Ruddigore, or the Witch's Curse - QPAC

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Fri 14 Jul 2017 - Sat 29 Jul 2017

Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park" was a satire on the Gothic novel of her time, but is still engaging to generations who are unfamiliar with those forgotten works. Similarily "Ruddigore" satirises the Victorian three volume melodramas of that time, with "professional bridesmaids" whose role is to be decorous and decorative at least until marriage and whose innocence makes them easy prey for those cursed by evil witches.

Which, perhaps, why your aged reviewer was less than convinced by the program notes suggesting that this production was satirising Gilbert and Sullivan's Victorian patriarchy and sexism. The satire was already operative. This production heightens it by taking the "raunch" factor far beyond what G & S would have envisaged, and probably making the women considerably more self-assertive. "Ruddigore" is not performed as often as the "blockbuster" favourites, and might best be described as a string of pearls without a string.

But pearls there were. The dance sequences were wonderful and showed off the seemingly rubberised physique of the dancers – Jason Barry Smith was particularly good here. The male dancers morphed into a cricketing eleven with hilarious results, and Bryan Probets danced up a wall to fall into the arms of said male dancers. Full marks to the choreographer – all of the dances were lively, innovative and exuberant fun. Who knew what could be done with tambourines?



While all of the music has some of the G & S magic and were well served by stellar soloists, there were few of the stand-out gorgeous songs that feature in other Savoy Operas – with one major exception. The patter songs.

The trio "My eyes are fully opened" was, for this aged reviewer, the highlight of the evening. The operatic equivalent of high wire somersaulting without a safety net the three singers showcase dazzling verbal dexterity in "particularly rapid unintelligible patter". They begin at a seemingly unsustainable rapid-fire pace which gets a burst of appreciative applause when the audience thinks they have finished. But there is more. They continue even faster. More applause. And then they finish at a pace which is frankly impossible, or would have been had we not heard it with our own ears. Small wonder that several producers of other Gilbert and Sullivan operas have, with minimal concern for plot, inserted it into their shows. Unforgettable. Superb. Worth the ticket price for this alone.

It was in Act Two that the show got wings. Ghosts emerged from the dark Gothic portraits and Andrew Collis' commanding presence and bass baritone dominated the stage as Roderic Murgatroyd . The ghosts' rendering of "When the Night Wind Howls" would have done credit to the best Welsh male voice choir and was one of those moments of melodic beauty which united audience and music as one.

Katie Stenzel (Zorah) has a soprano of liquid gold and a delightful comedic sense. Christine Johnston (Mad Margaret) danced and sang her way into our hearts. If there has to be a standout among all the brilliant leads it would have to be Jason Barry Smith – the complete package as actor, dancer and singer.

Opening night had a twenty-first century Brisbane audience appreciative of superb soloists and chorus and (as with most opera) amused and bemused by a highly improbable plot. "Ruddigore" may not be in the top rank of Gilbert and Sullivan operas but it most certainly had a top rank production and was a delight from beginning to end.



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!date 14/07/2017 -- 29/07/2017
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