Having already enjoyed Essgee's version of 'Tne Pirates', I came this production open minded and ready to be entertained. And was not disappointed. O.K it's not for G&S purists, but then Doyle Carte production can be a little (whisper it) boring. This was anything but. Great fun from the rollicking opening, with fantastic dancing from the chorus,to the irreverent and different ending. Jon English as the promoted 'Dick dead eye' kept the action moving at a fast pace, no time to think of the daft plot. I enjoyed all the performances.The Sister, cousin and Aunt, made a refreshing change from the usual ladies chorus. Drew Forsythe was a very funny and camp'Sir Joseph', David Gould warmed to the part of 'Captain Corcoran', not surprising as 'little Buttercup' in the hands of Amanda Muggleton, was far from the usual rotund Bumboat woman. Josephine and her Ralph, played by Helen Donaldson and Simon Gallaher, made a lovely couple, their singing a high point of this production.I have no gripe with using songs from other G&S shows.(W.S Gilbert was known to do the same when it suited). I am very glad I bought the DVD.
16 Reviews
HMS Pinefore
picardjl_6928 December 2006
Love the show and love rita in it but 1 bad thing i didn't get around buying the video they made of it and they have no copys left so i upset tat i could not get a copy of it. but i loved the show and rita in it.
The principles and Ensemble make this one of the truly memorable versions of HMS Pinafore I have ever seen. It is hilarious as a performance, and all credit for making this one version that I personally, as well as all my friends enjoy most.
It is the type of production that makes the audience appreciate G&S.
G&S wrote in order to poke humour at the government of the day and the people, sailing close to the wind with their humor.
How sad it is that when a show such as this, that has the opportunity to make people laugh almost all the way through is condemmed by a minority for not being a fully authentic version faithful to the exact letter of the original.
The principles and Ensemble make this one of the truly memorable versions of HMS Pinafore I have ever seen. It is hilarious as a performance, and all credit for making this one version that I personally, as well as all my friends enjoy most.
It is the type of production that makes the audience appreciate G&S.
G&S wrote in order to poke humour at the government of the day and the people, sailing close to the wind with their humor.
How sad it is that when a show such as this, that has the opportunity to make people laugh almost all the way through is condemmed by a minority for not being a fully authentic version faithful to the exact letter of the original.
And now for a different opinion...
Hannywoo24 January 2006
First of all I will admit that G&S is not my thing. I find the plots silly, many of the songs utterly boring and that the staging is often lacking in energy. I say this as a director myself, and having seen a particularly bad update of this show into the realms of star trek: the 'starship pinafore' no less.
However, in complete contrast to the other reviewer I found this production fresh, fun, self-consciously camp and at the end I found that I could actually like this G&S thing. I loved the camp choreography, the revolving set, the physical creepiness of Forsyth and its general lack of reverence. Above all it made the show accessible. It certainly wasn't without weak moments of course, some of the ad-libs were cringe-making, while there were times when the actors playing Josephine and Ralph just couldn't be understood - particularly in the upper realms of their registers. Similarly, I found some of the lighting fairly poor and uninspiring.
Nonetheless, I found this production engaging - good actors with good voices; characterisation that didn't make you want to knock sense into the ingénues is, in my eyes, a Good Thing. With a plot that is silly as anything it is clear that the interpretation was meant to reflect that silliness; meaning that when a moment of genuine emotion or sadness or regret was expressed, it was far more effective than a production, for example, that wanted to go heavily dramatic and serious.
I would recommend this show to someone who has never seen a G&S production as a nice segue into the other shows and interpretations. Although it was modernised and often tongue-in-cheek, I felt it never undermined the history of the show. Now I want to see the Mikado and Pirates of Penzance. And I never thought I'd say that.
However, in complete contrast to the other reviewer I found this production fresh, fun, self-consciously camp and at the end I found that I could actually like this G&S thing. I loved the camp choreography, the revolving set, the physical creepiness of Forsyth and its general lack of reverence. Above all it made the show accessible. It certainly wasn't without weak moments of course, some of the ad-libs were cringe-making, while there were times when the actors playing Josephine and Ralph just couldn't be understood - particularly in the upper realms of their registers. Similarly, I found some of the lighting fairly poor and uninspiring.
Nonetheless, I found this production engaging - good actors with good voices; characterisation that didn't make you want to knock sense into the ingénues is, in my eyes, a Good Thing. With a plot that is silly as anything it is clear that the interpretation was meant to reflect that silliness; meaning that when a moment of genuine emotion or sadness or regret was expressed, it was far more effective than a production, for example, that wanted to go heavily dramatic and serious.
I would recommend this show to someone who has never seen a G&S production as a nice segue into the other shows and interpretations. Although it was modernised and often tongue-in-cheek, I felt it never undermined the history of the show. Now I want to see the Mikado and Pirates of Penzance. And I never thought I'd say that.
Well I thought it was a lot of fun
TheLittleSongbird31 May 2011
As a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan, I watched this live performance and found it very refreshingly entertaining. It is not for "purists" however, there is a lot of added dialogue some of which is very smutty, the characters' personalities are changed Sir Joseph in particular and the orchestra is more a synthesised small band.
I did love this production's energy, it is never dull and notice how the chorus never stop moving, I loved the refreshingly camp choreography(such as Dick and the Captain under the cloak and especially Sir Jospeh's leg movements), I did like how different and nifty the arrangements were and I loved the hilarious dialogue especially the Return of the Dead-eye quote, Dick's digs at the orchestra and conductor and Sir Joseph's interaction with Dick about his name.
The story may be standard perhaps, but as always with G&S the music is amazing, with memorable melodies and witty and droll lyrics. Costumes and sets wise, this production also scores highly, the idea of the revolving ship set was very clever and apart from Dick's the costumes look great and stick to the time they were set in.
The performers do give it their all, the male chorus and the three ladies who strongly reminded me of the Andrews sisters are superb, and David Gould has a dashing presence and a very mellow bass baritone voice. Helen Donaldson and Simon Gallagher sing wonderfully too, and Jon English has superb comic timing. The scene stealers are Drew Forsythe as a Sir Joseph that is a criss-cross between Toad, Mr Bean and Nosferatu and how he sang all those words AND did those very funny leg movements as well amazes me, and Rita Te Wiata, trust me after seeing this production you will never find a Buttercup this raunchy.
Overall, maybe not for all, but I thought it was a lot of fun. 10/10 Bethany Cox
I did love this production's energy, it is never dull and notice how the chorus never stop moving, I loved the refreshingly camp choreography(such as Dick and the Captain under the cloak and especially Sir Jospeh's leg movements), I did like how different and nifty the arrangements were and I loved the hilarious dialogue especially the Return of the Dead-eye quote, Dick's digs at the orchestra and conductor and Sir Joseph's interaction with Dick about his name.
The story may be standard perhaps, but as always with G&S the music is amazing, with memorable melodies and witty and droll lyrics. Costumes and sets wise, this production also scores highly, the idea of the revolving ship set was very clever and apart from Dick's the costumes look great and stick to the time they were set in.
The performers do give it their all, the male chorus and the three ladies who strongly reminded me of the Andrews sisters are superb, and David Gould has a dashing presence and a very mellow bass baritone voice. Helen Donaldson and Simon Gallagher sing wonderfully too, and Jon English has superb comic timing. The scene stealers are Drew Forsythe as a Sir Joseph that is a criss-cross between Toad, Mr Bean and Nosferatu and how he sang all those words AND did those very funny leg movements as well amazes me, and Rita Te Wiata, trust me after seeing this production you will never find a Buttercup this raunchy.
Overall, maybe not for all, but I thought it was a lot of fun. 10/10 Bethany Cox
One of the best Adaptations I have seen
bjfeatherstone11 June 2006
The principles and Ensemble make this one of the truly memorable versions of HMS Pinafore I have ever seen. It is hilarious as a performance, and all credit for making this one version that I personally, as well as all my friends enjoy most.
It is the type of production that makes the audience appreciate G&S.
G&S wrote in order to poke humour at the government of the day and the people, sailing close to the wind with their humor.
How sad it is that when a show such as this, that has the opportunity to make people laugh almost all the way through is condemmed by a minority for not being a fully authentic version faithful to the exact letter of the original.
It is the type of production that makes the audience appreciate G&S.
G&S wrote in order to poke humour at the government of the day and the people, sailing close to the wind with their humor.
How sad it is that when a show such as this, that has the opportunity to make people laugh almost all the way through is condemmed by a minority for not being a fully authentic version faithful to the exact letter of the original.
Breath of fresh air !
partyspirit3 September 2006
This is an excellent production. Certainly it gets a bit smutty at times, but it is really well done. I found the singing excellent, and the innovative use of characters was inspired.WS Gilbert hinted that Grossmith was gay according to some writers and this is exploited to the full with the part that he played many years ago - that of Sir Joseph Porter. Dick Deadeye (Jon English)is given a prominent role and he links the character parts together exceptionally well. I loved the sisters, cousins and the aunts - Andrea Gallaher,Mellissa Langton, and Marissa Craig. Little Buttercup (Rima Te Wiata) sang in Calypso style and was superb. Simon Gallaher(handsome) and Helen Donaldson(beautiful) played the main parts of Ralph and Josephine and both had fine voices. I found no weak links in the parts played by the other players. As a bonus there was a selection of songs from other operas by G & S and who cares if they were out of place - they were beautiful melodies in their own right. If you belong to the D'oyley Carte camp then you will hate this show, but hey! I don't like DC productions at all. This is fun by today's standards - 'Of that there is no shadow doubt'
Gilbert and Sullivan Revival in Australia/New Zealand
carrattm200816 April 2006
This version of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta is a fabulously comedic and musical show! Essgee Entertainment performed H.M.S Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado as a trilogy starring Jon English.
The live show was performed throughout Australia and New Zealand in 1997, and whilst people from other countries will enjoy watching this, the recognizable Australian and New Zealand stars will entertain their home audiences on a higher level.
I saw all 3 shows live in Australia when I was seven years old, and have since become a die-hard fan of all GnS operas. I bought the videos shortly after, and having a permanent recording of this fantastic show means I can enjoy these musicals for a long time to come.
The live show was performed throughout Australia and New Zealand in 1997, and whilst people from other countries will enjoy watching this, the recognizable Australian and New Zealand stars will entertain their home audiences on a higher level.
I saw all 3 shows live in Australia when I was seven years old, and have since become a die-hard fan of all GnS operas. I bought the videos shortly after, and having a permanent recording of this fantastic show means I can enjoy these musicals for a long time to come.
HMS Karaoke
Gyran27 January 2005
This is a film of a live performance, in 1997, in Auckland, New Zealand. Some of the cast, judging from the applause on their entry, seem to be better known for starring in Australian soap operas. The level of singing is what you would expect from a group of soap characters performing a Christmas pantomime. The performance is aggressively amplified and the orchestra consists of three synthesisers, two percussion and a bass. The entire opera is performed with a karaoke beat. There is a series of encores at the end where it becomes clear that this travesty is part of a trilogy. The cast performs excerpts from their productions of the Mikado and the Pirates of Penzance. This may have been good clean fun for any citizen of Auckland in 1997 who happened to be tone deaf but I wonder what possessed anyone to want to film this production. The problem with committing something to film is that it attains a life of its own. It has travelled round the world and eight years later it is being shown on a British arts channel and touted as a bona fide production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera. Avoid.
Hms Pinafore
lynne-winson18 March 2006
I thought this was wonderful entertainment and have watched or just listened to it many times. Of course it is a bit like a pantomime and not for the serious or fussy Gilbert and Sullivan fan but as pure entertainment with good singing and energetic dancing combined with good humour it gets a 10 from me. I loved the little asides and the additional songs and was not put off by the occasional bits of silliness. Hey i am British we do Pantomime at Christmas and this was along the lines of a good pantomime. Jon English was great as the comic relief and the singing of David Gough, Simon Gallagher and not forgetting thebeautiful voice of Helen Donaldson was a real pleasure also i must mention the comical talents of Drew Forsythe as the unwelcome suitor. Give it a try you may enjoy it as much as i do.
End of the pier entertainment gone too far .. straight into the drink!
ClearThinker28 December 2005
I have performed in two amateur productions of Pinafore, and seen several others. To be honest none of them were particularly good, but all of them beat this rubbish.
The music sounds like it is played on a cheap, child's keyboard. The singing is often woeful, out of time and sometimes off key. Extra songs ( and characters!) from other Gilbert and Sullivan shows are used to pad it out and replace numbers where the cast probably couldn't manage the original.
It is obvious that this was a vehicle for certain individuals. Several of the cast spend a great deal of time trying to upstage each other. If I never see Jon English again it will be too soon.
It is all to noticeable that the applause and laughter is reserved for the insertion of smutty "ad-libs" and rewrites, fart jokes and split trouser gags. Reasonable actors and singers could have made this a good show without resulting to this debasement.
I have no problem with updated and upbeat versions, but it has to be done better than this - and could have been! Altogether pathetic.
The music sounds like it is played on a cheap, child's keyboard. The singing is often woeful, out of time and sometimes off key. Extra songs ( and characters!) from other Gilbert and Sullivan shows are used to pad it out and replace numbers where the cast probably couldn't manage the original.
It is obvious that this was a vehicle for certain individuals. Several of the cast spend a great deal of time trying to upstage each other. If I never see Jon English again it will be too soon.
It is all to noticeable that the applause and laughter is reserved for the insertion of smutty "ad-libs" and rewrites, fart jokes and split trouser gags. Reasonable actors and singers could have made this a good show without resulting to this debasement.
I have no problem with updated and upbeat versions, but it has to be done better than this - and could have been! Altogether pathetic.
A little bit like the Curate's egg
cuthbert-920 November 2005
I caught the last half hour of this show by accident last week when it was being shown on Sky Artsworld. As a "purist" brought up on the traditional G & S productions, at first I really couldn't believe either my eyes or ears. However as the show came to the end, I was won over by the sheer enthusiasm of the entire company who were clearly enjoying every second of the performance. So much so that I found it was to be rebroadcast the following morning and I was able to record the whole show.
Whilst an orchestra of three synthesisers, bass and percussion will not appeal to many of my generation, the musical arrangements are so refreshing that I found I was beginning to enjoy the combination. Sullivan's tunes are still unparallelled and I'm hoping that by exposing my teenage grandchildren to this production, they may be gradually converted to the G & S tradition.
If you can find a copy, try it. So far as I can see it's only available from the EssGee Australian website.
Whilst an orchestra of three synthesisers, bass and percussion will not appeal to many of my generation, the musical arrangements are so refreshing that I found I was beginning to enjoy the combination. Sullivan's tunes are still unparallelled and I'm hoping that by exposing my teenage grandchildren to this production, they may be gradually converted to the G & S tradition.
If you can find a copy, try it. So far as I can see it's only available from the EssGee Australian website.
Not for the purists
RosciusAtrox18 May 2008
I have to disagree strongly with negative comments on this production. I have adored G&S since I was in my early tens (I'm 60 this year) and EssGee have done a wonderful job with HMS Pinafore. Purists would, of course, disagree, but I have to say that so much of Gilbert's comedy has been brought out in these productions, and the fact that some members of the cast are not 'opera singers' does not matter a jot. The humour is delightful, the extra content fits in extremely well and the 'electronic orchestra' is a delight compared to some out-of-tune so-called 'professional' orchestras I have heard over the years. Bravo EssGee!!
Brilliant Comedy
pretty_lil_kitten7 January 2006
JUST BRILLIANT!!!
Not only have i seen this Video/DVD, i have seen HMS Pinafore(1998), The Mikado(1996) and The Pirate of Penzance twice(1994 and (2000), LIVE in Sydney, Australia.
The Essgee Entertainment of Queensland, Australia, Is a brilliant. They put together a brilliant group of Actors and Actresses for all performances. The group bring Comedy and Opera (well more a musical than opera) together in harmony.
The story is still the same as Gillbert and Sullivan First wrote it. There are no cut, just enhancements.
10/10 from me, A Great remade "Opera"
Not only have i seen this Video/DVD, i have seen HMS Pinafore(1998), The Mikado(1996) and The Pirate of Penzance twice(1994 and (2000), LIVE in Sydney, Australia.
The Essgee Entertainment of Queensland, Australia, Is a brilliant. They put together a brilliant group of Actors and Actresses for all performances. The group bring Comedy and Opera (well more a musical than opera) together in harmony.
The story is still the same as Gillbert and Sullivan First wrote it. There are no cut, just enhancements.
10/10 from me, A Great remade "Opera"
Let's give three cheers for this fabulous, high-spirited entertainment.
julie-bacon12 February 2006
As a dyed-in-the-wool G & S fan, I'm always happy to see any version of the operas, and will find merit in just about all (speaking as a participant in the "Starship Pinafore" so disliked by Hannah here!). From traditional to updated, bring them on! I hadn't come across this one until very recently, and am DELIGHTED that a friend introduced me to it.
It's camp, hugely energetic and a romp pretty much from start to finish, and as such, a very successful piece of undiluted entertainment. I couldn't help but feel sheer goodwill to it. It's not flawless, and there were things that irritated me - some of the tempos seemed pulled about for no good reason (especially in the "straighter" numbers), and some of the dialogue cuts and rewrites seemed intrusive and/or unnecessary - but at the same time, many of the changes were hilarious, and I certainly had no objection to the interpolation of some numbers from different G and S shows. The acting performances were in keeping with the overall over-the-top nature of the production, and only occasionally grated, and in general I loved the raunchier interpretations. Particular pleasure was derived from the three fabulous "sisters and cousins and aunts", whose costumes were a delight and whose energy and slickness in the dancing I could only admire.
Strict purists will hate it- D'Oyley Carte it's not. And yes, the synthesized accompaniment does not bear comparison with a full orchestra. And yes, some of the singing could be criticised technically. But this uber-Broadway, almost cartoonish rendition fitted those things, and this version of Pinafore stands in its own right as fabulously entertaining. Some, I'm sure, will imagine Gilbert and Sullivan turning in their graves. Others of us will wonder whether it's not in fact just how they might do it if they'd been writing for the musical theatre today.
It's camp, hugely energetic and a romp pretty much from start to finish, and as such, a very successful piece of undiluted entertainment. I couldn't help but feel sheer goodwill to it. It's not flawless, and there were things that irritated me - some of the tempos seemed pulled about for no good reason (especially in the "straighter" numbers), and some of the dialogue cuts and rewrites seemed intrusive and/or unnecessary - but at the same time, many of the changes were hilarious, and I certainly had no objection to the interpolation of some numbers from different G and S shows. The acting performances were in keeping with the overall over-the-top nature of the production, and only occasionally grated, and in general I loved the raunchier interpretations. Particular pleasure was derived from the three fabulous "sisters and cousins and aunts", whose costumes were a delight and whose energy and slickness in the dancing I could only admire.
Strict purists will hate it- D'Oyley Carte it's not. And yes, the synthesized accompaniment does not bear comparison with a full orchestra. And yes, some of the singing could be criticised technically. But this uber-Broadway, almost cartoonish rendition fitted those things, and this version of Pinafore stands in its own right as fabulously entertaining. Some, I'm sure, will imagine Gilbert and Sullivan turning in their graves. Others of us will wonder whether it's not in fact just how they might do it if they'd been writing for the musical theatre today.
Painful to the eyes and ears.
skat114010 December 2010
I'm a huge G&S fan, and have seen many treatments of many G&S operettas, and was looking forward to this one, but what we have here is just, well, bad. Not knowing what year this was from when I first saw it, I immediately thought, because of the constant electronic disco back-beat, that it was from the 70s. Seeing the costumes of the sailors and Dick Dead-Eye, I thought, OK, this is a gay treatment of Pinafore from the 70s. Except it's apparently from 1997. So, that was my first impression, and it only got worse. They introduce songs from other operettas (Princess Ida). They changed "Well... Hardly ever" to "Hardly ever"-- a small point, perhaps, but that song is a signature part of the operetta. And it's endemic of this production: there is change from earlier productions without improvement or originality. They gratuitously make Sir Joseph a gay lecher, drooling over Ralph Rackstraw. The actor playing Dick Dead-Eye acts like he's a famous Hollywood star mugging for the camera with his valuable cameo. G&S is not Shakespeare, so it's not that I'm objecting to changes in the canon: but if you're adding a joke to the original, you have a duty to the original authors: to make it funny. Which they don't. That, and it's really impossible to even enjoy Sullivan's music because of the "disco" treatment they chose for it (um, unless you like disco). It was as if the producers were "The Producers" and they were trying to make a failure.
This production is painful to the eyes and ears and you can surely find a more productive way to spend ninety minutes of your life. (And, to EssGee Productions: when you create sock-puppets to manufacture positive reviews, it helps suspend disbelief if: each of your reviewers has more than one review to their credit; you neglect to mention EssGee Productions specifically by name.)
This production is painful to the eyes and ears and you can surely find a more productive way to spend ninety minutes of your life. (And, to EssGee Productions: when you create sock-puppets to manufacture positive reviews, it helps suspend disbelief if: each of your reviewers has more than one review to their credit; you neglect to mention EssGee Productions specifically by name.)
Great performance
ulca0127 July 2011
I've rarely seen any kinds of theater-plays, operettas and the like, most because it doesn't really appeal to me. But I must say I truly enjoyed this one.
I became aware of this play (HMS Pinafore) while re-watching Star Trek: Insurrection, where an android goes crazy after been by a weapon and it's (his) captain tries to catch it (him). To do so, the captain distracts the android by singing "A British Tar" from HMS Pinafore, which the android has prepared a performance of. The song appealed to me, and I found a version on it on YouTube, from the Esgee production.
I have not seen any other performances of the play before or after, but I have done some research. This helped me notice, that there ARE minor differences between this version and the original, mostly in the music. And while some may call such changes "blasphemy" or close to it, it is my opinion that it have been integrated quite nice.
The actors for the different roles have been well-chosen, each giving a fine performance as their respective characters. Additionally, the different actors who perform the duets compliment each other perfectly; especially where the Captain and Little Buttercup sing "fair moon" and "things are seldom what they seem".
Other reviewers have stated that the Little Buttercup in this play, especially when played by Rima Te Wiata, is not the "plumb" type as she was supposed to be. Instead, she is rather slim and fit, and rather saucy/sexy at times. I'm especially impressed by how she manages to vary her tone of voice, from almost "squeaky" at times, to a more "normal" tone and at some points rather "deep"; and how she performs those changes quite nice. As I wrote above, she (Buttercup, that is) and the Captain really complement each other when performing "fair moon" and "things are seldom what they seem"; with Buttercup's varied tones of voice and the Captain's deep, dark voice, absolutely beautiful.
All in all a great performance, and well worth watching more than once.
I became aware of this play (HMS Pinafore) while re-watching Star Trek: Insurrection, where an android goes crazy after been by a weapon and it's (his) captain tries to catch it (him). To do so, the captain distracts the android by singing "A British Tar" from HMS Pinafore, which the android has prepared a performance of. The song appealed to me, and I found a version on it on YouTube, from the Esgee production.
I have not seen any other performances of the play before or after, but I have done some research. This helped me notice, that there ARE minor differences between this version and the original, mostly in the music. And while some may call such changes "blasphemy" or close to it, it is my opinion that it have been integrated quite nice.
The actors for the different roles have been well-chosen, each giving a fine performance as their respective characters. Additionally, the different actors who perform the duets compliment each other perfectly; especially where the Captain and Little Buttercup sing "fair moon" and "things are seldom what they seem".
Other reviewers have stated that the Little Buttercup in this play, especially when played by Rima Te Wiata, is not the "plumb" type as she was supposed to be. Instead, she is rather slim and fit, and rather saucy/sexy at times. I'm especially impressed by how she manages to vary her tone of voice, from almost "squeaky" at times, to a more "normal" tone and at some points rather "deep"; and how she performs those changes quite nice. As I wrote above, she (Buttercup, that is) and the Captain really complement each other when performing "fair moon" and "things are seldom what they seem"; with Buttercup's varied tones of voice and the Captain's deep, dark voice, absolutely beautiful.
All in all a great performance, and well worth watching more than once.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
