Mike Leigh's new offering is a colourful extravaganza that takes a look at the lives of British composers Gilbert and Sullivan, creators of such classic comic operas as The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore.

It is 1884 and Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner) has reached an impasse in his composing career. Bored of the comic pieces that he disdains as these 'trivial soufflés', he endeavours to terminate his lucrative musical partnership with William Schwenk Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) in favour of 'Grand Opera' (an attempt, incidentally, that is never a success) . However, when both men reluctantly attend an exhibition of Japanese culture and art, Gilbert is inspired to such an extent that he writes The Mikado, for which Sullivan subsequently composes the score. The second part of the film chronicles the making of the first production of the famous and extraordinary opera.

An unlikely choice, you might comment, for a director known for his unashamed scrutiny of the British middle-class, a modern naturalist whose lingering camera shots quietly expose the undercurrents of absurdity in everyday life all over England. While a historical docu-movie is, indeed, a different kettle of fish altogether, Leigh remains true to form, revealing the society of 1880's London to be as riddled with gossip-mongers, bitchiness, philanderers and repression as any council estate in contemporary middle England. This duplicitous and multi-layered world of the theatre becomes the ideal territory for an exploration of human nature, as the actors and actresses hide disturbing truths beneath the bright surface of costume and greasepaint, and the colourful auditorium is the front to a sordid backstage life of alcholism and drug-taking. Meanwhile, Gilbert's semi-dysfunctional family - a senile father, 'gorganzola' mother, and emotionally-starved wife - combined with an imminent 'break-up' with his professional partner, is ideal fodder for Leigh's penetrating realism.

The sets, costumes and cinematography pay intimate attention to detail, while having a surreal 'topsy-turvy' edge that captures the theatricality of the composers' rather surreal existence. The whole thing is brought to life by Leigh's witty, caustic and extremely funny script-writing, which, at times, crackles with an almost Wildean brilliance. The bitchy repartee of the dressing rooms; Gilbert's irrepressible cynicism; in every scene the script manages to compliment and reflect the comic lines of the original operas.

The cast too, are perfectly matched both to the characters they play in the film, and the characters they perform in The Mikado. Timothy Spall as the actor Richard Temple was born to play the Mikado, if anyone was. His dual performance as the flamboyant, demoralised actor and the rotund and ridiculous emperor has both humour and depth. Dorothy Atkinson captures Jessie Bond, the girlish actress with adult problems. As for the composers, Sullivan has a twinkle in his eye and exudes a sense of fun, while Jim Broadbent gives a faultless performance as the brooding William Gilbert. His long-suffering wife Kitty (Lesley Manville) is a thoughtful view of an intelligent Victorian wife faced with a husband who is blissfully unaware of her emotional needs.

Unlike Sullivan's attempt at grand opera, Leigh's foray into unknown territory seems to be a success. Both a fascinating portrayal of the work of Gilbert and Sullivan, and an extravagant speculation on the sordid depths that lay beneath the mask of Victorian respectability, Topsy Turvy is sure to entertain.

Jane Labous 22/02/2000