REVIEW: THE MIKADO by Forebear! Theatre at Drayton Arms 20 – 24 May 2025
‘Superb singing and silly goings on in the land of Tirwudu’ ★★★★
Aethel-Run is in love with Mna-y’um, who is betrothed to her guardian Klok-Cow, the Lord High Executioner of Tirwudu. Aethel-Run, who claims to be a wandering minstrel, is actually the son of the Emperor – the Mikado. After multiple twists and turns and lots of shenanigans, all ends well, as you would expect from Gilbert and Sullivan’s much-loved operetta.
It was a relief that this production avoided the inherent racism of the piece, originally set in Japan, by placing it in a fantasy world. While I am not a massive G&S fan, there are so many well known tunes in this romp of a show, that I couldn’t help getting into the swing of things.
The show was well and truly dominated by stellar performances of the women in the cast. Kathleen Brenner was flawless as Kottilska. Her gorgeous contralto voice, coupled with effortless vocal technique was matched by her excellent characterisation of Kottilska. Rachel Middle was super as Mna-Y’um. Her bright soprano was never shrill and always warm, even in the very top notes When Middle was joined in ensemble by Isabelle Paige as Paettie-Cene and Jenni Simmonds as Peas-Bal, the result was sheer musical delight. Their voices were beautifully balanced and an absolute treat.
Dan Cavendish was hilarious as the Mikado, and his rich baritone voice was beautifully rounded throughout his vocal range. Kudos to him as he also had to double up singing a second character at short notice due to the withdrawal of another performer.
I’m not sure what was going on with John Faal as Aethel-Run. He clearly has a lovely tenor voice, but at the beginning of the show he was sliding around some of his notes rather than hitting them plumb centre, and his top notes were really strained. I don’t know whether he had a bug or was vocally tired, but it was a shame as his energy and acting were just right for the part. William Remmers was vocally weak as Klok-Cow but this is not unusual as the part is more of a comedy turn. I seem to remember Eric Idle playing the role in years gone by. Remmers may lack the vocal chops, but he had great stage presence.
Whoever wrote the lyrics to the “Little list” song deserves a round of applause. Traditionally updated to reflect issues of the day, the lyrics were on point and very funny. The set was simple but effective, and the visual language of the costumes mostly worked. The choreography also worked well and added energy to the piece.
Overall, this was a fun show, even if you are not a G&S fan. While I caught the penultimate performance at the Drayton Arms, the show is on tour over summer if you’d like to catch it.
Image: Jon Lo Photography
The Mikado, 20th - 24th May, Forbear! Theatre, The Drayton Arms Theatre, https://www.thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk/the-mikado
Performers: Dan Cavendish, John Faal, William Remmers, David Jones, Harry Reddish, Rachel Middle, Isabelle Paige, Jenni Simmonds, Kathleen Brenner
Director: Rachel Middle
Music Director: William Remmers
Composer: Arthur Sullivan
Libretto: W. S. Gilbert
Company website https://www.forbeartheatre.com/
Reviewer: Srabani Sen
Srabani is a theatre actress and playwright. As an actress she has performed at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (The Globe), the Arcola, Southwark Playhouse, The Pleasance and numerous fringe theatres, in a range of roles from Shakespeare to plays by new and emerging writers. She has written several short and full length plays. Her play Tawaif was longlisted for the ETPEP Finborough award, and her play Vijaya was shortlisted for the Sultan Padamsee Playwrights Award in Mumbai.
