Pinafore

Last week also saw us at a performance of G&S's 'HMS Pinafore' given by the Epsom Light Opera Company (ELOC). I had thought that we had seen them in 'Gypsy' back in 2006 (see reference 1), a time early in blog life, when I was not as thorough as I am now. Must have been all the quality time still then going into the allotment. But closer inspection reveals that that performance was actually put on by the Mid Surrey Theatre Company, an outfit who do not appear to run to a website, unlike ELOC, who can be found at reference 2.

Started off the proceedings in Acorn 30, a pub which used to be called the Magpie, which used to cater to thirtysomething lagers and which now bills itself as a sophisticated night spot selling sophisticated drinks. On this day it appeared to be catering to the younger, just legal drinker and one of the drinks on offer appeared to be a Ribena take on cider. The barman, probably also the proprietor, explained that the market in cider was very competitive and the people making the stuff were all into strange wheezes with which to squeeze a bit more market share. He also told us all about the large tree which had fallen onto his smoking den in the middle of the night, narrowly missing the cook and his wife who were tucked up upstairs. Which, given the electricity sub-station next to the smoking den, explained all the National Power vans which I had seen parked up there that very morning.

Onto the pinafore, with a reasonable house for this opening night where we were successful in claiming a second hand connection on the distaff side to ELOC. And a second connection through our naval uncle, FIL's brother, the uncle and his wife having been, in their day, long serving members of the Gosport Amateur Operatic Society, who used to do lots of G&S. The music was provided by music students from one of the London Music Colleges, which seemed an entirely reasonable way for us to get our music and for them to cut their teeth in the world of work. The opera itself struck me as a little dated, despite having been a smash hit in its day and despite the insertion of various topical bits and bobs into the script - one of which was an entertaining little song inviting us to turn off our mobile phones. It was perhaps a sign of the times that the young sailor lead was played by an ELOC veteran, rather than somebody of approximately the right age. I imagine that the supply of suitable male singers is not what it was. Furthermore, this particular male singer was wearing a discrete microphone but I did not get to find out what that was about. His lady love was played by someone described as a 'lyric-coloratura soprano', Honey Rouhani, a lady whose training showed through. A lady with pedigree, even if her web presence is a little ragged. But see reference 3.

Out to a cool and, for Epsom, a clear night, with about half the sky star-lit. I still failed to find either bear or the Pole Star, but I did manage Cassiopeia and the moon was still behaving itself with horns left.

PS: according to wikipedia: 'H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical theatre piece up to that time. H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan's fourth operatic collaboration and their first international sensation'. Wikpedia knows all about lyric-coloratura sopranos too.

Reference 1: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=gypsy+trespasser.

Reference 2: https://www.eloc.org.uk/.

Reference 3: http://www.parvazensemble.co.uk/honeyrouhani.html.

Reference 4: for Gosport see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Sr26Bfft6I. The usual small prize to anyone who can identify the uncle or aunt.