“The White Horse Inn”

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32941, 13 June 1972, Page 18

“The White Horse Inn”

The White Horse Inn. Christchurch Gilbert and Sullivan and Light Opera Society, produced by Marjorie Marshall. Civic Theatre, 8-11.10 p.m. The Christchurch Gilbert and Sullivan and Light Opera Society’s 1972 production, “The White Horse Inn,” is an evergreen comedy of contrived situations and cross purposes, laced with wellknown tunes. To do the musical justice, the society has had to call on a very big cast—more than 60 persons were on stage at one part of the show —and welding such a number into a smooth-running production must have been no small task. The extent to which this was accomplished is best left to the audience, which demanded a number of curtain calls.

A show which has no real leads, ‘The White Horae Inn” gives free rein to three pairs of star-crossed lovers with liberal, good-natured interference from as many “secondary” roles. In this

respect, finding eight solo voices able to carry the show’s well-known and oftenheard songs, together with eight satisfactory stage presences, must have taxed the society's resources severely. Yvonne Martin, as Ottoline, the daughter of one of the feuding underwear manufacturers, showed up best among the female voices, her voice being heard more easily than the rest. Similarly, David Rogers as Leopold, the head waiter at the “Inn,” was the easiest of the male singers to hear, but Gilbert Wiberg as Sutton, “the detestable lawyer,” rah a close second. Avid theatre goers could be forgiven for thinking that the dance routines were almost identical with those from “Hello Dolly,” the last musical staged at the Civic Theatre. The “Inn” waiters, in particular, seemed to be the dancing waiters from the Harmonica Gardens in different costume, so much alike were the steps, but with such a limited stage area to perform in, the similarity is not only understandable, but forgiveable. The sets were striking and effective and, apart from the necessary clutter on stage to fit the cast, were most realistic. Another area in which the society called on widespread resources was the orchestra; . 33 pieces led by Andrew ' Dale under the baton of ! Barrie Shakes. ■ The interpolated ballet 1 scenes, which helped to spin the show out to more than three hours, were interesting, 1 if incongruous, but no more ' so than at the end of the first, flirtatious encounter of 1 Sutton and Ottoline—in a : cow bam—after which six 1 dancers in semi-classical dress gave a pas des six in dim blue lighting. The show still retains, even in this cynical age, the i spontaneous gaiety and colour it had when first pro- ' duced here, and the haunting lyrics have lost nothing.