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.
Joe McGann had previously taken part in Thing A Thon, which Caroline Humphries may also have
contributed to.
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. She returned to appear
(as Mazeppa) in Gypsy.
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
Louise Gold, and, Christian
Patterson went on to appear together in Oliver!
Critics Comments
“Louise Gold makes the husband-taming Duchess
of Plaza-Toro a vivacious termagant.”
“They even had time for some updated
lyrics mentioning Chris Tarrant and New Labour”
“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
The
Financial Times, very short review: http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&StoryFT&cid=1051389783677&p=1016625900929
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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