Show: The Pirates of Penzance. Society: Ferrier Operatic Society. Director Leon Berger takes us to the land of make-believe with this production. I was thrilled, therefore, to hear Hail Poetry โ the lovely four line anthem which Sullivan pokes in apropos of nothing in particular โ beautifully sung by a totally still cast, lights dimmed and an illuminated photograph of Sir Arthur at the back. Of course some cast members are a lot stronger than others but Andy Lee excels as Frederick.
His tenor voice is delightfully resonant nothing as crass as radio mics in this production and he convinces completely as the dutiful young man who falls passionately in love with Mabel Rebecca Foster. She matches him perfectly with her piercing soprano voice. Yes, she has great fun with her show piece top notes but also duets very sensitively with Lee. Every note and every word is placed with accurate warmth. Both are accomplished actors too. She has some good low contralto notes.
Nice touch to have her team up with another woman at the finale so she gets a happy ending like everyone else. Musical Director, David Stephens gets a nice sound from his bijoux piece band โ working from the proper, if cramped, pit offered by the Bob Hope Theatre. And three cheers for the decision to play the overture and let us listen to it without stagey distraction. The enthusiastic chorus escaped from him several times during the performance I saw but each time he managed to get them back on track after a few bars.
I suspect some cast members are not very good at keeping a discreet eye on the conductor. Princess Ida next year! Press ESC or click the X to close this window. The Pirates of Penzance Susan Elkin reviews. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn. Susan Elkin Susan Elkin is an education journalist, author and former secondary teacher of English. More posts by Susan Elkin.
