Utopia Ltd Review

 Rutland Barrington as King Paramount

in the original production

Interesting to see Rupert Christiansen from The Telegraph reviewing the professional production of Utopia Ltd at Buxton:

'...the first fully staged professional production of G and S' penultimate collaboration Utopia Ltd in Britain since 1975, and apparently only the third such in over a century....'

'The choruses are as good if not better than any in the canon, and other highlights include a duet of almost Verdian beauty for tenor and soprano, a show-stopping patter septet, a deliciously camp number for the stomping Life Guards, and a wittily Betjemanesque hymn to English girls of five foot ten and eleven stone two.'

Almost (but not quite) makes me want to be in it again. You can read the full review here.

- SW
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Buxton Festival Results and a lecture on Gilbert at the NPG

The Festival Winners are now up on the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival website, with South Anglia Savoy Players taking the crown this year with their production of Patience. For the full 2011 results click here.

And in other news,  The National Portrait Gallery has a free lecture coming up on W.S. Gilbert:

W.S. Gilbert: A Touch of Poetry
15 September 2011, 13:15-14:00
Ondaatje Wing Theatre

W.S. Gilbert, the librettist of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, was a man of contradictions, a hard-headed businessman who invented whimsical fantasy worlds. Andrew Crowther discusses the continuing appeal of his works.

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And yet more Buxton...

There is a nice little article about the joys of the Buxton Festival on the Guardian Website. My favourite quote:

"Buxton's great fun," said Bradley. "I even had an American woman come up to me and say: 'I have had more pleasure from the festival than from either of my husbands.'"

Well, we knew it was good but.....

Read the whole article on The Guardian Website.

And here yet more photos of PBGS at the Festival!

 

Ali, Eve and Margaret stay cool...

 

King Tony holds court

Before Edinburgh's 'Mikado'

 

Post Mikado Festival Club at the Pavilion

All photos ©Sue Wookey

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Buxton on the BBC

For those of you that missed it last night, the Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival was featured on the BBC News. You can watch the video, which really captures the spirit of the Festival, here on the BBC News Website.

Photo ©Sue Wookey

We're back from Buxton!

No missing us around Buxton! Alice's mum, Joan, thinks we look FAB ©Sue Wookey

Well, we did it! Most of us are back now from our Buxton adventure (although a few hardy Putt souls are still there enjoying the G&S Festival) and it’s time to enjoy the fruits of our endeavours, and share experiences and photos. If you have any anecdotes or pictures you would like to share here, send them on to me and I’ll post them for you. If you don’t it will be only my memories, and we can’t have that!

But, to start us off, I think we need to thank Paula for coming up with such a wonderful show and seeing it through to the Pavilion Arts Centre stage. The audience loved it (as we knew they would). I’ve now watched the DVD, created by All Media Works and available from Musical Collectables Ltd, (order your copies now, if you don’t have them!) and it’s the first time I’ve been able to appreciate how slick it really is, seamlessly carrying the audience through the operettas with an affectionate eye for the absurdities that make them funny. Next in the line-up of thanks is Margaret for keeping us all in line, getting the best out of us and playing her arms off, Tash for calmly making the whole thing work on an untried and untested stage (we love you, Tash!) and Mark and Calum, and all the techie helpers from the theatre for their considerable efforts with the new equipment. It was a real challenge and we are all very grateful. Special thanks go to Robin for his calm advice, guidance and support – it was lovely knowing you were out there willing us through it, Robin – to Richard for wrestling Elsie the Eagle into submission, to Sue for spending so much time making it, Paula’s mum, Ann, for making the world’s biggest wedding dress (eat your heart out, Zara) and to the Smiths for allowing us to present a madcap start to the Fringe Festival.

Finally – let’s thank ourselves because each and every person on that stage has earned it. Adapting to the backstage challenges while going on and performing to that level is a considerable achievement. Personally I think each and every member up there excelled themselves – watch the DVD and be astonished.

There will be more Buxton posts coming soon, but in the meantime here are a few more photos from me and from Teresa to enjoy:

© Teresa Newham

Everyone takes the whole thing really seriously on the Pavilion Stage....

©Sue Wookey

Paula checks out the Diva Wedding Dress.

 ©Sue Wookey

Every bride needs a bridesmaid...

 ©Sue Wookey

Graham and John checking a little list.

©Sue Wookey

Elsie the Eagle rests at Thorn Hays before the performance

©Sue Wookey

Elsie gets ready to fly...

©Sue Wookey

We have lift off!

©Sue Wookey

Waiting to go on by the cool of the stage door.

©Sue Wookey

The Buxton Opera House before Edinburgh's performance of The Mikado.

These are just a few of my (and Teresa's) photos. I'm sure everybody would love to see yours if you have them. And if anyone would like to write up a short piece about their wild weekend in Buxton (maybe Deano can write a poem : -), I'm sure everyone would love that too!

- Sue W.

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Next stop Buxton!

Buxton Opera House glass © Sue Wookey

After a really successful performance of the G&S Sketch Show at Henlow Theatre last night (and a big thanks to everyone who came and supported us!) it's now full steam ahead for our Buxton Festival Fringe Performance. Judging by the enjoyment of our Henlow audience, the Buxton audiences are in for a treat.

Our performance will be at the newly refurbished Pavilion Arts Centre, and you can find more information about the venue here at Derbyshire Life. If you are in the region, please come along and join us for a feast of Gilbert and Sullivan's best, presented as a fast-paced review following all the main themes of the operettas.

Tickets are £10 and available via Buxton Opera House Booking.

© Sue Wookey

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Buxton here we come!

© Sue Wookey

Putteridge Bury is returning to Buxton! We will be taking our G&S Sketch Show to this year's Buxton International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival as part of the 2011 Festival Fringe. This will be our third performance at the Festival having already performed The Gondoliers (2000) and Princess Ida (2004) in competition at the Opera House. What better way to celebrate the Societies 40th Anniversary.

Written by member Paula Fraser, the show is a fast-paced and irreverent romp through the main themes of all the Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas. With plenty to do for everyone, it really showcases the many talents of the Society, not the least some very nifty sheet work from the Men's Chorus in The Ghost's High Noon.

The performance will be at 3pm on Sunday 31st July 2011 at The Pavilion Arts Centre Buxton. You will find details about the newly refurbished Pavilion Arts Centre here.

The wonders of Buxton and all things G&S is summed up by Rupert Christiansen of The Telegraph, who gets to the heart of why the Festival, and Gilbert and Sullivan in particular, is all such fun:

'It’s all completely bonkers, organised without significant public funding or media interest, and a marvellous tribute to the unquenchable resilience of this uniquely British phenomenon and the opportunity it offers for everyone to dress up, act the fool and sing their hearts out.'

And we can't wait to do just that!