Moser Theatre, Wadham College, Thu Nov 23rd - Sat Nov 25th 2006

I thought the pianist was all over the place too, but the audience seemed to enjoy themselves. The unison singing was excellent especially at the end of Act One, though I did feel the group dancing was a little bit messy and did detract slightly from the singers at the front of the stage. Having said that I really enjoyed the hornpipe although the girl who danced it clearly showed up the actor playing Richard when he was supposed to be the sailor and therefore the better dancer. Overall though it was a highly enjoyable production.

Jo 3 Dec 2006

Well I actually thought the pianist was one of the strongest aspects of this production. I doubt anyone would attempt to play that score after even a single drink. The cast seemed to have no prolems singing with the piano and any additions, musically speaking, only seemed to enhance the comic drive of the piece, especially the Lloyd Webber extracts! Great stuff!

Clive 27 Nov 2006

Ruddigore is a melodramatic opera which tells the tale of the cursed Murgatroyd family who are doomed to commit a crime a day or die an agonising death. The curse is passed from one generation to the next, until it finally reaches Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, played by the suitably bashful Ben Raynor. In defiance of the curse, Sir Ruthven manages to temporarily escape his fate by living under an assumed name in Cornwall. In typical Gilbert and Sullivan style, the storyline takes many improbable twists and turns with pantomime-like characters adding confusion and excitement. It all ends happily ever after with everyone suitably matched for the final dance.

Oxford University’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society make a valiant effort to recreate the Victorian era within the limited confines of Wadham College’s Moser Theatre. This production is essentially an insular theatrical event – I would recommend it only to those who know members of the cast or have a deep love for Gilbert and Sullivan; the lively audience seemed to thoroughly enjoy the opera for one or both of these reasons. Despite this, there were some credible performances. Rose Maybud, the principal female, is played by Zosia Kuczynsk, an obvious choice since her voice clearly outshines the rest of the cast. Equally, the most enjoyable performances were from the villains of the piece, Mad Margaret (Bethan Jenkins) and the reluctantly wicked younger Sir Despard Murgatroyd (Timothy Trudigan). The rest of the cast were at their best when they came together to sing in unison but the stuttering energy of the performance as a whole eventually became an unwelcome distraction.

Andrea Nagel 27 Nov 2006

Was the pianist sober? He was making lots of mistakes the night I went. Some good performances - particularly liked Rose and Margaret.

Phil 27 Nov 2006

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