The Gondoliers
or The King Of Barataria
Louise Gold starred as The Duchess Of Plaza Toro, at The
Chichester Festival Theatre, Between 1 May and 23 August 2003 (previews from 26
April)
For this year’s season, The Chichester Festival
Theatre has extensively altered it’s main house’s stage, building a pool of
water underneath. So that, as Jeremy Kingston put it:
“When the visiting Duke and Duchess of
Plaza-Toro (Martin Marquez and Louise Gold) are bemused by what they take to be
an unusually wet season, the stage will truly be wetter than ever before.” Jeremy
Kingston, THE TIMES, 19 April 2003
However,
the Duchess herself, seems to be rather more interested in trying to recapture
the fun daring and exciting nature of the show, as she says
“I am sure there have been some fantastic
amateur dramatic production of Gilbert & Sullivan, but when it is not done
well, it can seem very boring, just droning on. But when it is done well, you can
appreciate the brilliant complexity of the lyrics, how gorgeous the music is
and how witty it is.” Louise Gold to Phil Hewitt, THE CHICHESTER
OBSERVER, Thursday 24 April 2003, p43
Cast
The
Duke Of Plaza Toro, a Grandee of
The Duchess
of Plaza Toro - Louise Gold
Casilda,
their daughter - Alicia Davies
Luiz, their
attendent - Steven Fawell
Don Alhambra
Inez, a
nurse - Nicola Sloane
Gianetta - Fiona
Dunn
Tessa - Liza
Pulman
Contadine
Fiametta - Julie Barnes
Giulia - Sasha Oakley
Luisa - Nicola Sloane
Rafaella - Natasha Bain
Antonella - Katherine O’Shea
Gianna - Jo Nesbitt
Marco
Palmieri - Joe Shovelton
Giuseppe
Palieri - Jamie Parker
Venetian
Gondoliers
Antonio - Steve Elias
Francesco - Trevor Conner
Giorgio - Adam Tedder
Annibale - Christian Patterson
Paolo - Benedict Quirke
Siliviano - Kieran Hill
Fausto - Neil McDermott
Understudies (include):
The Grand Inquisitor - Kieran
Hill
Production Team
Book
and Lyrics by - W S Gilbert
Music by - Arthur
Sullivan
Additional
Material - Alistair Beaton
Original
Production - 7 December 1889, The Savoy Theatre,
Director - Martin
Duncan
Designer - Ashley
Martin-Davies
Season
Installation Designer - Alison Chitty
Choreographer
- Jonathan Lunn
Musical
Director & Orchestrator - Richard Balcombe
Musical
Director - Caroline Humphries
Lighting
Designer - Peter Mumford
Sound
Designer - Matt McKenzie
Assistant
Directors - Martin Constantine & Joe McGann
Assistant
Choreographer - Anita Griffin
Please click here
for a review/account of the show.
In the original production of The Gondoliers
the role of The Duchess Of Plaza Toro was played by Miss Rosina Brandram,
whom Louise Gold portrayed in the film Topsy
Turvy. It does not appear to be known whether there has ever been an
occurrence before of an actor playing a person in a biopic and then playing a
role on stage originated by that person (the closest example so far has been Julie
Andrews playing Gertrude Lawrence in the biopic Star,
and Anna on a studio cast album of The King & I., but that
was only a cast album), if anyone knows of any other examples of this
occurrence, do email the
webmaster.
Unfortunately during the run of the production James
Saxon (who played the role of Don Alhambra del Bolero, the Grand Inquisitor) was taken ill, and died
suddenly on 2 July 2003. The role of The Grand Inquisitor was taken over by Kieran
Hill for the last six performances.
The majority of the cast (in fact everyone except Martin
Marquez, James Saxon, Julie Barnes, Liza
Pulman, and, Jamie Parker) also appeared in the Chichester
Festival Theatre’s production of The Water
Babies. For which Jonathan Lunn was also the choreographer, Caroline
Humphris a Musical Director and of course as both shows take place in
As The Gondoliers was presented in
repertory (with The Merchant Of Venice, The Water
Babies , and, The Seagull) the actual dates of the
performances were:
Previews on: 26, 28, 29 and 30 April at 7:30 and 1 May
at 2:00
Opening Night: Thursday 1 May 7:30
Performances:
May: 1
at 7:30, 2 at 7:30, 3 at 2:00 & 7:30, 6 at 7:30, 7 at 7:30, 8 at 2:00 &
7:30, 9 at 7:30, 10 at 2:00 & 7:30, 12 at 7:30, 13 at 7:30, 14 at 7:30, 15
at 2:00 & 7:30, 16 at 7:30, 17 at 2:00 & 7:30, 19 at 7:30, 20 at 7:30,
21 at 7:30, 22 at 2:00 & 7:30, 23 at 7:30, 24 at 2:00 & 7:30, 27 at 7:30,
28 at 7:30, 29 at 2:00 & 7:30, 30 at 7:30, 31 at 2:00 & 7:30
June: 20
at 7:30, 21 at 2:00 & 7:30, 23 at 7:30, 24 at 7:30, 25 at 7:30, 26 at 2:00
& 7:30
July: 4
at 7:30, 5 at 2:00 & 7:30
August: 9
at 7:30, 17 at 4:00, and 23 at 7:30.
Pre Show Talk on 6 May at 5:30
Post Show Discussion on 8 May
Trevor Conner,
Deborah Crowe, Fiona Dunn, Steve Elias, Steven
Fawell, Louise Gold, Jo Nesbitt, Katherine O’Shea, Sasha
Oakley, Jamie Parker, Christian Patterson, Benedict Quirke,
Joe Shovelton and Nicola Sloane took part in Final Chic Cabaret 2003 towards the end
of the season (The Gondoliers had already finished by that time).
Louise Gold and Alicia Davies ended
their work on 2003’s Chichester festival season by appearing in a fundraising
show Curtain Up at
Having been one of
Louise Gold’s previous experience
with the work of Gilbert & Sullivan on stage includes: The Pirates Of Penzance and The Metropolitan Mikado. She has also
appeared in two G&S films, namely The Pirates Of Penzance and Topsy Turvy, in the latter she played Miss Rosina
Brandram. She has sung their work (briefly) on two albums Topsy Turvy (Film Soundtrack) and Defiant Dames. She has also performed a bit of G&S
in her cabaret act LOUISE GOLD...By
Appointment.
Louise Gold and Liza Pulman
have both made notable appearances in G&S spoofs. Ms Gold in The Metropolitan Mikado and Ms Pulman in
Quite a few other members of the cast also had
previous G&S experience:
Joseph Shovelton, Steven Fawell and
Trevor Conner ’s previous G&S experience included a spell in
a Doyly Carte, they all appeared together in a production of H.M.S.
Pinafore, as Ralph Rackstraw, a tenor, and a bass respectively, which
funnily enough Martin Duncan also directed. They all seem to have been
in productions of The Mikado at some point or another as well.
And Steven Fawell has also been in Iolanthe and The
Yeoman Of The Guard.
Other cast members who’ve had spells in The Doyly
Carte include: Deborah Crowe (The Mikado and H.M.S.
Pinafore and somewhere in her career she’s also played Casilda in The
Gondoliers), Liza Pulman (La Vie Parisienne), Benedict
Quirke (Iolanthe, The Yeoman Of The Guard, The
Mikado, and, H.M.S. Pinafore)
Joseph Shovelton has also appeared in
productions of: Box & Cox (G&S Opera Co in Buxton),
H.M.S. Pinafore (G&S Opera Co in Buxton), H.M.S.
Pinafore (Opera della Luna), Trial By Jury, and, The
Pirates Of Penzance. He has played Ralph Rackstaw in at least three
different productions of H.M.S. Pinafore.
Liza Pulman has appeared in The
Mikado (Carl Rosa Opera Company)
Fiona Dunn has appeared in
productions of The Pirates Of Penzance (Regents Park Open Air
Theatre) and H.M.S. Pinafore (Opera della Luna)
Katherine O’Shea has appeared in H.M.S.
Pinafore (Concordia Theatre Company) on board The QEII.
While Nicola Sloane’s previous G&S
experience includes a previous production of The Gondoliers at The
Bristol Old Vic, where she played Inez!
Additional material for The Gondoliers
is provided by Alistair Beaton, who’s previous writing credits include:
The G&S Spoofs The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe and The Metropolitan Mikado, and their concert
of highlight’s from the Ratepayers’ Iolanthe
& The Metropolitan Mikado. He also wrote for the mega-flop stage
musical Ziegfeld (stage show), some of his
work appears on the album Ziegfeld (recording).
His other writing credits include a variety of political satirical pieces both
for stage and television, including the satirical TV puppet show Spitting Image.
James Saxon’s television credits
include some involvement with David Claridge’s Roland
Rat The Series, which coincidentally Louise Gold puppeteered on.
Martin Marquez’s television credits
include playing a Detective Sergeant in The Bill.
Alicia Davies, Fiona Dunn and Louise
Gold have previously appeared in The
Regent’s Park 70th Anniversary Gala. Alicia Davies was a
member of the cast of their production of Oh What A Lovely War, Fiona
Dunn was in their production of The Pirates Of Penzance, and Louise
Gold was in their production of The
Boys From Syracuse.
Louise Gold and Fiona Dunn had
previously appeared together in Of Thee I Sing
Louise Gold and Liza Pulman have
previously appeared together in Oh Kay and A Lost Musicals Occasion
Richard Balcome’s conducting
credits include The Great Musicals - Wonderful
Tales, The Great Musicals – Glamour And
Majesty, The Great Musicals –
Dashing Heroes, Blushing Maidens, and, The
Great Musicals – Laughter And Tears.
Louise Gold has also previously
appeared at The Chichester Festival Theatre in the David Kernan
revue Noel/Cole: Let’s Do It, and, an RSC
touring production of The Cherry Orchard
Coincidentally Louise Gold is not the only
member of her theatrically-oriented family to have played Chichester, twenty
four years earlier her mother appeared in George Bernard Shaw’s The
Devil’s Disciple, and George S Kaufman & Moss Hart’s The
Man Who Came To Dinner in
Critics Comments
“Louise Gold makes the husband-taming Duchess
of Plaza-Toro a vivacious termagant.” Michael Billington, THE GUARDIAN,
Saturday 3 May 2003.
“They even had time for some updated
lyrics mentioning Chris Tarrant and New Labour” Michael Coveney, DAILY
MAIL, 2 May 2003.
“If there are any casting quibbles, I would
target Martin Marquez as the Duke of Plaza-Toro, the principal comedic
interest. He is not a natural comedian and makes heavy weather of his patter
songs. As his wife, the ever-reliable Louise Gold, helps out but is woefully
under-used.” Stephen Gilchrist, WHATSONSTAGE.COM, 2 May 2003
“Martin Marquez and Louise Gold are on
magnificent form as the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro, never more so than in
their satirical duet Small titles and orders (with some new topical material
added)” John Gross, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, 4 May 2003.
“Good fun, too comes with Martin Marquez
and Louise Gold as the dodgy Duke and Duchess, on their uppers, greedy for
position, and ever ready with a few marital barbs.” Phil Hewitt, THE
WEST SUSSEX GASSETTE, Thursday 8 May, p11 & THE CHICHESTER OBSERVER,
Thursday 8 May 2003, p44
“Comedy is the main is provided by Martin
Marquez,..., as the Duke. ... by the second act he was in fine form and no more
so than in ‘Small Titles and Orders’, that had an extra contemporary verse
added by Alistair Beaton ... and a lovely theatrical in-joke involving Harold
Pinter. Equally comic but sadly underused was Louise Gold, as the Duchess.”
Barrie Jerram, MUSICAL STAGES, Issue 39 Autumn 2003, p30
“Martin Manquez establishes the absurdity
of the Duke of Plaza-Toro without reducing him to a total poltroon. Louise Gold
gives a raging battle-axe performance as his Duchess.” Jeremy Kingston,
THE TIMES, 3 May 2003.
“From a wealth of fine performances, three
in particular deserve mention. Louise Gold is impressively haughty as the
Duchess, while Alicia Davies makes a sweet-voiced Spanish princess and is more than
matched in the truculence stakes by Liza Pulman’s Tessa.” Fiona
Mountford, THE EVENING STANDARD, 7 May 2003, p44.
“Louise Gold, Duchess, I thought came over
well but did not have that richness of contralto tone of, for instance, Ella
Halman.” Peter D Parker, SAVOYNET mailing list, 1 June 2003.
“James Saxon’s Grand Inquisitor and the
Ducal family - Martin Marquez, Louise Gold and Alicia Davies - provide fun and
not a little threat.” Sandy Sell, THE STAGE, 8 May 2003.
“The
performances sparkle, I was particularly taken by James Saxon as a hugely fat
and corrupt Grand Inquisitor, and Martin Marquez, Louise Gold and the
deliciously pert Alicia Davies as the Spanish aristos.” Charles Spencer,
DAILY TELEGRAPH, 3 May 2003.
Links about The
Gondoliers
Chichester Festival Theatre: http://www.cft.org.uk/
See in particular: http://www.cft.org.uk/cgi-bin/archive.pl#1045215855 for production
details, http://www.cft.org.uk/cgi-bin/review.pl?key=1045215855 for reviews of
the production and http://www.cft.org.uk/extras/gondoliers_pics.htm for pictures
from the production. Also see: http://www.cft.org.uk/ensemble/index.shtml# for ensemble
resumes.
Whatsonestage.com page about the production: http://www.whatsonstage.com/dl/page.php?page=details&id=L0335352026 See in particular: http://www.whatsonstage.com/dl/page.php?page=greenroom&story=E8821051890079 for a review (by Stephen Gilchrist of the
production
The Times, review (part of) by Jeremy Kingston: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1445-646119,00.html
The Guardian, review by Michael Billington (don’t let
that put you off): http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,948599,00.html
The Financial Times, very short review: http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&StoryFT&cid=1051389783677&p=1016625900929
Ian Shuttleworth’s review, written
for The Financial Times: http://www.cix.co.uk/~shutters/reviews/03022.htm
Theatre World Internet Magazine, reviews for The
Gondoliers and The Water Babies: http://members.aol.com/mouseuk/stage/southrev.htm
Horsham Today, article about the forthcoming
production of The Gondoliers: http://www.horshamtoday.co.uk/custom_pages/CustomPage.asp?Page=652
A Gilbert And Sullivan Website’s listing of G&S
productions for June 2003: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/sandham/may1.htm
Review of Liza Pulman’s performance in the G&S
Spoof Hollywood Pinafore : http://www.qsulis.demon.co.uk/Reviews/Lost_Musicals_1998_Review.htm
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