Sullivan and Gilbert - July 2011

What a roaring success Sullivan and Gilbert was. With sell out nights on the Thursday and Friday evening shows, and very good audiences for the other performances those that came to see this delightful,touching and funny play certainly seemed to enjoy this rarely performed piece. The Noda report has heaped praise on the two leading stars Russell Stratton (Gilbert) and Rob Milner (Sullivan) for their interpretation of the two collaborators and their relationship. Equal praise is deserved for the rest of the cast, who though playing supporting roles, sang magnificently and provided a real flavour of rehearsals at the Savoy Theatre in Victorian London. A slideshow of photos taken during the performance can be seen here.

Trial by Jury and HMS Pianfore - January 2011

Here was a coupling of the two 'shorter' shows that hasn't been since since, well, I'm not sure. I expect someone can let me know and I'll update this paragraph. However, the last couple of times we have mounted Pinafore we have partnered it with 'The Zoo'; a work by Sullivan but NOT Gilbert. With a unique staging of Trial, Clive Bebee (Director) opened the eyes of the cast and the audience to sites seldom if ever seen in Gilbert and Sullivan productions at the Palace. The wild west setting particularly suited the corrupt sub-plot of the piece and the dramatic ending with the Defendent losing his life was very much in keeping with the style. Newcomers to principal roles were given an opportunity to shine and this was anything but an 'amateur' production. The setting for Pianfore was more traditional, however, slightly updated to provide a welcome change from the oft' seen costumes and set. Principals were also highly praised in this production with music and direction from Philip Joslin and Clive Bebee that was always crisp and engaging to see and hear.

Princess Ida - January 2010

What a week that was ! The successful production of Princess Ida in January was a tribute to the hard work and determination of so many people in the Society and several from outside too. The wintry conditions of the week itself and the weeks leading up to the show caused havoc with rehearsal schedules and, inevitably, audience numbers. But those hardy souls who braved the snow and ice to come and watch the performance received a real treat and many were very pleasantly surprised by how much they enjoyed this lesser-known work of Gilbert & Sullivan. The direction of Linda Dyne and Philip Joslin was at the same high standards which they have both set in recent productions with ALGSS and it was ultimately the cause of real satisfaction felt within the cast for what was achieved. Even the interruption of a fire alarm during the matinee performance was taken in their stride by all involved !
A copy of the Watford Observer review of the show can be found here and their preview with background information is here

Jack The Ripper

Our summer production at the Henderson Hall, Abbots Langley was an atmospheric triumph and proved a great opportunity for a wide range of society members to showcase their talents. There were some memorable performances from many and the cross-dressing policemen in particular went down a storm with the audiences ! Tremendous fun to do and great entertainment was had by all. Congratulations to the direction team of Rob Milner and Peter Jones.

The Mikado

Our recent production at Watford Palace Theatre of Gilbert & Sullivan's classic musical was a huge hit with an audience of more than 3,000 for the week's performances !  There were fantastic performances from all the principals and we have received much praise from a wide range of theatre-lovers and G&S connoisseurs. Please take a look at this review  of the show from the London NODA regional representative.

You can see this preview article  from the Watford Observer of 16th January.  There are also rehearsal photos  available to view courtesy of xmo4.com

(A larger version of this image is available here. )

Richard Suart workshop

We were tremendously privileged and delighted to welcome Richard Suart along in November to a chorus workshop.  A baritone of some renown, particularly amongst G&S afficianados, Richard Suart is a master of the patter song.  Probably best known for his legendary portrayal of Ko-Ko for the English National Opera, some twenty-plus members of our society benefited from the 'Richard Suart' treatment as he gave us all an insight into what it takes to deliver top-rate performances. You can read a brief report  of our day with Richard and some photographs  produced by xmo4.com .  The Abbots Langley Villager also carried this report  of the day's activity.  We hope very much to be able to repeat this workshop again in the future.  To find out more about Richard Suart, his career and forthcoming performances follow this link to www.richardsuart.co.uk

News archive items:

Click on any of the links below to see previous news items about the following topics:

Watford Palace Theatre centenary concert - November 2008

Girl Next Door - July 2008

Ruddigore at Buxton - July 2008

Ruddigore at Watford Palace Theatre - January 2008

Gondoliers at Buxton - July 2007