Sydney Reviews

Richard Carroll’s production of The Pirates of Penzance is the very model of a post-modern major musical. In gleeful theatricality, it is a fantastic act of piracy, gleefully plundering the Gilbert and Sullivan classic and rendering it a treasure chest anew.

With matters mathematical, the understood equations, both the simple and quadratical, means cast doubling with multiple dividends and no subtractions.

As Pirate King, Jay Laga’aia gets to sing, not only, but also, as a lovely maiden and a combustible constable, if you can imagine such a thing.

Also doubling roundly is musical director Trevor Jones, fanning pianist envy while doing double duty as The Major General and more, much more.

Billie Palin teems with talent adding her bits and bobs to the team as Isabel, Barry and Plod, while Brittanie Shipway triple threat treats as Mabel, Ruth and more, in a stunning tour de force.

Soloing as Frederick, the petulant pirate and self confessed social climber is Maxwell Simon, rounding out this exquisite ensemble.

This very model of a post-modern major musical, The Pirates of Penzance pays homage to the mythic history of the piece, with a set festooned with posters of previous incarnations. Lampooned lyrics are lovingly rendered with rousing acoustics and a pretty taste for paradox and an educated quote in elegiacs.

Comic and iconic, you’ll hum a fugue of which you've heard the music's din afore, and may remember all the airs from that infernal nonsense Pinafore.

In short, in matters entertainment, energy, and enjoyment, this production is the very model of a piss taking postmodern major musical, a better one, I’m sure, has never washed upon our shore.

Plucky and adventury, very much of this quarter of the century, The Pirates of Penzance is a pleasance eminence, in other words, a must see.