The Ratepayers' Iolanthe And The Metropolitan Mikado

A Concert Of Musical Highlights From:

The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe & The Metropolitan Mikado

Louise Gold starred, as Katisha - Countess Of Grantham from The Metropolitan Mikado, at The Royal Festival Hall, (concert started at 3pm) on Sunday 30 March 1986

Cast

Introduced by

Ned Sherrin

The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe

Queen Of The Fairies - Gaye Brown

Saatchi 1 - David Firth

Chancellor Of The Exchequer - Doug Fisher

Phyllis - Gay Soper

Saatchi 2 - Dudley Stevens

Red Strephon - Denis Nelson

The Metropolitan Mikado

Yum-Yum - Rosmary Ashe

Sir Ko-Ko - Simon Butteriss

Pooh-Bach - Martin Connor

Sir Alistair Pish - David Firth

Katisha - Countess of Grantham - Louise Gold

The Prime Mikado - Robert Meadmore

Boy Ken - Martin Smith

Sir Robin Tush - Dudley Stevens

Chorus

Anthony Barratt, Sally Bradshaw, David Chilton, Carol Cox, Philip Curtis, Karl Daymond, Tamsin Dives, George Freeburn, Liza Hobbs, Debbie Holmes, Glyn Kerslake, Patrick McCarthy, Catherine McCord, Tim Menah, Laura Nayman, Meston Reid, and, Myra Sands

Production Team

Presented by - Raymond Gubbay in association with The GLC (Greater London Council)

Based on - the operetta’s of Gilbert And Sullivan

Adapted by - Ned Sherrin and Alistair Beaton

Director - Ned Sherrin

Costume Designer - Daphne Dare

Musical Staging - Lindsay Dolan

Musical Director - John Owen Edwards

Lighting Designer - Benny Ball

Sound Design - Derek Zeiba

Programme

Act 1: The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe

Tripping Hither

In Any Regione, Our Creazione

From the Day That I First Entered

Tarantara

The Pound is the True Embodiment

Can I Inactive See My Fortunes Fade

When Britain Really Rules The Waves

O Foolish Fay

Fear, Fear of Failure Robs Me of My Rest

If You Go in You’re Sure To Win

If We’re Weak Enough to Tarry

Soon As We May, Off and Away

Act 2: The Metropolitan Mikado

Opening Pish/Tush Scene (based on If You Want To Know Who We Are) - Sir Alistair Pish and Sir Robin Tush with Men’s chorus (David Firth and Dudley Stevens, with: Anthony Barratt, David Chilton, Philip Curtis, Karl Daymond, George Freeburn, Glyn Kerslake, Patrick McCarthy, Tim Menah, and, Meston Reid)

A Gender Bender (based on A Wandering Minstrel) - Boy Ken with men’s chorus (Martin Smith with: Anthony Barratt, David Chilton, Philip Curtis, Karl Daymond, George Freeburn, Glyn Kerslake, Patrick McCarthy, Tim Menah, and, Meston Reid)

Behold the Chief Police Commissioner ... Little List (based on Behold The Lord High Executioner... Little List) - Sir Ko Ko with Men’s chorus (Simon Butteriss with: Anthony Barratt, David Chilton, Philip Curtis, Karl Daymond, George Freeburn, Glyn Kerslake, Patrick McCarthy, Tim Menah, and, Meston Reid)

Three Little Maids (based on Three Little Maids From School Are We) - Yum Yum with Female Chorus (Rosemary Ashe with: Sally Bradshaw, Carol Cox, Tamsin Dives, Liza Hobbs, Debbie Holmes, Catherine McCord, Laura Nayman, and, Myra Sands)

I Am The Very Master of the Multi-purpose Metaphor (based on I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General) - Pooh-Bach with Chorus (Martin Connor with chorus)

Act I Finale - Your Revels Cease (based on The Mikado Act 1 Finale) - Yum Yum, Pooh Bach, Sir Alistair Pish, Katisha, Boy Ken, Sir Robin Tush, and chorus (Rosemary Ashe, Martin Connor, David Firth, Louise Gold, Martin Smith, Dudley Stevens, and, chorus)

The Sun Gave Me (based on The Sun Who’s Rays) - Yum Yum (Rosemary Ashe)

Er’s an Ow’s Yer Dad (based on Here’s A How-De-Do) - Yum Yum, Boy Ken, and, Sir Ko Ko with chorus (Rosemary Ashe, Martin Smith, and Simon Butteris, with chorus)

A More Sincere Mikado (based on A More Humane Mikado) - The Prime Mikado with chorus (Robert Meadmore with chorus)

In A Cell in a Prision (based on Titwillow) - Pooh-Bach (Martin Connor)

Beauty in the Bellow (based on There is Beauty In The Bellow Of The Blast) - Katisha and Pooh-Bach (Louise Gold and Martin Connor)

Act II Finale - There’s A Little Place They Call the Isle of Dogs (based on ?) - Boy Ken, Sir Alistair Pish , Sir Robin Tush and Company (Martin Smith, David Firth, Dudley Stevens and company)

Soon As We May Off And Away

This concert was a compilation of highlights from actual productions of two Gilbert And Sullivan spoofs, with their actual casts.

The Ratepayer’s Iolanthe ran at The Phoenix Theatre from 24 August - 3 November 1984. It’s stars had included Gaye Brown, David Firth, Doug Fisher, Gay Soper, and Dudley Stevens, it had also featured Sally Bradshaw, Myra Sands, and Denis Nelson and it’s chorus included: David Chilton, Carole Cox, Liza Hobbs, Patrick McCarthy, Tim Menah, and, Meston Reid.

It should perhaps be mentioned that in the actual production of The Ratepayers’ Iolanthe:

Denis Nelson was actually in the chorus, the role of Red Strephon was played by David Kernan.

Sally Bradshaw and Myra Sands actually played the feature roles of the fairies Celia and Leila respectively.

The Metropolitan Mikado ran at The Queen Elizabeth Hall from 1 - 17 August 1985. It had starred: Rosemary Ashe, Simon Butteris, Martin Connor, David Firth, Louise Gold, Robert Meadmore, Martin Smith, and Dudley Stevens, all of whom appeared in this concert of highlights, and it’s chorus included: Anthony Barratt, David Chilton, Carol Cox, Philip Curtis, Karl Daymond, possibly Tamsin Dives, George Freeburn, Liza Hobbs, Debbie Holmes, Glyn Kerslake, Tim Menah, and, Meston Reid.

It is noted that chorus members Catherine McCord and Laura Nayman had appeared in neither of the original productions. However, there were also a number of members of each production who were not in this concert of highlights.

Rosemary Ashe, Louise Gold, Robert Meadmore, Gay Soper, and, Dudley Stevens went on to appear in a concert staging of Dudley Stevens’s musical The Soap Opera .

Some twelve or thirteen years later, Louise Gold and The Mikado's Katisha would cross paths again. In the film Topsy Turvy, which focuses on the making of The Mikado, and in which Louise played Rosina Brandram, the actress who created the role of Katisha in the original production of The Mikado. Louise sings one of Rosina’s original numbers (which she had sung a spoof version, Mitsubushi, Marubeni in The Metropolitan Mikado, From Every Kind Of Man Obedience I Expect on the Topsy Turvy (Soundtrack album)