The Company performs ‘Taking the Mick-a-doo’, a new version of ‘The Mikado’ by W S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.

It was theatrical manager and impresario D’Oyly Carte who recognised that the former two totally opposed personalities were perfect matching talents, so the ‘Gilbert & Sullivan’ partnership was born. Their musicals, whilst given a variety of lavish and differing settings (in this case ancient Japanese society), were always easily recognised as an affectionate mockery of the fads and foibles of the day.

Gilbert & Sullivan always intended their operettas to be kept alive and fresh, with dialogue tweaked to poke fun at the relevant news of the day. In this new version, whilst all of the original music, story and characters are the same, the orchestration has been updated, and of course some words may be changed to reflect the new sound of the music. In addition one new female part is added to the ‘Little Maids’, Pea-kin, (sometimes called duck!), and more dancing has been included.

We hope that we have come up with a unique version that you will all enjoy.