Originally published on March 22nd, 2011.

Pirates of Penzance celebrates EUSOG’s fiftieth anniversary this year, with swashbuckling pirates, damsels in distress and, of course, the memorable music of Gilbert and Sullivan. As a G&S novice, I met up with the director, producer and musical director to gain an insight into their vision for the show, where I discovered that they’re not lacking in enthusiasm and excitement for Gilbert and Sullivan, and the show itself.

“It’s very addictive”, explains Scot Dignan, the director. “It’s like Guinness and coffee when you think, ‘that’s strange, but it’s amazingly rich and fantastic’. It’s a fantastic theatre medium that you get addicted to and the songs just get stuck into your head”. The others nod in agreement, with the musical director Luka Bjelis saying that he’d given up on trying to listen to anything else, with the show’s tunes permeating his everyday life.

Seeing the show itself, I was struck by the noticeable talent of a few members of the cast. Kate Lister as Mabel burst onto the stage hitting incredible notes that made everyone in the audience turn to their friend, giving the that-was-pretty-good, eyebrows up kind of nod. From then on, it was difficult to compare the standard of the other performers in comparison to her incredible voice. Yet what other performers lacked in sheer vocal talent, they made up in comedic acting. This was especially true of Thom Louis, who played the over-the-top sergeant.

The focus on comedy was important to the show’s organisers, as Scott explains that “It’s genuinely funny and there’s just so much potential for slapstick, for vintage, British-style comedy”. Many of the characters brought laughter and light-hearted humour to the night, making it obvious that they weren’t taking themselves too seriously. “It’s just a bit of fun”, adds Heather Chalmers, the show’s producer. While Pirates was a G&S production, where the recognisable music was alive and appreciated, effort was made to make sure that the show appealed to its student audience.

“I didn’t want to make it very G&S one side, new musical on the other because I think that G&S does run the risk of not being contemporary enough” clarifies Luca. “Yes”, agrees Scott, “the society as a whole has tried to develop Gilbert and Sullivan into a modern medium of theatre. There’s this certain aspect of tradition that you have to protect, but then modernise it so that today’s audiences can come in and enjoy it”.

The pirates of Penzance themselves came across on stage as very confident and boyishly happy in their choice of profession. Jimi Mitchell, playing the Pirate King, swaggered onto the stage brandishing a sword, an honourable sense of fairness (being an orphan himself, he refused to kill anyone who said they were orphaned too – a fact which unfortunately was used to his detriment) and a fabulous sense of style. The infamous Major-General, whom I overheard being described as a mix between Stephen Fry and John Cleese, performed an admirable parody of his character, which was just as funny and relevant today as it would have been when first devised. “It’s still funny”, emphasises Heather. “And it doesn’t matter if you’ve seen it four times, they just kind of keep going with the comedy. It’s a good sign that it’s carried on for so many years”.

Such characters were fun to watch and certainly seemed fun to play. This childish, boyish aspect of the show meant that while the audience were enjoying the catchy music and impressive vocal talents, they were also feeling slightly jealous of the cast acting out what is essentially a children’s make-believe story with villains who aren’t actually very mean, graceful ladies needing to be rescued, and a happy ending.

This production was an admirable take on the classic show with its classic music. Certain aspects, such as the interaction between the pirates and the ladies were well orchestrated, providing laughter and giggles from the audience, along with an impressive musical sound. It was my first introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan, and I found a show that was fun and lively, simply wanting to entertain and amuse rather than stick to its traditional version, bringing you back to your childhood with colourful characters and swashbuckling adventures.