attracted the attention of many a maiden,
but he also possessed the necessary star
quality to take on this demanding role, and
in the second half, when Sullivan's duets
and trios seem to drag on a little, it was
the acting that kept things interesting.
Bryony House played Mabel, soaring on
stage with some show-stopping
arpeggios, and the soprano to carry these
off. For all her commitment to Frederick,
it is her voice which is her first love, and
Frederick's attempts to interrupt her flow
were great pantomime. The chorus of
daughters included Lucy Dunham, assured
as Edith, and Meiling Daniell-Greenhalgh, a
fine alto, as Kate; but the whole bevy of
them acted with focus to match that
shown by the Pirates, and sang with
confidence. The last troupe on stage was
the Police, led by Oscar Harding, in his
element and impressing as a singer too.
The final scene is a showdown, Pirates
versus Policemen, with Frederick a slave
to divided duty in between. The
performance was as silly as the plot, the
Policemen's resurrection a swift and
happy one. Perhaps the show-stealer,
here as in Act One, is the Major-General
himself, played by Paddy Cartwright, who
handled his tongue-twisting lyrics with
ease whilst reducing the audience to
stitches with his control and poise,
observed with a familiarity only an Army
son could boast. A roaring success all
round, and something of which all who
took part should be proud. "Take Heart!"
the massed cast enjoined us in the final
chorus, and we did.
Aluredian 59