Stepping inside the turfed Tabard Theatre, lit by glitzy chandeliers, it’s clear that ‘Ruddigore’ is no sensible affair – if ever a Gilbert and Sullivan production could be. The fresh-faced cast of music grads seem right at home on Christopher Hone’s set, which calls to mind a chill-out den at Glastonbury.
The girls take to the stage in flared mini-dresses – not a bonnet in sight. This is G&S for the Topshop generation. So can a two-act comic opera which parodies the Victorian melodrama withstand the modern makeover?
Sloane Square meets ‘Glee’ in the opening, deliciously camp rendition of ‘Fair Is Rose’. A gaggle of bridesmaids – including boys in daft floral headbands – pout and powder their cheeks in exaggerated synchrony. They sing as-yet unmarried Rose Maybud’s praises in falsetto, with comic insincerity.
Farce pervades Alex Young’s production, but it never oversteps into panto. This magnetically charming cast breathes new life into a dusty operetta which was unflatteringly compared to ‘The Mikado’ on its debut.
The intricacies of the bizarre and convoluted plot can be difficult to grasp from WS Gilbert’s libretto, but it hardly matters. The Pulling Focus company realise the full potential of its topsy-turvy humour, and are quite simply a joy to watch.