Tag: opera

not a book, theatre

Not a Book: H M S Pinafore

veritywilde

Happy Sunday everyone! Today I’m talking about last week’s theatre trip, but it’s less a review than some thoughts, because this run of the show has now finished – although as it was a re-staging and got excellent reviews, hopefully it’ll be back again in a couple of years.

H M S Pinafore is a comic opera in two acts by Gilbert and Sullivan, and on its debut in 1878 was their first big international success. It tells the story of Captain Corcoran and his daughter Josephine – he wants to marry her off to the First Lord of the Admiralty, she wants to marry a (very) lowly sailor on her father’s ship. Hilarity ensues. And it really does, because this is directed by Cal McCrystal and its original production in 2021 was nominated for the Best Opera Olivier. I’ve popped the trailer in below, because although the footage is from that prior production, it is at least the same actor playing Captain Corcoran and the sets are the same too.

I have not watched a lot of opera, and I went to see this almost entirely because of Cal McCrystal. he directed Spymonkey‘s Cooped, which remains one of of the hardest times I’ve ever laughed, as well as One Man, Two Gu’vnors and the last opera that I saw – my first Gilbert and Sullivan – Iolanthe. And the two G&S productions have some things in common – namely lots of physical comedy, plenty of innuendo and some fun updating to make the references work as topical today (the way they did when it was first put on). This has also got Mel Giedroyc in it, playing two parts and breaking the fourth wall at every available opportunity.

I’m obviously not familiar enough with the original material to tell you exactly how much tinkering has been done, but I liked it and from what I could tell all the people around me did too, and my section seemed to include lots of G&S fans and amateur performers! The orchestra (conducted by Matthew Kofi Waldren) sounded incredible and the singing was beautiful. Add in some clever choreography, really well executed and a flock of enormous crinolines and I had a ball. My standout performer was John Savournin as Captain Corcoran – he’s a Gilbert and Sullivan specialist (I saw him in Iolanthe as well) who is clearly having a ball as he delivers the material absolutely beautifully. I would happily have gone back to see it again, and will be watching out for the next Gilbert and Sullivan production – having seen two done by McCrystal, I feel like I should see one that he’s not involved in for contrast if nothing else!

I leave you with a dash of Spymonkey, because this clip never fails to make me laugh. If it wasn’t the Winter Olympics, I’d be getting my Cooped DVD out to watch it again about now, but there’s figure skating tonight (Pairs short programme!) and I’ve got a lot of jobs to do first…

Happy Sunday!

books, Chick lit, new releases, reviews, romance

Review: Unfinished Symphony of You and Me

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This post was Not In My Plan for this week.  My carefully constructed plan of what to post when, in a nice pattern, on a regular schedule, constructed (and written) around my current batch of nightshifts.  Then I started reading Unfinished Symphony of You and Me on my dinner break at 3.45am on Wednesday morning.  And I’ve just finished it (it’s Saturday afternoon at the moment, but it’ll be Sunday when this publishes, because I can’t let go of the plan so much I post twice on the same day!) and it was too good for me to just add it to the books read list this week and say how much I’d enjoyed it.

I really loved this. I laughed, I cried, I couldn’t wait to find out what happened – but I didn’t want it to be over at the same time.  I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner.

Lucy Robinson’s created a fabulous cast of characters and a heart-wrenchingly brilliant story that shows you the importance of living your life, taking control and following your dream and not waiting for someone* to sort it out for you.

I loved crazy, messed-up Sally’s journey to find herself as she takes her courage in her hands and faces her fears.  I was desperate to find out what had happened that summer in New York to turn her from the mousy wardrobe mistress into a student opera singer.  And I didn’t get too grumpy at the reveal being dragged out, once I finally found out what had happened and how totally ingenious it was.  There were a couple of points where I could see the car crash (metaphorically) coming and wanted to scream with frustration at Sally for being so stupid – but then it was so brilliantly done in the end that I Didn’t Mind**.

I don’t want to say too much else about the plot, because it’s another book where it would be all too easy for me to ruin it for everyone who hasn’t read this yet (go and buy it).  I will say though that Barry is my favourite mad housemate since Bing in Bernadette Strachan’s Reluctant Landlady.  And that’s saying something.

This is a perfect summer read.  Although if you read it at the beach, people may point at you when you start crying (I held out until nearly the end, which is surprising considering that post-nightshifts I get incredibly emotional).  And, of course, my idiocy means I’m reviewing it too late in August for many people who, unlike me, have already had their summer holiday.

Still, recapture that holiday reading feeling and go and buy yourself a copy of Unfinished Symphony of You and Me.  My copy came from Netgalley (in return for an honest review etc) but you can find it here, here, here and here (on Kindle) and I hope still in W H Smith and maybe even the supermarkets too.  So really you have no excuse.  I’m off book some tickets to the opera and to add everything else Lucy Robinson has written to my to-read list – and to try to resist the urge to Buy Them Now (because of that pesky backlog I’m trying to deal with). Go. Buy. Read. Enjoy.

Oh dear.  I think this may be another of my overly emotional crazy posts.  Like my moment over the first part of Harriet Evan’s new book.  This is why I plan things so I don’t have to be coherent on here during my nocturnal moments.

* A man

** And when you consider that I can barely read one of my formerly most read books any more because I’m so angry at the way that the third book in the series turned out, you’ll know that that’s a big deal.