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Preview of The Mikado in OffPrompt, 14 August 2002Building on their highly successful productions of Iolanthe in 2000 and Patience in 2001, Colin Forbes and Patricia Whitbread now bring Gilbert and Sullivan's best musical, The Mikado, to Canberra. Their lively, local production will be performed on 29, 30, 31 August and 4, 5, 6, 7 September at St. Philip's.Director Colin Forbes said "Our production of the Mikado aims to provide the best of amateur theatre, with lots of energy, plenty of fun and some wonderful music. The Mikado deals with themes of love, law and order, and flirting, all quite topical for modern Canberra. " . . . The production features many of the singing pupils of Patricia Whitbread, who said that "The Mikado provides a great opportunity for our young singers, and a few not so young, to show their skills and provide a thoroughly enjoyable night of entertainment for the audience. The Mikado is a wonderful introduction to the colourful and funny musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan, especially for young people." Together with one of her pupils, Leila Fetter, Patricia will play the key role of Katisha, a formidable woman in pursuit of her love Nanki-Poo who, disguised as a wandering minstrel seeks refuge as second trombone in the Titipu Town Orchestra. Nanki-Po, played by Bruce Harvey, in fact has links to the very powerful, in particular the great Mikado, whose views on crime and punishment provide the climax of the show. Carolyn Forbes, a student at the School of Music, stars in the role of Yum Yum, one of the three little maids from school, with Rob Clayton, a brilliant young musician, as Pish-Tush, part of a trio of comic town officials. |