Polish, Vitality In ‘Mikado’

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31449, 16 August 1967, Page 18

Polish, Vitality In ‘Mikado’

Strong choruses and good performances from those in supporting roles were the best features of the production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, “The Mikado,” staged by pupils of St Mary’s College at the school hall last night

The production never ventured from the staid and wellworn conventions, the choruses being banished to the back and sides of the stage except for one refreshing set of movements, but it was well costumed and performed with enthusiasm. Allowing for the inherent difficulty of staging such a large production with a cast of girls, which creates a chorus of high-piping Japanese “men” and situations in which female singers manage to sing chords lower than their male counterparts, the ambition of all involved was not misplaced. The part of Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner, was played by Brigid Grant with clear diction and a natural air of superior aplomb, matched only by that of Katisha (Alannah O’Sullivan) and surpassed only by that of Pooh-Bah (Jillian Bartlett). Colleen Walls as Nanky-Poo deserved her part, displaying a good singing voice, although she did not seem to fit naturally into the role and at times her speech faded and could not be heard at the rear of the hall. As Pooh-Bah, the Lord High Everything Else, Miss Bartlett gave the best performance of all with superior acting ability and a good, clear voice although she could not always comfortably reach top notes.

Hilary Geoghegan as YumYum showed heftelf to have a good voice well suited to operatic work, but could not establish herself as a leading character.

Of the other supporting roles, Pitti Sing, one of YumYum's sisters, was the most successful, Eva Rohs justifying her choice for this small but important part With a chorus of more than 90 singers, “The Mikado” lost nothing in this production, although it gained a few updated lines, in one of which the New Zealand territorial limits were featured. Even when a chair collapsed under a member of the audience, perhaps one of those who insisted on arriving anything up to 20 minutes late, the performance did not falter and carried with it a polish and a vitality not common to amateur productions. The performance will be repeated tonight