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H.M.S. PINAFORE
Theatre 2000
Regent Centre
Christchurch
November 2003

IF you love G&S then this Aussie import is a must – a fun, rumbustuous and highly irreverent production that’s full of surprises and gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘hello sailor’. Occasionally words are difficult to hear and some of the vocal harmonies are not quite right. But the sailors are as lively a crew as you’re ever likely to see and camp enough not to care that only three of Sir Joseph’s female relatives have made the journey over the bright blue sea. Well, another three seem to have smuggled themselves on board dressed as sailors, but that’s another story.
Pete Whitaker (a brilliantly sparky spiv-type Dick Deadeye) and Philip Redgrave (a wonderfully lascivious, drooling Sir Joseph Porter) all-but steal the show, while Steve McTaggart is a suitably repressed Captain Corcoran and Cindy Wells a gloriously sleazy Buttercup. John Earwood, an outstanding tenor, is every woman’s dream as the lovelorn Ralph Rackstraw and Georgina Smith looks lovely as Josephine, the object of his affections, although she appeared to have a rather cool, detached manner which was not always quite right for the character.
Pinafore sails off on Saturday, so catch it while it’s still in port.
Linda Kirkman

Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemouth Daily Echo


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