Yesterday I ventured out in very soggy, windy London weather to see the all-male production of the Mikado playing at the Union Theatre in South London. The Union is a little hole-in-the-wall venue, family run, near Southwark Tube Station. The theatre itself sits maybe 40 people, in a studio setting. The seats are a comfortable mish-mash of old movie seats, settees, and armchairs. A colleague of mine invited me to join him and his partner for a matinee after hearing that I had played one of the three little maids in a Victoria production of the Mikado.
The theatre space was festooned with Japanese lanterns and paper butterflies. A bright red velvet curtain was pulled back to reveal a small sky blue backdrop. This curtained area was mostly used as a "backstage" area for quick changes and the like, although at the end of several numbers the curtain was pulled back to reveal the cast in tableau.
The production was strong from start to finish. The opening number ("If you want to know who we are"), sung by Nanki-Poo and the men of Titipu featured hilarious choreography that was definitely an homage to the water ballets of Esther Williams with lots of flailing arms, circling dancers, Japanese fans flicking in unison, and high kicks (quite funny given the main theme of this song is "We are gentleman of Japan." God help Japan if this is what their gentlemen are like, with pointed toes and wiggling hips). This style of choreography perfectly suited the tiny performance space. Due to the intimacy of the venue, the sound of the chorus, accompanied only by grand piano, really rang to the rafters. The camp elements continued, with Pish Tush doing a nod to the MC in "Cabaret" during "Our Great Mikado, Virtuous Man" with a black bowler hat and gold-tipped cane.
I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the little maids. How would the men look in Japanese drag, I wondered? Probably not that different from how Stephanie, Jane and I had looked in full Japanese kabuki makeup, kimono and wigs. However, little effort was made to disguise the men-playing-the-maids, which only added to the hilarity. All three had short men's hair cuts and very manly physique. All the men in the production wore white t-shirts and black trousers, and all the maids did to distinguish themselves was paint on red bow mouths, hike on white rehearsal skirts over their men's costumes, and strap enormous red butterflies to their heads. Patrick Kelliher and Nathan Kiley, as Pitti-Sing and Peep-Bo, drew on enormous black beauty spots. However, from the second they arrived to sing "Three Little Maids", elaborately choreographed with Japanese parasols in blue, pink and yellow, the fact that these were men playing women became insignificant. All three men (particularly "soprano" Martin Milnes, who sang Yum-Yum as written with no transpositions) were pitch-perfect. There was no over-acting.
Martin Milnes in particular, was amazing. He hit every one of Yum-Yum's top notes seemingly effortlessly and was the only cast member, from what I could tell, who sang soprano during the ensemble numbers. A tall gangly guy with a shaved head, he made no effort to look female (I noticed that he was wearing a diamond bracelet in addition to his giant butterfly headpiece-the only nod to "femininity" he made). His speaking voice was definitely masculine. But particularly in his scenes with Damion Scarcella as Nanki-Poo, Milne's Yum Yum was every inch the ingenue in love. Camp, yes, but Gilbert & Sullivan's characters are always camp, whether being played by a woman or man.
Samuel Holmes as Katisha was the only "female" to wear kabuki makeup and the contrast to the maids was suitably grotesque. He was wrinkled, slightly stooped, and wore the tackiest diamante chandelier earrings (again, with a short men's haircut, the effect was hilarious). Unlike the maids, he did sing Katisha's part transposed down an octave, but this suited the character, who is meant to be repulsive, overbearing and slightly "bloodthirsty," as Koko points out. Koko the Tailor was played by Christopher Howell as a working class Englishman. Howell, in particular, used the intimacy of the setting to "play" with the audience, particularly during "I've Got a Little List."
I did my best not to sing along, although it couldn't be helped, particularly in the Act I and Act II ensemble finales. However, I had warned my companions that it might happen and they didn't object.
Next up at the Union is Sweeney Todd in November. Dammit. I want to audition for it SO. BAD. But given that I don't even have time to oh, do my laundry or sleep, or feed my cat, or see my friends, I don't know that I'll have time to rehearse a show and work the hours I'm working. I've gotta pay back these student loans so I can be a starving actress in London. I can't wait! In the meantime I'm going to go dig up my recording of the Mikado and have a good ol' sing along while I clean my flat.
The Mikado is playing at the Union until 16 August 2008. For more info see www.uniontheatre.org.
The theatre space was festooned with Japanese lanterns and paper butterflies. A bright red velvet curtain was pulled back to reveal a small sky blue backdrop. This curtained area was mostly used as a "backstage" area for quick changes and the like, although at the end of several numbers the curtain was pulled back to reveal the cast in tableau.
The production was strong from start to finish. The opening number ("If you want to know who we are"), sung by Nanki-Poo and the men of Titipu featured hilarious choreography that was definitely an homage to the water ballets of Esther Williams with lots of flailing arms, circling dancers, Japanese fans flicking in unison, and high kicks (quite funny given the main theme of this song is "We are gentleman of Japan." God help Japan if this is what their gentlemen are like, with pointed toes and wiggling hips). This style of choreography perfectly suited the tiny performance space. Due to the intimacy of the venue, the sound of the chorus, accompanied only by grand piano, really rang to the rafters. The camp elements continued, with Pish Tush doing a nod to the MC in "Cabaret" during "Our Great Mikado, Virtuous Man" with a black bowler hat and gold-tipped cane.
I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the little maids. How would the men look in Japanese drag, I wondered? Probably not that different from how Stephanie, Jane and I had looked in full Japanese kabuki makeup, kimono and wigs. However, little effort was made to disguise the men-playing-the-maids, which only added to the hilarity. All three had short men's hair cuts and very manly physique. All the men in the production wore white t-shirts and black trousers, and all the maids did to distinguish themselves was paint on red bow mouths, hike on white rehearsal skirts over their men's costumes, and strap enormous red butterflies to their heads. Patrick Kelliher and Nathan Kiley, as Pitti-Sing and Peep-Bo, drew on enormous black beauty spots. However, from the second they arrived to sing "Three Little Maids", elaborately choreographed with Japanese parasols in blue, pink and yellow, the fact that these were men playing women became insignificant. All three men (particularly "soprano" Martin Milnes, who sang Yum-Yum as written with no transpositions) were pitch-perfect. There was no over-acting.
Martin Milnes in particular, was amazing. He hit every one of Yum-Yum's top notes seemingly effortlessly and was the only cast member, from what I could tell, who sang soprano during the ensemble numbers. A tall gangly guy with a shaved head, he made no effort to look female (I noticed that he was wearing a diamond bracelet in addition to his giant butterfly headpiece-the only nod to "femininity" he made). His speaking voice was definitely masculine. But particularly in his scenes with Damion Scarcella as Nanki-Poo, Milne's Yum Yum was every inch the ingenue in love. Camp, yes, but Gilbert & Sullivan's characters are always camp, whether being played by a woman or man.
Samuel Holmes as Katisha was the only "female" to wear kabuki makeup and the contrast to the maids was suitably grotesque. He was wrinkled, slightly stooped, and wore the tackiest diamante chandelier earrings (again, with a short men's haircut, the effect was hilarious). Unlike the maids, he did sing Katisha's part transposed down an octave, but this suited the character, who is meant to be repulsive, overbearing and slightly "bloodthirsty," as Koko points out. Koko the Tailor was played by Christopher Howell as a working class Englishman. Howell, in particular, used the intimacy of the setting to "play" with the audience, particularly during "I've Got a Little List."
I did my best not to sing along, although it couldn't be helped, particularly in the Act I and Act II ensemble finales. However, I had warned my companions that it might happen and they didn't object.
Next up at the Union is Sweeney Todd in November. Dammit. I want to audition for it SO. BAD. But given that I don't even have time to oh, do my laundry or sleep, or feed my cat, or see my friends, I don't know that I'll have time to rehearse a show and work the hours I'm working. I've gotta pay back these student loans so I can be a starving actress in London. I can't wait! In the meantime I'm going to go dig up my recording of the Mikado and have a good ol' sing along while I clean my flat.
The Mikado is playing at the Union until 16 August 2008. For more info see www.uniontheatre.org.