On a delightfully warm May evening, at St Joseph’s Church Hall in Leigh, I found myself transported to the world of Gilbert and Sullivan’s musical masterpiece, The Mikado. The Mikado is a comedy operetta in two acts and is one of the most frequently performed works in the history of musical theatre. So how does this nineteenth century play set in Japan remain relevant to a twenty-first century audience, and what is it that makes companies such as Three Towns want to keep returning to it again and again?
Firstly, the play is a satire of British politics. By creating a world far away from Britain, namely the town of Titipu in Japan, the context makes it so easy to poke fun at political views, laws and the bureaucracy of government policy. With the present world being so indecisive with its own government strategies, the play cleverly interwove current affairs such as Brexit and Donald Trump with those written into the original Libretto, to create a brilliantly relevant version of the classic operetta.
Director David Kay, one of the founding members of The Three Towns, has been performing in their productions since he was a boy and has created a production with a really fresh feel. In a clever nod to the British satire, the costume design (by the wonderfully talented Charades of St Helen’s) skilfully matched the very British black and white theme with suit jackets and bowler hats with Japanese Hakama trousers. Black umbrellas replaced swords and the traditional Kimonos of the Three Little Maids were replaced by typically English public school girls in uniform, in the first act. This was an interesting choice but one which I believe not only worked, but was the defining brilliance of the production.
The set design was also fabulous in its simple but authentic style. With the imposing backdrop of mount Fuji and the pretty cherry blossom, set against the traditional shoji screens so reminiscent of Japan. The simple use of levels helped to create status on stage but also left a large performance area to benefit the fifty strong ensemble with their slick choreography and professionally paced production by the entire cast.
Although all the principle cast were extremely talented singers, notable performances for me were from Lauren Smith in the role as Pitti-Sing and Bruce Deakin as Pish-Tush. Both performers have a youthful energy and in some extremely challenging songs, their articulation and expression were some of the best I have heard from Gilbert and Sullivan’s work. Another show-stealing performer was the show’s director, David Kay in the role of Ko-Ko. Kay performed with the physicality of a much younger actor and his stage presence was undeniable with his visual gags and comic timing.
One of my favourite moments of the production was the rewrite of the lyrics of the song ‘Someday It May Happen’. Kay’s delivery was so brilliantly executed and it was certainly very much enjoyed by the audience from the rapturous applause he received in his rendition of Ko-Ko’s ‘List’.
This year, Three Towns are celebrating their 50th anniversary of their first production (The Gondoliers, 1969). Some of the founding members are still in the group and some members also celebrate 2019 as a special anniversary of their membership. One such member is the Musical Director, Rod Dakin, who has been conducting for the group in their annual shows and winter concerts for twenty years. The Mikado will be his final production with Three Towns as he hangs up his baton for the last time. Watching him conduct the group was lovely, as he still exudes a real energy and has a wonderful rapport with all of his singers and orchestra alike. I’m sure whoever has to fill his shoes will certainly have a tough act to follow.
St Joseph’s Hall is a modest venue to present such a large scale production with a cast, crew and orchestra of over a hundred. Three Towns are well known for the quality of their shows and with recent NODA award successes for Runner-up Best Musical and Best Set and Costume Design (Orpheus In The Underworld, 2018), it is clear to see why this talented group are so recognised for their achievements. What you get from the evening is a professionalism which you would expect from one of our larger regional theatres with a much larger capacity and ticket price! I genuinely think Three Towns offers a culture in the Arts which Leigh and the surrounding areas should be proud of.
I doubt there are many tickets left for this show as they always sell out after opening night but if you happen to see future concerts or productions advertised by them, get your tickets quickly as they are certainly a society worth watching! With a winter concert season ahead and the 2020 production of 'White Horse Inn' already announced for next May, I know I plan on being there for another great night of entertainment.
Reviewer - Johanna Hassouna-Smith
on - 14/5/19
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