The Pirates of Penzance is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s best known and most loved musicals. Under the direction of Adam Goodburn and musical direction of Antony Hubmayer, Scotch College has produced a decidedly enjoyable version, with a pleasing design concept, strong principal performances, and consistently high energy and enthusiasm from the supporting cast and musicians. Indeed, the calibre of talent at Scotch appears to be so high that the principal roles were able to be cast twice over and these performers share the roles on alternating nights. The evening discussed below featured the “Gilbert” cast.
When released from his apprenticeship with a band of pirates, young Fredric (a believably soppy Kyle Hall) encounters girls (and naturally love) for the first time. Amongst the Stanley sisters, it is Mabel (Isabelle Blacketer) who steals his heart, and he sets about winning her hand, while also waging an attack on his former comrades whom he feels bound by duty to fight. Meanwhile, the pirates (who are really a bunch of softies) hatch a plan to make Fredric return to them – and also don’t mind the look of Mabel’s sisters for some company. Throw in the girls’ dithering father, a love-sick older woman, a bumbling constabulary, some clever word-play and a British dedication to honour, and you have yourself two hours of good natured fun.
In the roles of the young lovers, Hall and Blacketer do a wonderful job. Hall is impishly charming as Fredric and makes a sweet hero, while Blacketer has a lovely voice which skips along through the tricky soprano trills and maintains its quality throughout. Tom Russell is outstanding as the Pirate King, never letting his portrayal lapse, even when he’s not in the spotlight. He gives the character just the right blend of cheekiness, strength and charisma. His voice is powerful and pleasant and his physical abilities impressive.
Quinn Martin has the tough job of filling the shoes of the infamous “Modern Major General”, General Stanley, and shows off his comedic acting skills in doing so. The amusing extra verses of this iconic song keep up the G&S tradition of incorporating current events or relevant jokes into a production. As Ruth, Fredric’s ex-nursemaid, Sarah Thorpe is also playing well above her age and, while her characterisation may not be as successful, her voice is very agreeable and meets the demands of the role well. Also giving a strong vocal performance was Jordan Carling, as the Sergeant of Police, who had a surprisingly good bass range for someone so young.
The large chorus provide several of the highlights of the show. The delightful and seemingly endless parade of giggling girls which fills the stage for ‘Climbing Over Rocky Mountain’, creates a picture of girlish glee and makes one wonder if there is now a curtain shop out their somewhere, completely bereft of white lace. Meanwhile, the sergeant and his officers showed off their dance skills via some very energetic and fun choreography (Linda Williams) – who knew police offices could twerk! It is without doubt however, the rousing performance of ‘With Cat-like Tread’ (complete with encores) that steals the show. Vocally, the group has a good range of voices and many strong singers. At times however, those stronger members of the chorus did overpower others and some more attention could have been paid to blending the voices further, to create a more even overall sound.
This is a production which any amateur company in Adelaide would be proud of. That the majority of people involved are teenagers is especially impressive and the quality of it speaks to their (and probably their parents’) dedication, as well as to the efforts of the staff involved. We can only hope that many of these young performers get involved in the wider theatre scene and continue to grace our stages with their talents.
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