Pirates of Penzance

Doing ‘G&S’ can’t be hard, can it?  The village halls of England would lie desolate and empty were it not for am-dram productions of ‘Ruddigore’, so you’d think it must be a bit of a synch to do something as well-known as ‘The Pirates of Penzance’.  But you’d be wrong.  Not only do the performers have to master a challenging musical score, get their tongues around Gilbert’s love of thousand-syllable rhymes, but they must somehow find it in them to plumb the depths of a remarkable array of characters: pirates who will stop at nothing to plunder and pillage, except for their insurmountable scruples over attacking orphans; ditzy girls for whom the pinnacle of excitement is to take off one’s shoes and paddle (not to mention being dragged away by a band of ruffians, but then daddy would never approve); and police constables whose response to dread and danger is a gay “tarantara”.  This lot make Hamlet’s problems look positively trivial.

But the boys and girls of Nottingham’s High Schools rose to this challenge quite brilliantly, and, with remarkable talent, energy and enthusiasm they delivered a truly memorable performance of ‘The Pirates’.  The lusty band of water-borne brigands was led by the swaggering Richard Hill, ably supported by not one but two Sams, the excellent Adam McElhone and Dominic Ader.  Oliver Metcalfe found room in the character of Frederic for a love-struck youth torn between beauty and duty, and a remarkably convincing Elvis impression, too.  The ancient piratical maid of all work, Ruth, was played by Camilla Burnside, who acted and sang with such skill and maturity that suggests her decision to continue studying drama at university is a wise one indeed.

Where the pirates were full of bravado and salty humour, the bevvy of delightful sisters were picture of maidenly innocence (despite giving the impression that, when the pirates came to drag them away, they knew a good thing when they saw one).  Led by Victoria Fisher, Emma Swann and Grace Morledge, they pouted, pranced, simpered and swooned to wonderful effect.  Mabel, who felt no pangs at giving Frederic her heart where her sisters had demurred, was played by Laurie Field, and it is no understatement to say it was a fabulous performance, full of subtlety, wit and real depth of characterisation.  

But to whom should one turn if you want to bring a band of blackguardly rogues to justice?  Why, the constabulary, of course, and in Penzance, they don't just fight crime, but they sing and dance, too, and do a lovely comic turn when called upon.  Matthew Astle led these fine men, and while a policeman's lot may not be a happy one, their dancing certainly delighted the audience.  

For many, though, the star of the evening was Jamie Webb-Bowen, in the role of the Major General.  Not only did he carry off the fiendishly difficult aria in Act 1 with aplomb, but he captured the spirit of the role, despite this being his first appearance in any sort of play.  Throughout the rehearsals he behaved with exemplary professionalism, and now I'm greatly looking forward to the next CCF parade to see if he wears those very fetching orange trousers again. 

The band (who, in their black shirts and coloured headbands bore more than a passing resemblance to travelling sushi chefs and ninjas) played excellently, getting to grips with a very tricky score; most of it is in several dozen flats, and tempi change several times each aria, just to keep you on your toes.  Mssrs Reid and Leutfeld led from the keyboards at the front, and Mr Reid had clearly done an outstanding job of preparing the cast for the challenges of the singing.  Act 2 is almost entirely sung, which is very demanding for young performers, even with the benefit of amplification.  

As we have come to expect, the set and staging were outstanding, although Penzance reminded me quite strongly of the coast near Sunderland, and Tregi Scholes and the stage crew yet again managed to achieve great things with the limited resources at their disposal.  Given the quality of the acting, singing and playing in shows such as this, perhaps the School should aim to create a really first class performance space. 

All three nights of the show's run saw full houses, and even a standing ovation on the final night, but alongside the excitement and happiness at achieving such an extraordinary standard, we must not forget that this marked the last school play for some boys who have been outstanding servants of drama at the school.  Richard Hill, Oliver Metcalfe, Dominic Ader, and several members of the band, are all in their final years at Nottingham High School, and we will sorely miss their talents and commitment.  It was, however, greatly heartening to see so many younger boys up on stage, and there are already clearly some impressive talents developing for the future.  

The last word must go as thanks to Miss Salmon and Mr Wilkinson, who directed the show, and, with Mr Reid, gave up countless hours to help the cast prepare for the performances.  Given the enormous success and enjoyment of the past two years' shows, we can only look forward with eager anticipation to next year.  Mamma Mia, anyone?