An insignificant chorus of Gentlemen of Japan and Schoolgirls will accompany this firmament of stars and provide stand-ins when required.
Thursday 26 November 2015
Mikado casting
The eagerly awaited news of who will be doing the hard work this year is now out. There are two new faces whom we welcome to the front row.
Nanki Poo - Farran Roland
Pooh Bah - Alan Russell (Pooh Bar and every other major Baritone part)
Ko Ko - Hugh Slater (Sir Despard, Grand Inquisitor ...)
Pish Tush - Philip Feather (Earl of Mountararat ...)
The Mikado - Max Braga (Uncle Roderick, Private Willis ...)
Yum Yum - Sally Ann Gretton (Rose Maybud, Patience and all the leading Soprano parts)
Pitti Sing - Anna Scutt (Mad Margaret ...)
Peep Bo - June Stevenson
Katisha - Shirley Harrison
An insignificant chorus of Gentlemen of Japan and Schoolgirls will accompany this firmament of stars and provide stand-ins when required.
An insignificant chorus of Gentlemen of Japan and Schoolgirls will accompany this firmament of stars and provide stand-ins when required.
Wednesday 18 November 2015
The Tit Replies to Mr Gilbert
On the bank of a river a gentleman sat,
Oh willow, titwillow, titwillow!
And he talked to a tit on a willow at that,
Singing 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
I in fact am a swallow - the tree was an elm -
Not the uncommonest things in the realm -
But that's what you get with an ass at the helm
With his 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
He claimed that I dived in the billowing wave
Singing 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
With a sob and a sign to a suicide's grave
With 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
From the top of the stream I was taking a fly,
And I certainly uttered a satisfied cry;
But the rest of the story is simply my eye!
It was swallow, elm, swallow, elm swallow!
PG
Oh willow, titwillow, titwillow!
And he talked to a tit on a willow at that,
Singing 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
I in fact am a swallow - the tree was an elm -
Not the uncommonest things in the realm -
But that's what you get with an ass at the helm
With his 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
He claimed that I dived in the billowing wave
Singing 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
With a sob and a sign to a suicide's grave
With 'Willow, titwillow, titwillow!'
From the top of the stream I was taking a fly,
And I certainly uttered a satisfied cry;
But the rest of the story is simply my eye!
It was swallow, elm, swallow, elm swallow!
PG
Tuesday 6 October 2015
Thursday 24 September 2015
Leaving Rederring for Japan ...
So Ruddigore is over. We have replaced the (grumpy) ghosts in their picture frames; the bridesmaids have gone off with a smile on their faces in search of other potential 'victims'; Richard is once more on the high seas and the Murgatroyds are sleeping peacefully in their vaults. 'Mad Margaret' is looking after her National School in Basingstoke, no doubt dreading the imminent arrival of Ofsted.
Our thoughts now turn to the mysterious and curious legislative systems of Japan which puts execution at the heart of the government's drive to improve the morals of the nation: to the considerable benefit of snicker-snee manufacturers. Such anti-austerity policies must be applauded.
But what is this I hear? No one can find a Nanki-Poo? We are missing a leading tenor? Oh horrors!
Oh what will become of Yum Yum (Yum, Yum)?
On this subject please don't be quite dumb (dumb, dumb)
There must be so many
Who'll sing for a penny
They must be good fish in the sea
But what is this I hear? No one can find a Nanki-Poo? We are missing a leading tenor? Oh horrors!
Oh what will become of Yum Yum (Yum, Yum)?
On this subject please don't be quite dumb (dumb, dumb)
There must be so many
Who'll sing for a penny
They must be good fish in the sea
Thursday 25 June 2015
The Producer replies
The Producer replies: Dear confused second
ghost (and villagers, bridesmaids, ancestors), I can only answer one of your paradoxes -
how come Ruthven and Richard are foster brothers?
I fear I and my script re-writes may be the cause of this confusion. In the original script, Ruthven has been 'dead and buried' for 20 years, not 10. I changed it to line up with Roderic dying and Despard inheriting 10 years ago. In a deleted song, Ruthven says he is 35. So when he was 15, he must have run away from Ruddigore castle to Rederring village and claimed to be a orphan, whereupon he was fostered by Richard's family. Despard is younger than Ruthven; we don't know how much, but I think of him as 3-5 years younger. So the last time he saw his brother, he may only have been 10 or 12.
Maybe this answers the 'Why don't they recognise each other?' question. [Clear as mud. I am still trying to count my fingers and toes here. Six eights are forty eight, take away eleven. If it's more ... 2nd Ghost]
And I bet, having lost Ruthven, the picture gallery kept a tight hold of poor 10 year old Despard so that he could inherit - since they all got sick of crime, they could be sure Roderic would do the same, and they need an heir or they'll be left as paintings with no one to torture! But I hadn't thought about Despard inheriting again if he manages to persuade Ruthven to abdicate - yep, stupid.
PS. Everyone thinks Rose is not very bright, but she is bright enough to get herself the richest husband she can, considering that when her (presumably adopted) Aunt Hannah dies, she'll be back at the workhouse she was found at if she doesn't marry. I see parallels with Pride and Prejudice's Mrs Bennett trying to marry off her 5 daughters!
The MD replies: Anything to get you grumbling, blockheads, sluggards, dullards, dreamers, shirkers, shufflers, crawlers, creepers, snifflers, snufflers, wailers, weepers, earthworms, maggots, tadpoles, weevils ... back row malingerers to wake up and keep time ... why, you almost managed it last night.
And another question to ponder: Did Richard Dauntless's ship actually let the 'Frenchie' off scot-free or did they simply miss?
I fear I and my script re-writes may be the cause of this confusion. In the original script, Ruthven has been 'dead and buried' for 20 years, not 10. I changed it to line up with Roderic dying and Despard inheriting 10 years ago. In a deleted song, Ruthven says he is 35. So when he was 15, he must have run away from Ruddigore castle to Rederring village and claimed to be a orphan, whereupon he was fostered by Richard's family. Despard is younger than Ruthven; we don't know how much, but I think of him as 3-5 years younger. So the last time he saw his brother, he may only have been 10 or 12.
Maybe this answers the 'Why don't they recognise each other?' question. [Clear as mud. I am still trying to count my fingers and toes here. Six eights are forty eight, take away eleven. If it's more ... 2nd Ghost]
And I bet, having lost Ruthven, the picture gallery kept a tight hold of poor 10 year old Despard so that he could inherit - since they all got sick of crime, they could be sure Roderic would do the same, and they need an heir or they'll be left as paintings with no one to torture! But I hadn't thought about Despard inheriting again if he manages to persuade Ruthven to abdicate - yep, stupid.
PS. Everyone thinks Rose is not very bright, but she is bright enough to get herself the richest husband she can, considering that when her (presumably adopted) Aunt Hannah dies, she'll be back at the workhouse she was found at if she doesn't marry. I see parallels with Pride and Prejudice's Mrs Bennett trying to marry off her 5 daughters!
The MD replies: Anything to get you grumbling, blockheads, sluggards, dullards, dreamers, shirkers, shufflers, crawlers, creepers, snifflers, snufflers, wailers, weepers, earthworms, maggots, tadpoles, weevils ... back row malingerers to wake up and keep time ... why, you almost managed it last night.
And another question to ponder: Did Richard Dauntless's ship actually let the 'Frenchie' off scot-free or did they simply miss?
Thursday 18 June 2015
Ruddi-poor thoughts from the back row
Not having anything to sing for the first 35 minutes of Ruddigore allows us chaps in the back row to settle in nicely and get a tiny bit of shut-eye while the MD attempts to galvanise the wayward bridesmaids into showing some enthusiasm for their task. It is a time when one's mind can wander.
Following the Mikado must have been difficult for the original production of Ruddigore but it is a return to the more conventional form of G&S opera, if one can use the word 'conventional' at all given Gilbert's creativity. Most G&S operas hinge on exchanged identities, disguise, (most ingenious) paradox or all three.
Mikado, Pirates and Iolanthe all contain some paradox that needs to be resolved: whether you can be guilty of executing the heir to the throne, which you have just described in enormous detail, when he is still alive but in disguise (disguise: tick); what your real age is if you are born on 29 February; whether you can, as appellant, address yourself, as judge, in a court of law ... and so on. In Ruddigore the main paradox is the solution to the witch's curse but Richard is also faced with a dilemma - and one he spends little time debating to himself: whether he should reveal the true nature of his foster brother.
In Rose Maybud we have the quintessential G&S Heroine: naive, beautiful and aware of it, and indecisive when it comes to love. Indeed, it is hard to think of any other heroine who changes her mind as often: I make it about five times but, unusually, she seems unable to choose between three men. If there were a third act, she would no doubt change it again and add Old Adam to her roster of 'lovers'.
She cannot be terribly bright, however, to be so slavishly devoted to the Book of Etiquette that was left with her on the steps of the workhouse. So this must be a heroine with real sex appeal.
There are paradoxes for the attentive audience as well. For instance, it seems strange that Sir Ruthven managed to avoid becoming the baronet and having to submit to the curse by simply disguising himself (disguise: tick). If it were this easy, why did Despard or the ancestors not do the same?
And how come Ruthven and Richard are 'foster-brothers'? Was Ruthven sent to foster parents or was Richard brought up as a member of the family in Ruddigore Castle? If Ruthven was fostered then why? And why away from his brother Despard?
If Richard and Ruthven were brought up in the Castle then how come Despard does not recognise either of them since he too was presumably brought up in the Castle like any self-respecting Murgatroyd? Maybe Despard is as innocent and dim as our heroine. He clearly deserves Mad Margaret.
And towards the end, Despard, now an honourable married man, attempts to persuade Ruthven, restored to the baronetcy to abandon his evil ways. Um ... has he thought this through. If Ruthven follows his advice then he will 'die in unspeakable agony' and guess who will inherit: yes, none other than Despard. Definitely dim.
Hang on, is that Margaret muttering something about a lark ...? Open your eyes, chaps. Look lively. We are running out of time. It is OK. There is not much to do and we will soon be into the Act I Finale, a few ghostly rumblings and we can all go home.
And what about Richard? He sounds like something left over from HMS Pinafore. Did a copyist swap the scores when G&S were not looking? Did they simply have a few tunes left over or was it part of a running gag to mention Pinafore in as many other operas as possible ('And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore')?
Hang on, no time to answer that one. The MD is looking at us and seems to be crossing her fingers. Anyone who gets the timing wrong on this number is going to get more that the witch's curse. Adjust your false teeth, try to sound enthusiastic and ... oh damn! We did not sound sufficiently Elysian and have all been turned to ghosts. Still, it will be useful for Act II.
Following the Mikado must have been difficult for the original production of Ruddigore but it is a return to the more conventional form of G&S opera, if one can use the word 'conventional' at all given Gilbert's creativity. Most G&S operas hinge on exchanged identities, disguise, (most ingenious) paradox or all three.
Mikado, Pirates and Iolanthe all contain some paradox that needs to be resolved: whether you can be guilty of executing the heir to the throne, which you have just described in enormous detail, when he is still alive but in disguise (disguise: tick); what your real age is if you are born on 29 February; whether you can, as appellant, address yourself, as judge, in a court of law ... and so on. In Ruddigore the main paradox is the solution to the witch's curse but Richard is also faced with a dilemma - and one he spends little time debating to himself: whether he should reveal the true nature of his foster brother.
In Rose Maybud we have the quintessential G&S Heroine: naive, beautiful and aware of it, and indecisive when it comes to love. Indeed, it is hard to think of any other heroine who changes her mind as often: I make it about five times but, unusually, she seems unable to choose between three men. If there were a third act, she would no doubt change it again and add Old Adam to her roster of 'lovers'.
She cannot be terribly bright, however, to be so slavishly devoted to the Book of Etiquette that was left with her on the steps of the workhouse. So this must be a heroine with real sex appeal.
There are paradoxes for the attentive audience as well. For instance, it seems strange that Sir Ruthven managed to avoid becoming the baronet and having to submit to the curse by simply disguising himself (disguise: tick). If it were this easy, why did Despard or the ancestors not do the same?
And how come Ruthven and Richard are 'foster-brothers'? Was Ruthven sent to foster parents or was Richard brought up as a member of the family in Ruddigore Castle? If Ruthven was fostered then why? And why away from his brother Despard?
If Richard and Ruthven were brought up in the Castle then how come Despard does not recognise either of them since he too was presumably brought up in the Castle like any self-respecting Murgatroyd? Maybe Despard is as innocent and dim as our heroine. He clearly deserves Mad Margaret.
And towards the end, Despard, now an honourable married man, attempts to persuade Ruthven, restored to the baronetcy to abandon his evil ways. Um ... has he thought this through. If Ruthven follows his advice then he will 'die in unspeakable agony' and guess who will inherit: yes, none other than Despard. Definitely dim.
Hang on, is that Margaret muttering something about a lark ...? Open your eyes, chaps. Look lively. We are running out of time. It is OK. There is not much to do and we will soon be into the Act I Finale, a few ghostly rumblings and we can all go home.
And what about Richard? He sounds like something left over from HMS Pinafore. Did a copyist swap the scores when G&S were not looking? Did they simply have a few tunes left over or was it part of a running gag to mention Pinafore in as many other operas as possible ('And whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore')?
Hang on, no time to answer that one. The MD is looking at us and seems to be crossing her fingers. Anyone who gets the timing wrong on this number is going to get more that the witch's curse. Adjust your false teeth, try to sound enthusiastic and ... oh damn! We did not sound sufficiently Elysian and have all been turned to ghosts. Still, it will be useful for Act II.
Thursday 7 May 2015
First performance - Lostwithiel
Our opening night looms. We bet Lostwithiel (Friday 8 May at 19:30 in the Community Centre) can hardly contain their excitement.
It will be wonderful relief from the tortured complexities of the politics of the last few days. Gilbert would have loved the political atmosphere of a modern campaign: lots of paradox and posturing just waiting for his ready wit.
Ruddigore is not short of its own complexities: a whole village of professional bridesmaids, a picture gallery of ghosts eager to see fair play, a jolly jack tar, a hidden identity, a beautiful - but distinctly naive and flighty - heroine, even a mad woman who believes that the word Basingstoke is redolent with hidden meaning. Only Gilbert could unlock the knot. Come and along and find out how.
It will be wonderful relief from the tortured complexities of the politics of the last few days. Gilbert would have loved the political atmosphere of a modern campaign: lots of paradox and posturing just waiting for his ready wit.
Ruddigore is not short of its own complexities: a whole village of professional bridesmaids, a picture gallery of ghosts eager to see fair play, a jolly jack tar, a hidden identity, a beautiful - but distinctly naive and flighty - heroine, even a mad woman who believes that the word Basingstoke is redolent with hidden meaning. Only Gilbert could unlock the knot. Come and along and find out how.
 |
| Rose - who obeys her book of etiquette while being a little vague as to which man she should marry |
 |
| A happy couple running a National School |
 |
| Bridesmaids eagerly awaiting an appointment |
 |
| Dame Hannah - don't mess with her |
 |
| Mad Margaret - and our Producer |
 |
| Old Adam - a former valet de chambre |
 |
| The Musical Director |
 |
| Richard Dauntless RN whose deadeyes are famous throughout the fleet |
 |
| Robin Oakapple - but is he? |
 |
| Roddy Doddy and Nannikins re-united |
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| Sir Despard Murgatroyd |
 |
| Sir Roderic Murgatroyd producing something painful |
 |
| Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd |
 |
| Villagers |
Wednesday 18 March 2015
Fa la la ...
Did you get it?
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