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It was, therefore, an unexpected pleasure to find that HMS Pinafore, while in many ways the good old-fashioned romantic romp I expected, also has some acerbic observations on the British class system which still hold true today, and delights in exposing the snobbery of the upper classes rather than glorifying them.
The Theatre Royal was pretty much full for the opening night of a five night run, and I am sure I was not alone in being bewildered and underwhelmed by an opening overture which had the impact of a wet flannel. I'm not familiar with the score, but maybe this is a cunning ruse by the director to make us yearn for the ensemble to break into song. Yearning was quickly turning to desperation when silence was finally broken, and I'm relieved to say from thereon it's a perfectly enjoyable evening.
John Savident, familiar to most as butcher Fred Elliot in Coronation Street (Foghorn Leghorn in human form), was absent through illness, an announcement met by a chorus of groans which must send shivers up the spine of the understudy behind the curtain.
We need not have worried; the part of Sir Joseph Porter was ably deputised by Gareth Jones, who imbued the role with a good comedic dollop of pomposity, and negotiated the challenging libretto with absolute assurance. Adam Vaughan, duly promoted from the ensemble into Jones' regular role of Dick Deadeye, inhabits the dastardly Dick like a pantomime villain to the point where I had to restrain myself from hissing. Perhaps lacking the projection required for such a prominent role, his voice did however blend to excellent effect with the impressive Captain Corcoran in the duet,'Kind Captain, I've Important Information'.
The main thread of the show involves the watchable young romantic leads, lowly ship's hand Ralph and the Captain's daughter Josephine, who resolve to marry secretly despite the disparity in their social standing. Poor Josephine also has the task of resisting the attentions of Sir Joseph, while Captain Corcoran himself restrains himself from falling for the lowly Mrs Cripps, his 'Little Buttercup'. The plot unravels against a backdrop of wry observations on the hypocrisy of class snobbery, and incorporates some of G&S's best known tunes along the way.
Both sets and costumes are pleasingly traditional, and the band breeze through the score with confidence, while the ensemble blends young blood and seasoned old hands in much the same way as regular ship's crew might. The resulting robust chorus shows that you truly can't beat the right mix of youth and experience, but there is also a lightness of touch when required, notably some deft comic touches from as Hebe.
HMS Pinafore plays two shows a day at the Theatre Royal until Sat 11th April