Pirates of Penzance as presented by Rush Musical Society

The Pirates of Penzance as performed by Rush Musical Society: 

Tuesday 9th April 2024. 

Some of us, of a certain generation, were brought up with Gilbert and Sullivan as our constant companions in the Musical Theatre arena, performed, as they were, by musical societies the length and breadth of the country. Nowadays, it is more of a rare event, and even less common is a traditional version of an originals. It was a very pleasant surprise, therefore, to see Rush going back to the tried and tested traditional Pirates of Penzance and performing it with zeal. That this production managed to silence and capture the undivided attention of a party of about eighty school children, present on the night I attended, was evidence of the standard of performance and of the great durability of the material. 

The show opened with a good Pirates logo, displayed on a rising cine-screen, which rolled out to reveal a lovely painted floor containing a map, and little else but a wooden pontoon centre stage. But then the Pirates burst onto the stage, from the wings and from the auditorium, equipped with all the bits and pieces to create a pirate ship, complete with mast. On their exit, said pirates took all their bits and pieces with them, leaving the pontoon and an empty beach for the ladies to invade. Thanks to such clever devices, a stage crew were never really seen, giving Stage Manager, John Foley, and his team a very pleasant and stress-free evening, proving that good design equals fewer problems. 

Costumes were light and airy for the ladies, and pretty much as one would expect for the pirates and policemen. Ruth had a fine pirate outfit to replace her earlier nursemaid outfit, and The Major-General was resplendent in his military attire. I also loved his bedtime teddy bear. I’m guessing that a fair bit of make-up was required to create such a scabby, rough-cut bunch of Pirates, and a good amount too for the pasty, red cheeked policemen, who all looked delightfully comical. I’m guessing the ladies all relied on natural beauty! Wigs and hairpieces were also very good and appropriate. 

There can be few directors left in Ireland who have had as much hands-on experience of Gilbert and Sullivan as Wilfie Pyper, and it was a pleasure to see this offering of what a very authentic traditional production of the show was. He used that clean and nicely designed set to good effect, with good, precise, and intelligent placing of the action, and beautiful pictures created with the chorus involvement. But the most important thing that he did was to let the show flow fluently, with well-realized characterizations, and to allow the wonderful music, lyrics, and comedy to take centre stage. 

That music was supervised by the talented Musical Director, Sarah Lynch Barrett. From a delightfully played overture to the final curtain, the accompaniment to the show was heard, but not seen, by an appreciative audience, courtesy of a very fine group of musicians who were situated in a room behind the stage. A video link to the stage allowed Sarah to keep the chorus and the musicians in sync and in balance throughout the show. The chorus were very well-prepared, with the strong emphasis on harmony and diction that is so essential with any production of a G & S show. Needless to say, the principals were also very musically disciplined.

As Mabel, Niamh Parkes was bold and audacious, and not at all backward about taking a chance on Frederic. She played the role with great poise and attitude and while I found her level of vibrato a tad distracting, there was no question of her ability to hit the high notes, as most effectively demonstrated in Poor Wandering One. 

As Frederic, Keith Kearns was a fine figure of a young man, who impressed the ladies with his honesty and his very fine voice. He acted the innocent abroad very well, being easily duped by his fellow pirates, and there was both sincerity and good light comedy in his romantic encounters with Mabel. 

Simon Pyper, playing the role of the Pirate King, could perhaps have been a tad more threatening, even if only comically so, but what we were treated to was an affable, slightly dim, and somewhat playful leader of the Pirates, who committed well to the role and impressed very much with a strong presence and a fine voice. His encounters with the Major General were among his best scenes. 

That Major General was a tour de force performance from the well-seasoned Barry Kavanagh, immaculately turned out and almost as immaculate in his diction and vocal prowess. The Very Model was indeed the very model of how to present a patter song. Barry’s comedy throughout was very good and beautifully timed. 

With a wonderful and well-sustained accent, dear old Ruth was given an excellent treatment by Kathy Kelly, marvellously comical in her efforts to win the affections of Frederic, and devilishly deviant in her pirate guise, trying to persuade him to remain a pirate. This was strong character playing, accompanied by a great vocal quality. 

Gary Finegan, had he been around a century ago, would have been a shoo-in for the rank of Sergeant of the Keystone Cops, such were his befuddled antics as the head of the Penzance force. With great physical comedy, and strongly delivered vocals, he cut a very popular figure on the stage. 

Daniel Farrell was a robust second-in-command to the Pirate King in the role of Samuel, seemingly shrewd, but really as dense as his boss. This was a well-realized character with a strong speaking voice, a tuneful singing voice, and a very good sense of comedy.

Aoife Parkes as Edith, Niamh Banim as Kate and Maria Kavanagh as Isabel strongly led Mabel’s chorus of sisters. Written, and played, as rather silly, frivolous characters but with stoic pride and determination, this trio impressed greatly with beautiful voices, good comedic acting and a wonderful sense of fun. 

As already mentioned, the chorus did a really good job of selling the wonderful lyrics and music Gilbert and Sullivan, making a particularly good job of the beautiful Hail Poetry. The female chorus were delightfully uppity, and the pirates were suitably bold and brazen. The policemen were comically inept, and all in all, the chorus work of the whole show was most pleasing. 

Lighting for the show was bright, colourful, nicely designed, and very much enhanced the lovely set, with good special areas for the more tender moments of the action. The quality of sound throughout the show was very good, and well-balanced, given the separation of stage and band. 

Thank you to Rush Musical Society for keeping the spirit of G & S very much alive and kicking, with this thoughtful, tidy, and thoroughly entertaining production. It was a most enjoyable evening.

Peter Kennedy

Gilbert Adjudicator 23/24