Theatre Review
Eleanor Pearson 29 September 2015 Take a sparkling ensemble cast…and you’ll be satisfiedWhen the curtains went up on Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Sydney’s The Gondoliers it was like a Venetian spring had arrived.
|
The Gondoliers |
With the grand entrance of the Duke of Plaza-Toro and entourage there was humour in typical operetta style, but I wanted more of the witty, wicked sparring between the Duke and Duchess that happened later in Act Two.
As Grand Inquisitor, Anthony Mason indeed resembled an undertaker (perhaps owing much to his splendid black costume) and brought a dark wit when the mood threatened to become too frivolous. His catch-phrase:“Bless my heart, how extremely awkward!” (Which was delivered as a massive understatement with sinister overtones) drew an audience response without fail.
The Gondoliers was Gilbert and Sullivan’s twelfth opera together. It has all the trimmings: political satire, romance, more romance, chorus singing and large ensemble dance numbers, including the Spanish-flavoured cachucha in Act Two, which was a highlight of this production.
In Act Two, the sets and costumes again had a wow-factor. So too did the performances. The leading actors (especially Tristan Entwistle as Giuseppe) owned the stage, and the energy level of the entire cast picked up a notch, and so by the end of the show, after much laughter and applause, the crowd didn’t want it to end. A candid-camera moment caught the assembled cast off-guard when the curtain rose again unexpectedly due to continuing enthusiastic applause.
|
|
In this production, leading lady Stephanie Jennifer Poropat (Casilda) also won over audiences with her clear soprano voice. Dean Sinclair as the Duke of Plaza-Toro raised the bar in Act Two, making a resplendent entrance in gleaming gold leggings, with the appropriate level of attitude to pull it off:
“Take my daughter and may she make you happier than her mother has made me…if possible.”
In feathers, wig and multiple frills his “shady” lady Duchess (Catherine Bulfin) also made the most of her comedic role.
Playing until October 3, 2015
Playing until October 3, 2015