The make-believe town of Titipu, a name that has brought sniggering delight to schoolboys for a century and more and Gilbert & Sullivan’s fourteenth operatic collaboration, was set in a mythical Japanese location. It gave G&S licence to land some waspish satirical stings on high profile pompous British politicians. The stereotypes were so ubiquitous there was little risk of libel.
In true topsy–turvy fashion, Gilbert and Sullivan’s inherent humour and timeless tunefulness are married with Regan’s wicked sense of fun. This vibrant production successfully pokes playful fun at British politics and institutions. The storyline takes us to 1950s England where a school camping trip is visiting the far away land of Titipu – a place where flirting is banned on pain of death and where tailors can become Lord High Executioners but cannot cut off another’s head, until they have cut off their own!
Regan’s idea to transform these much-loved classics into all-male productions stems from her own experiences performing Gilbert and Sullivan at a single-sex school. Her shows are now renowned for playing on the humour that can emerge from these gender changes.
The Mikado King’s Theatre Edinburgh
Tue 9 to Sat 13 May 2017 (no performances Wed 10 May)
Running time 2 hours (including an interval)
Box Office www.edtheatres.com/themikado
Twitter @allmalemikado, #AllMaleMikado
