Musical Maestros
Words: Elisa Anniss Gilbert and Sullivan have struck a chord with generations of theatre-goers and they’re more popular than ever YOU’VE ONLY TO SEE the populist appeal of the latest Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage version of The Sound of Music at London’s Palladium Theatre to realise how perennially strong the attraction of musicals remains. [...]
Words: Elisa Anniss
Gilbert and Sullivan have struck a chord with generations of theatre-goers and they’re more popular than ever
YOU’VE ONLY TO SEE the populist appeal of the latest Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage version of The Sound of Music at London’s Palladium Theatre to realise how perennially strong the attraction of musicals remains. It is widely held that Gilbert and Sullivan are forerunners of the modern musical, preceding American musical partnerships like Rodgers and Hammerstein (The Sound of Music) and lyricist and librettist Lerner and Loewe (My Fair Lady).
Gilbert and Sullivan are as quintessentially English as The Beatles, William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. The collaboration occurred between 1871 to 1896 when lyricist William Schwenk Gilbert put words to Sir Arthur Sullivan’s music. Together, they created 14 productions including such favourites as The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe and The Mikado. There was also a third party involved in the relationship: the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, a touring company dedicated to performing these light operas (and which kept going for over a century, until it fi nally closed in 1982).
Because of the outstanding success of this three-pronged group, a permanent home was built and in November 1881 London’s Savoy Theatre opened, hence the collective moniker "Savoy Operas". Now you might think in today’s politically correct society, that productions which appear to proclaim British supremacy and assume that the sun would never set on the British Empire (as tends to be the Gilbert and Sullivan style), would be considered obsolete. But this is certainly not the case.
Interest in the duo is keen as it ever was. The Gilbert and Sullivan Story, which starred Robert Morley and Peter Finch and was produced in the 1950s, remains very much a favourite with operetta enthusiasts around the world. Then, in 2000 Mike Leigh won two Oscars for the Gilbert and Sullivan biopic Topsy-Turvy that featured Jim Broadbent as WS Gilbert and Allan Corduner as Sir Arthur Sullivan. It focused on a short period of time in the late 19th century when critics slammed the operetta Princess Ida for being routine. The story explored how Gilbert and Sullivan and Richard D’Oyly coped.
The latest instalment is an historical novel by Bernard Lockett entitled Here’s a State of Things, which has recently been published. This is Lockett’s third book and he will be reading from it at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton (closest airport: Manchester) from 28 July-19 August.
Here’s a State of Things intertwines the lives of two sets of characters that lived in London a century apart, but are connected by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. Enthusiast Rupert Moore and his 94-year-old grandmother Alice Harding are on their way to attend the fi nal performance in the 107-year existence of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company in February 1982. The story rewinds to 1872 and is played out through the eyes of stagehand Thomas Dobbs and his seamstress wife, Nellie. Living in grinding poverty in the then insalubrious East London district of Shoreditch, Nellie’s poor health forces her to quit her job at the local dress factory, described by Lockett as a "sweatshop", to join her husband at the theatre working in the costume department. What follows is a chronicle of theatre life in Victorian times and an illustration of how, even back then, Gilbert and Sullivan had universal appeal that managed to cross a very rigid class divide.
"My interest in Gilbert and Sullivan goes back to the 1950s," explains the author who considers these light operas the direct forerunner of the musical made popular in the 1940s and 50s. "The Mikado was the fi rst production that I went to see at the Prince’s Theatre (now the Shaftesbury Theatre) back in December 1955. I was captivated by the music, the dialogue and the timelessness of the plots. However, my favourite is Yeoman of the Guard an in-depth story with a humanitarian angle. Set in Tudor times, it features the Tower of London and looks spectacular on stage."
For Lockett, Gilbert and Sullivan’s work is as relevant today as it was back in the 19th century, particularly when it comes to politics. "It was nothing less than a social revolution in the theatre, appealing equally to top society in the stalls and circle, as well as to ordinary folk in the galleries. Gilbert and Sullivan made musical theatre acceptable and respectable and rescued popular musical entertainment from the vulgar fooleries of burlesque theatre. The value of these works is the brilliant way they were written Sullivan’s melodious music together with Gilbert’s crisp and meaningful dialogue."
The author also gives an example from HMS Pinafore referring to the appointment of Mr WH Smith as First Lord of the Admiralty, a "grace and favour" appointment by the Government of the day that illustrates the sheer timelessness of the issues Gilbert tackled. "Stick close to your desks and never go to sea," go the lyrics, "And you all may be rulers of the Queen’s Navee!"
Similarly, from Iolanthe, a critical comment about the House of Lords (House of Peers): "The House of Peers/Did nothing in particular/And did it very well."
Gilbert and Sullivan’s work has been out of copyright since 1961. The resulting absence of royalties to pay combined with witty dialogue and great sets and costumes has resulted in the Savoy Opera becoming a favourite of amateur dramatic societies. This isn’t only in Britain, but indeed most of the English-speaking world. Professional companies such as the English National Opera routinely perform Gilbert and Sullivan; the Australian National Opera will be staging The Gondoliers at The Sydney Opera House from 3 September-18 November, for example.
"I believe Gilbert and Sullivan have been undersung for what they did," explains Lockett. "These days they might not win critical acclaim but people like their work. When D’Oyly Carte was in existence, it had virtually 100% audience attendance. This is almost impossible to achieve at many regional theatres these days."
Now in its 14th year, the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival (www.gs-festival.co.uk) in Buxton refl ects the universal and enduring appeal of the 19th-century musicians. Gilbert actually visited Buxton to take the spa waters as a possible treatment for his gout. However, the reason the festival is staged here, in the Peak District, is because of the 1,000-seat Matchum Opera House that boasts extensive adjoining rehearsal facilities.
In the first couple of weeks of August, the festival will feature performances of operettas by companies from all over the world, including the Philadelphia Union from the United States and the Gilbert and Sullivan Group of Victoria from Australia.
Ian Smith is the founder and festival director of the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival. He believes that their appeal is as strong today as ever because the subject matter is contemporary: poking fun at the establishment will never go out of fashion, and the music is an easy introduction to operetta for all the family.
"The festival was launched because at the time there was a concern that Gilbert and Sullivan were in decline," explains Smith. "Our festival, which is now the biggest celebration of them anywhere in world, has certainly made a major contribution in halting the decline. Indeed, this year we have launched a major initiative to get Gilbert and Sullivan back into schools. For the fi rst time in more than 150 years, we are having fi ve of the operettas rescored for children’s voices. This major initiative will be launched at the festival this summer."
He adds: "People travel from every corner of the globe to attend; more than 20,000 tickets are sold annually. This year we have performing groups travelling from Australia, South Africa, the United States, Ireland and all corners of the UK. Last year we welcomed a Japanese group who performed The Mikado in Japanese, and this year we had entries from groups from Hungary, Estonia and Spain, all singing in their national language."
