User Reviews

Though nothing in the credits mentions it, this production is obviously based on the Tony-winning 1980 Joseph Papp Shakespeare in the Park production, which starred Kevin Kline and Linda Rondstadt and was a massive hit on Broadway and later in the West End in London. Eventually it was redone as a film which was very entertaining but lacked too much of the excitement of live stage.

Fortunately, someone decided to tape a live performance of this newer version, capturing much more of the energy and audience response which was missing from the earlier film. What makes both versions special is the approach to the original material. Too many G&S productions are stodgy, treating the music as sacrosanct and the humor as too dated to get a laugh. Here every bit of silliness in the script is brushed off and made funny again. The "orphan/often" misunderstanding early in the play has been cut from most productions for decades by directors who didn't have a clue how funny it could be if performed as high comedy. There are dozens of other similar moments in this production, which never for an instant lets the audience forget that this is a COMIC opera.

At the same time, it is a comic OPERA, with some of Sir Arthur Sullivan's most beautiful melodies. Helen Donaldson as Mabel and Simon Gallaher as Frederick particularly have lovely voices and sing their romantic songs beautifully.

I do feel that this production is frequently over the top in milking the humor, but that is one of the intrinsic problems of filmed live performances, and the audience was clearly having a great time enjoying the antics of Jon English. And Tim Tyler as the police sergeant is incredible. A cross between a Keystone Kop and a very long rubber band, he steals every scene he is in.

G&S purists generally dislike updated productions, but for the rest of us, this production is a treat.

I only caught part of this show (from the Major General's entrance) on a recent showing on Sky TV in the UK and it restored my faith that G&S can be adapted with sensitivity for new audiences. I thought Jon English turned in a superb performance as the Pirate King and the comic scenes were played for all they were worth without (mostly) becoming unfunny. Choregoraphy - especially with the police in the second act was first class. A couple of minor quibbles - not sure why it was necessary to bring in the trio from Ruddigore - it seems fashionable these days to "cross-dress" so to speak and although this actually worked quite well it wasn't really necessary. The Swinglettes as a take off of the Andrews Sisters was superb but unfortunately it also meant that Edith was hardly distinguishable from the rest of the daughters when she has a decent part in the original score. Minor points, though, you could hear the audience absolutely loving it and it kept far enough on the traditional side of the line without being stuffy - Gilbert may have shuffled uncomfortably in his grave but he would not, I think, have turned right over. Well done all - even if it was thirteen years ago! Jonathon Clark, London

Having been highly entertained by HMS Pinafore(the last of the productions performed by this group), I immediately sat down to watch The Pirates of Penzance. When I first put in the DVD, they seemed to have done a recap of The Mikado, which made me think "did I put in the wrong DVD". Then the production started, without the overture but more a glimpse of "oh dry thy glistening tear..." going straight into "pour oh pour".

This Pirates of Penzance was highly entertaining for what it was, which was good tongue-in-cheek fun. "Purists" mayn't like it I agree, the orchestra is synthesised and some of the dialogue is added with a sense of improvisation too. But my advice is take it for what it is, that way you may enjoy it. I am a Gilbert and Sullivan fan, and especially of this operetta, and I certainly did enjoy it. As far as these G&S production go with this troupe, which was this, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore, I did prefer HMS Pinafore for its pace and energy, like I said in my review for that notice how the male chorus in general rarely stop moving, but as an overall operetta I am more fond of Pirates, then again it was also my first G&S.

My only real disappointment really was "Ah Leave me not to Pine". Don't get me wrong, it was beautifully sung by Simon Gallagher and Helen Donaldson, but I did find the overall speed too slow. Everything else though I enjoyed immensely. Even with the added dialogue, tempo and key changes, how the story unfolds and the various characters, it remained hugely entertaining and never stodgy right up to the last second. The costumes and sets are very good, with smooth transitions from set to set and the costumes at least look as though they belong in a G&S production.

The dialogue is often hilarious, especially the Pirate King's digs at the orchestra and conductor, which happened in Pinafore too, and the whole orphan/often exchange. There are also some inspired physical comedy, the funniest being the Major General and the flowers in the first act. The story while slightly standard perhaps in structure is so full of funny scenes, amazing music and droll lyrics you are past caring. And the choreography particularly with the policemen was camp but in a refreshing way, while the orchestration and arrangements were good.

The performers all give their all. Simon Gallagher is dashing and has phrasing(his long high note is phenomenal!) and a voice that makes your heart melt, and Helen Donaldson has a wondrous colouratura quality, any larger she would have been at home in Donizetti and Verdi. Ruth, played very well by Toni Lamond, is suitably sympathetic, the sisters were hilarious and the choruses sounded great. The comedic performers fared best though, Derek Metzger is a brilliant Major General not only perfectly nailing the mannerisms but the comic timing too, the chief policeman- a brilliant Tim Tyler- has a presence, flexibility and movement of the stage to die for, and while I think he was slightly overworked in "Cat Like Tread" Jon English's Pirate King is worth the DVD viewing alone, not only is his delivery spot on but he is a daredevil on stage.

All in all, very entertaining. 9/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of my favourite videos in my collection. Jon English is fantastic as the Pirate King, and Simon Gallaher, Helen Donaldson and Derek Metzger all perform outstandingly. With great comedy and audience interaction thrown in, it is a joy to watch over and over again. I only wish I'd been able to see the show live!

This is by far the best production i have ever seen. The acting is incredible as are the vocals and even if the characters namely John English talk to the audience, it's still funny. The audience laughs. Why should it be bad. No matter what i hear about this. I absolutely adore this play.

I especcially think that the finale was a work of art. A ten minute rap of of the production is great. But i would have to congratulate The Major General for his excellent take on the Major general song. The song just makes me want to memorise the entire lyrics. All in all this was a fantastic play. My thanks to the people who put this together.

I love 'The Pirates of Penzance'! Jon English, Simon Gallaher and Derek Metzger are all fantastic as their respective characters. My favourite person in this is Helen Donaldson, who is an absolutely adorable Mabel. Her voice is lovely and she hits every high note. She looks like a 10-year-old in 'When the Foeman Bares His Steel' though! Essgee have done a great job in updating a G&S show and I admit its not one for purists! Toni Lamond, the first woman to ever appear on Australian television, is a very sad, yet funny (!), Ruth. All of the songs in it are fantastic, even if they are all performed on synthesisers. Gallaher's rendition of 'Oh Is There Not One Maiden Here' is very sweet and heart-melting. Donaldson's 'Poor Wandering One' is AMAZING! Her coloratura is very well done. English's comic timing is great, especially 'Dear Pirate King I love your purple pants...' and he performs well with the other cast members, especially Toni Lamond, Helen Donaldson and Simon Gallaher. Any fan of musicals, especially Australian, should see this!

Having performed the role of "Ruth" at secondary school, I have many fond memories of "The PoP". This hysterical Australian version of the operetta had me laughing aloud. How wonderful to see the art of Gilbert and Sullivan brought forward around 100 years! The jokes, the facial expressions, the modernisms, the tempo and lyric changes, the movement... all done to entertain. My classical musician husband also watched and thoroughly enjoyed the humour and theatricals. My young children watched, sang along and laughed - consider the effect a Victorian operetta would normally have on 3 kids more interested in SpongeBob and Yu-Gi-O?! Days later they were still singing away. The adaptation works for me. But I'm not a purist. I like to have a bit of fun and colour in my life, I appreciate good singing (being trained myself) and I see no reason why I should drag my kids into Victorian times when it can travel towards us!

I caught up with this wonderful production via Sky arts, a few months ago and simply had to buy the DVD. what a joy.Played , I am sure with tongue very firmly in cheek. Such energy and enthusiasm from all the cast.Jon English, has spoilt the role of 'Pirate King' for me, I just cannot see anyone doing it better, and I love the purple pants. His interaction with the audience was spot on and very funny. The Major General played by Derek Metzger,was excellent, with brilliant comic timing,and I could hear every word in his patter song! Tim Tyler, as the 'Police Sergeant', had to be seen to be believed, surely he was made of rubber, and not a bad singing voice. 'Ruth', as played by Toni Lamont, the only cast member with a strong Australian accent, was very sympathetic, I felt for her, and would have given Frederic more that a bash on the backside. I even enjoyed her corpsing in Act II.The chorus of daughters, were very funny, almost but not quite upstaging the principals. 'Mabel', Helen Donaldson, looked as fragile as a China doll, with a beautiful soprano voice, trilling away in 'Poor wandering one'. Simon Gallaher as 'Frederic' was simply superb, a wonderful tenor voice with amazing breath control, how long was that note!!(he also produced the show.) My granddaughters of Ten and Seven,also adore this show and demand to view it at every visit, not bad for good old G&S.

Just saw this for the first time (thank you Sky Arts!) I have always loved Gilbert and Sullivan so decided to tape it. I'm so glad I did! It was amazing! I've never seen any of the cast before so wasn't sure what to expect but they were all so good. Especially the purple-panted Pirate King, Jon English. His facial expressions had me in stitches and his energy!! I also loved the Police Sergeant, that man is made of rubber - is there anything he can't do!? They all looked as though they were having a great time hamming it up wonderfully! As someone said previously, if you're feeling down, watch it, I guarantee you won't be for long!

This is the first of the three Gilbert and Sullivan operettas produced by the Australian Essgee company. It is not as bad The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. Presumably there was a learning curve before the company attained its peak of vulgarity. Some of the elements are already in place: there is, for instance, the orchestra consisting of three synthesizers, two percussion and bass. This ensures that, whatever the singers may do, the production can have no musical merit whatsoever. The women's chorus consists of three harridans who call themselves "The Fabulous Singlettes" who give a bloodcurdling rendition of "Climbing over rocky mountains". Jon English, as the Pirate King is truly repulsive. I have noticed in these productions that he tends to step out of character and address the audience with comments such as: "Colour and movement, that's what you need when the plot is sagging a bit". The implication is that he may have been attending a Drama 101 course during the making of this series.

Derek Metzger has the makings of a good Major General. He can handle the patter but is more concerned with stage business. During "I am the very model of a modern Major General" he conjures a bouquet of flowers from his anus and hands them to one of the Fatuous Singlettes with the remark: "Put those in some water and then wash your hands". Tim Tyler as the police sergeant spits ping pong balls while singing "When the foeman bares his steel", a performance that perhaps would be more fitting in a shady Bangkok nightclub. Helen Donaldson as Mabel really can sing, she has an excellent high register and easily accomplishes the coloratura pyrotechnics of the bel canto pastiche: "Poor wand'ring one". Sadly, it is to little avail with the pounding percussion and the Crapulous Singlettes bumping and grinding behind her.

Director Peter Butler has an uncanny knack of positioning his camera at the wrong place at the wrong time. Incredibly, this is the man who once directed Joan Sutherland in "Lucia di Lammermoor". I can just imagine the scene with La Stupenda saying "I know this is the mad scene Peter darling, but not the ping pong balls, please". The performance was filmed live in Queensland in 1994 and, I must say, the Queensland audience appears to love every minute. I suppose if I were watching my local amateur dramatic company performing in the village hall I would be more indulgent but there is really no reason why this amateurish production should be showing in the opera slot of the flagship, high definition Artsworld channel in 2006

i've seen them all Live in Melbourne, didn;t see the original Pirates though saw the one they did for the Anniversary in January 2003 i got to Meet Jon English, Gerry Connolly, David Gould, Sheila Bradley& Carmell Parentel and they signed my Program Guide i meet them at the Stage Door :) they were extremely nice and happy to sign the Program for e i meet the Conductor Kevin Hocking after the Hms Penifor and he signed the hms book for me i loved what he did to Jon English in Pirates made him do a song about 4 times ;)

i like the Singletts their so good :)

i wrote to Simon Gallaher and he sent me a signed Photo :)

has anyone seen the one with Anthony Warlow i just saw it on Abc TV in Australia

This version has a special place in my families hearts, as it was played, repeatedly, every few years when we got together. With my Grandparents in South Africa and us living in USA (and then later UK)- my grandfather discovered this and introduced this to me when I was very small.

Perhaps it was his enthusiasm for G&S that started out his love of this production but we all quickly fell in love with each character. From the Pirate King to sweet Mabel, it's a silly and fun version! Not meant to be taken seriously at all! We watched the VHS so many times that it got worn out. Now, decades later we have the DVD and still watch it every few years or so.

Thank you so much to the entire cast and crew and production team for making G&S accessible for a modern audience, and for creating wonderful memories that span generations.

This insolent revision is cringe-inducing. Even its actors seem to think so; they cascade waves of sweat. It can't be just the hot lights.

The humour is a combination of Jackie Gleason/Art Carney and Sergeant Bilco. (Sorry if those mystify U.K. and Aussie readers. Just think "amateur," "1950s," and "awful, simply awful.") For example, to have the daughters played by fat girls (who at first I thought were drag queens) wearing plastic sunglasses, impersonating the Chordettes – where to begin? And, as another commenter has suggested, the idea that G & S need to be improved by having the Major General pull a punch of flowers out of his ass, give them to his daughter, and then urge her to wash her hands – well, once again, words fail.

There's a fairly colossal arrogance when the credits say "additional lyrics by …", in the apparent belief that Gilbert's were insufficient.

Yet it gets two stars from me. One is for the rubber man playing the sergeant; why isn't he splashed all over Hollywood, Broadway and the West End? He's a good singer as well as an epic physical comic. The second star is for the "Come, friends, who plough the sea" business. It's something else that G & S would have repudiated in horror, and it doesn't belong here (it belongs in a Dame Edna sketch), but if one removes the context, it's very clever.

I think I own every video version of Pirates now, and am quite familiar with the material, having performed it (I was the Pirate King, and also Frederic once when the other actor forgot his lines!), and have seen many amateur and professional performances over many years.

In my analysis, both of the Papp versions (the live one in the park, and the later movie version of the same, i.e. the Kevin Kline/Linda Ronstadt versions) remain the best overall in terms of: - sticking to the source material for the most part - good sense of style and humor - excellent performances all around - slightly updated without forgetting it is a Victorian comedy - good set and costume design (albeit with Mabel's parts take down a few steps, the only real vocal disappointment here)

The Australian version being reviewed here is a confounding mash-up of the Papp version and a more modernized, 'forget its roots' treatment. Some thoughts: - Overall, Fredric and Mabel here are voiced by the best sounding (and appropriately styled) singers when compared to all the others - Major General Stanley is done by an actor who looks far too young, and who is given FAR too many digressions in his patter song, and yet otherwise he plays the role well and sings well - The Pirate King is just awful...the worst I have ever seen and I can think of no excuse for the director letting the actor get away with it; he sings poorly, mugs to the camera, has a mullet haircut, looks like an aging rock star instead of a pirate king, etc - Ruth is actually quite good, and her lines are intelligible, although she fakes some notes and speaks others at times - The other daughters are played by a mere trio of women, the 'Singlettes', apparently some sort of pop trio that was enlisted for the roles....they harmonize in ways not called for in the original, but this does not hurt, and they break into rap and pop styles for no apparent reason, and their slapstick actions often detract from the more important action and/or singing going on by others. They are indeed funny, but I would rather have seen them in another show and kept them out of this one - The action takes place almost entirely on a simple (and small) stage with minimal sets, and for the most part looks like it was shot from the audience with a couple hand-held camera; both Papp versions, by contrast, have much better scenery

If this version, with most of the singers, had been staged a bit better, and with a different Pirate King, more restraint on the part of the Major General, and a more traditional role for the daughters, I would have to count it among my favorite versions. But with its significant flaws and misfires, it is funny but disappointing.

If this is what Australians do to Gilbert and Sullivan, I'm just grateful I don't live in Australia. And this is not "little Englander" chauvinism - I absolutely loved the US reworking in "Papp's Pirates", with the splendid Kevin Kline, Patricia Routledge and company. This is a perfectly awful burlesque of that fabulous production, and so derivative I'm surprised there weren't intellectual property law implications. "Moronic" one reviewer called it, and I can only agree.

I could pity Sir William and Sir Arthur spinning in their graves at this production - except that they would not recognise it. Whatever this appalling pantomime is - it ain't Gilbert and Sullivan!

The director seems to have been trying to replicate the mood of the Kevin Kline/Rex Smith film version of PoP but ended up turning it into a carnival rather than a musical. The Fabulous Singlettes as General Stanley's daughters was a good gag. They turn their songs into DooWop numbers. They sit around the stage smoking and cackling. They look more like hookers from a Fellini film than the usual bevy of Victorian maidens, but it works.

Apparently, that wasn't enough comedy, because every character in the production plays their part with the broadest slapstick possible. I wouldn't mind .... except that they stop the music to do it. Almost every single song is stopped literally half a dozen times so that the singer(s) can do a pratfall or a gag. The actors playing Frederic and Mabel have very strong voices, and their duets are wonderful. The Pirate King and Ruth are clearly more comfortable with comedy than with singing. The Actor playing General Stanley was the worst. He does his whole part in a fake "old man" voice, and his physical schtick does not work. I actually left the room and washed my dishes while he was singing Major General. And I still didn't miss most of the song. This version is almost half an hour longer than the Kline/Smith version because they just keep stopping the musical to wink-wink-nudge-nudge at the audience.