The Gondoliers is probably one of Gilbert and Sullivan's lightest and brightest scores. The story is utterly trivial but the tally of lively, tuneful numbers more than make up for this. The Oxford University Gilbert & Sullivan Society are quite the troupe to do this work justice. The production is overall well-worked, enthusiatic and jolly thoughout - a utterly enjoyable evening.
The two gondoliers are solid throughout - although David Jones does seem to forget he is a common gondolier at times! Likewise Matthew Harman's vocals have a tendency to waver - but the overall effect is a pleasing one. The Duke (Laith Dilaimi) and Duchess (Katherine Fiarhurst) give frivolous humour to the proceedings. Imogen Clark's aloof Casilda and Ben Raynor's solid Luiz add to the mass emsemble of characters that one encounters in this show. The gondoliers' wives are played by Zosia Kuczynska and Verity Thomas in a competent, but sometimes embarrassingly sexist style. However Timothy Trudgian as the Grand Inquisitor really stole the acting show with his hilarious singing and stage presence - at times dwarfing the others around him.
The direction was competent - although I felt that the actors were sometimes limited in their expression and lacked the drive needed to build on their initially stong characterisations. The set pieces were strong (like the end of the first act) although one felt that they were staged too early to maintain a dynamic dramatic impact. Robert Hazel (Artistic Director) clearly has sought to provide humour in addition to W.S Gilbert's script, and it works at times - although one sometimes feels the director's touch is arduous compared to the lightness of the witty dialogue.
The real star of this evening's proceedings was the music. The singing throughout was musical and engaging (with the exception of a few flat notes). The chorus was exceptional - providing one of the strongest choral ensembles to be seen in Oxford theatre for a while. Chris Milton (Musical director) is clearly a musician of flair and insight and his excellent piano playing (along with his co-pianist) combined with his gesture gave the ensemble all they required for a tightly wrought dramatic sound that really drove the action forward.
The staging and costume were simple but effective (although the cloth river did look rather surplus to requirements) and added to the overall fun of the production.
If you are looking for a good night out with great singing and competent acting, then give The Gondoliers a go - you won't be disappointed.
The two gondoliers are solid throughout - although David Jones does seem to forget he is a common gondolier at times! Likewise Matthew Harman's vocals have a tendency to waver - but the overall effect is a pleasing one. The Duke (Laith Dilaimi) and Duchess (Katherine Fiarhurst) give frivolous humour to the proceedings. Imogen Clark's aloof Casilda and Ben Raynor's solid Luiz add to the mass emsemble of characters that one encounters in this show. The gondoliers' wives are played by Zosia Kuczynska and Verity Thomas in a competent, but sometimes embarrassingly sexist style. However Timothy Trudgian as the Grand Inquisitor really stole the acting show with his hilarious singing and stage presence - at times dwarfing the others around him.
The direction was competent - although I felt that the actors were sometimes limited in their expression and lacked the drive needed to build on their initially stong characterisations. The set pieces were strong (like the end of the first act) although one felt that they were staged too early to maintain a dynamic dramatic impact. Robert Hazel (Artistic Director) clearly has sought to provide humour in addition to W.S Gilbert's script, and it works at times - although one sometimes feels the director's touch is arduous compared to the lightness of the witty dialogue.
The real star of this evening's proceedings was the music. The singing throughout was musical and engaging (with the exception of a few flat notes). The chorus was exceptional - providing one of the strongest choral ensembles to be seen in Oxford theatre for a while. Chris Milton (Musical director) is clearly a musician of flair and insight and his excellent piano playing (along with his co-pianist) combined with his gesture gave the ensemble all they required for a tightly wrought dramatic sound that really drove the action forward.
The staging and costume were simple but effective (although the cloth river did look rather surplus to requirements) and added to the overall fun of the production.
If you are looking for a good night out with great singing and competent acting, then give The Gondoliers a go - you won't be disappointed.