By Lucie Richards
A SPICY CLASSIC
A LIGHT-hearted, energetic romp awaits audiences at The Watermill theatre in a saucy adaptation of a Gilbert and Sullivan classic.
Spicing up The Mikado is by no means a novel idea - numerous jazzed up, modern versions have been produced since the 19 th century original - but this show feels fresh and pertinent with references to Susan Boyle, Tom Cruise and text messaging.
In I've Got a Little List - in which the new Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko, Jeffrey Harmer, goes through a list of possible candidates for the death penalty - the bumbling Ko-Ko includes "the MP with the duck house" and scientologists among those who would not be missed.
The music, meanwhile, ranges in style from gospel to jazz, blues and rock and roll. But the plot line and humour of Gilbert and Sullivan are very much in tact.
Tongue-in-cheek from start to finish the action is set in Japanese town Titti-Pu, where Nanki-Poo returns to claim his true love Yum-Yum only to find she is about to marry her guardian Ko-Ko.
The Watermill production, choreographed and directed by Craig Revel Horwood, makes imaginative use of the stage and similar to the theatre's recent production of Spend Spend Spend! all actors play several instru-ments which also become props in the show.
The poor, old grand piano in particular plays a key role as a lover's bed and a tap dancing platform.
A Japanese flavour is injected into the set and costumes - the Three Little Maids, for example, are dressed like Japanese anime schoolgirls in green, pink and blue - and despite a few dodgy American accents the acting is spot on.
Though very much an ensemble piece, the audience was clearly won over by Harmer's Ko-Ko, who had a wonderful twinkle in his eye, and Karen Mann - who played the older Viv in Spend Spend Spend! - as the pining Katisha, who over-acts brilliantly.
The younger cast members - Abiona Omonua as Yum-Yum, Cassie Pearson as Pitti-Sing - make the most of their fantastic voices and Dominic Tighe is a suitably dashing Nanki-Poo.
At times, due to the range of music and dancing styles, Hot Mikado feels more like a cabaret than a cohesive musical show, but for Gilbert and Sullivan fans and ignoramuses alike, it is a thoroughly entertaining evening.