocent, pretty, virginal ingénue and Ruth is a frumpy, heavier, older, rough and tumble pirate. Shipway pulls off both roles. The costume difference between the characters is mostly a headscarf. A young journalist once said to Dame Edith Evans, “Dame Edith, with respect, you’re not a classically beautiful woman, but in that role you were absolutely beautiful. Why is that?” Dame Edith replied, “I THOUGHT beautiful”.

Sarah Murr is Barry Mundi, the police constable and many others. All of the performers possess outstanding singing voices. All are talented triple threats.

Of the 33 musical numbers, the best known are I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General, Poor Wand’ring One and the usually rousing With Cat-Like Tread.

The topical nature of some of the lyrics adds to the enjoyment of this production. All kinds of modern references and in jokes are included and there’s even a nod to the haka.

It’s a fun experience.