The best 'Pinafore' to visit N.Z.

Press, 17 July 1979, Page 6

The best 'Pinafore' to visit N.Z.

By | C- POSTER BROWNE The welcome season of the BOyly Cane Opera Company! In its production of Pinafore,’’ began last evening in the James Hayf Theatre before a very large, audience. Such visits to us, are, of necessity, rare, and| this performance ranked higher than al) others which, hate come here, in my opin-i lon. All the lite-giving ingredi-; ents of a first-class show of this type were there tn abundance. The principals were excel-: lent actors, who in their tinging and in their spoken parts were admirably clear. Their voices were of good light-operatic acconmlished puality. Some would have' been acceptable in Grand: ’Jpera comoanv. Their acting was unhesitating. and in it the perfpnners kept to the traditions established more that a century ago. and were nrt access with the suavitv that carries conviction and r-evtnts an ageing work from being in the least stale. The orchestra was the !

Christchurch Symphony! Orchestra, or as many as! could be accommodated ini the pit. and it did its work in highly commendable fashion, keeping a pleasing balance in all respects, and producing tone and rhythms in keeping with dramatic requirements. Sullivan’s scoring is so smooth that it demands almost Mozartean finish and freshness for ! success.

Mr Fraser Goulding. the musical director, kept splendid tempi, and drew admirable response from his finesounding chorus of sailors, cousins, and aunts. It was full-bodied sound without at any time being forced or lacking in smoothness. Such vitality can come only from a hand-picked ensemble, every one a singer and an artist.

It verges on the invidious to praise among a large cast the work of but a few. Vivian Tierney, as Josephine, revealed a splendidlycontrolled soprano voice of

really lovely quality at any degree of volume. Her

I pianissimo singing had glorilous quality, and she has an I extensive range. She had i excellent command of stagecraft. Patricia Leonard, as Buttercup. has a clear operatic contralto quality. Occasionally a spoken passage lacked clarity. John Reed played the parti of the First Lord of the Admiralty with superb grasp of the " stage conventions demanded, and sang with a rather better voice than is usual in the part. Every nuance in dramatic performance required shone brightly. He is the best actor I remember in this apu othei stereotyped parts, and I have seen many of them, all good. Peter Lyon, as Captain Corcoran. has a well-controlled light baritone voice, and he convincingly acted his important part. Meston Reid, as Ralph Rackstraw, was splendidly cast. John Ayldon and Gareth Jones, as Dick Deadeye, acted and sang so well, as did Bill Bobstay, the boatswain. It was all splendidlv done and earned the heartening warmth of the accorded ovation.