Here’s a how-de-do!
A Celebration of the Operas of Gilbert and Sullivan
Heather Johnson (Soprano)
Catrine Kirkman (Soprano)
Sue Foister (Contralto)
Nicholas Watts (Tenor)
Chris Cann (Baritone)
Graham Rogers (Bass-Baritone)
Piano: Paul Guinery
Devised by Chris Cann & Graham Rogers
Stage Manager: Steve Greenwood
Lighting Designer: Mike Wyer
With special thanks to John Lill and all at Louth Playgoers’ Riverhead Theatre.
Here’s a how-de-do!
Notes on Musical Numbers
Thespis (Premiered at the Gaiety Theatre, 1871)
Daphne Catrine Kirkman
Nicemis Sue Foister
The first Gilbert & Sullivan collaboration was a piece d’occasion which did not survive its initial run and for which the score is lost. However, the sparkling chorus “Climbing over Rocky Mountain” was recycled by Sullivan for the entry of the Major General’s daughters in The Pirates of Penzance. We present it in its original mixed-voice setting to accompany a mountain picnic.
Trial by Jury (Premiered at the Royalty Theatre, 1875)
The Learned Judge Chris Cann
Edwin is being sued by his fiancée, Angelina, for breach of promise of marriage. In the song “When I, good friends, was called to the Bar”, the Judge who is to preside over the hearing outlines his legal career and how his experience particularly suits him to a case like this.
The Sorcerer (Premiered at the Opéra Comique, 1877)
Aline Sanguazure Heather Johnson
Mrs Partlet Sue Foister
Alexis Pointdextre Nick Watts
Dr Daly Chris Cann
Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre Graham Rogers
Aline Sanguazure rejoices on her wedding day (“O happy young heart”), but her fiancé, Alexis Pointdextre has hired a Sorcerer, JW Wells, to administer a love potion to the whole village. Chaos reigns when the “wrong” matches are made, especially the pairing of the wealthy Sir Marmaduke Pointdextre and the lowly Mrs Partlet. All, however, make the best of the situation (“I rejoice that it’s decided”), even the lovelorn vicar, Dr Daly, who finds himself the only unattached person in the village.
HMS Pinafore (Premiered at the Opéra Comique, 1878)
Josephine Corcoran Catrine Kirkman
Little Buttercup Sue Foister
Captain Corcoran Graham Rogers
Sir Joseph Porter KCB Chris Cann
Aboard HMS Pinafore, Little Buttercup plies her wares (“I'm called little Buttercup”). She is fond of the Captain, but when he rejects her, she foretells a change in his fortunes (“Things are seldom what they seem”). The Captain plans to marry his daughter Josephine to Sir Joseph Porter, whose declaration that “love levels all ranks” unwittingly convinces Josephine to follow her heart and elope with her beloved, Ralph Rackstraw. (“Never mind the why or wherefore”)
The Pirates of Penzance (Premiered at the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, and the 5th Avenue Theatre, New York, 1878)
Mabel Heather Johnson
Major-General Stanley Chris Cann
Sergeant of Police Graham Rogers
Mabel, the daughter of Major-General Stanley falls in love with the pirate apprentice, Frederic, and promises to reform him in her brilliant Italianate aria “Poor wand'ring one”. Her father outlines his manifold knowledge in the famous patter-song “I am the very model of a modern Major-General”. Later, the local constabulary, contemplate their forthcoming battle with the Pirates. (“When a felon's not engaged in his employment”)
Patience Catrine Kirkman
Reginald Bunthorne Chris Cann
Lady Jane Sue Foister
The milkmaid Patience is blithely unaware of the pains of love and cannot understand those who suffer them (“I cannot tell what this love may be”). Meanwhile, the poet Bunthorne is idolised by society ladies. When the rival poet, Archibald Grosvenor steals the ladies’ affection, Bunthorne enlists the support of the redoubtable Lady Jane to see him off (“So go to him and say to him”).
Phyllis Catrine Kirkman
Queen of the Fairies Sue Foister
Lord Chancellor Chris Cann
Strephon Graham Rogers
The worst crime in Fairydom is to marry a mortal, which incurs the penalty of death. However, even the Queen of the Fairies herself is not immune to the attractions of the manly Private Willis. However, she subdues this emotion by taking a metaphorical ‘cold shower’ with the aid of the London Fire Brigade (“O foolish fay”). Meanwhile, the Lord Chancellor is worried by his unrequited love for the shepherdess, Phyllis, which is giving him dreadful nightmares (“Love unrequited, robs me of my rest”). But Phyllis has decided to marry her true love, the shepherd, Strephon (“If we’re weak enough to tarry”)
Princess Ida Heather Johnson
Prince Hilarion Nick Watts
Cyril Chris Cann
Florian Graham Rogers
Prince Hilarion was married in infancy to Princess Ida. However, on the Princess’s 21st birthday it emerges that Ida has shut herself away in Castle Adamant where she has founded a women-only university. She prays to Minerva, goddess of wisdom for guidance (“O goddess wise”). Hilarion and his friends break into the Castle disguised as women (“I am a maiden”).
The Mikado (Premiered at the Savoy Theatre, 1885)
Yum-Yum Catrine Kirkman
Nanki-Poo Nick Watts
Ko-Ko Graham Rogers
Nanki-Poo and the beautiful Yum-Yum are in love, though she is engaged to Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner. Eventually, Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo are permitted to marry on condition that he is executed after a month. Yum-Yum sings of her beauty in the aria “The sun whose rays”. Ko-Ko reveals that the wife of an executed felon must be buried alive (“Here’s a how-de-do”), but is too squeamish to execute Nanki-Poo. He lies to the Mikado that he has done so, but it transpires that Nanki-Poo is the Mikado’s long lost son. To save himself from a lingering death, Ko-Ko must woo the formidable Katisha with the famous song “Tit-willow”.
Rose Maybud Catrine Kirkman
Mad Margaret Sue Foister
Robin Oakapple/Sir Ruthven Graham Rogers
Despard Murgatroyd Chris Cann
The timid Robin Oakapple and the hidebound Rose Maybud cannot bring themselves to confess their love openly and do so by asking advice on behalf of a friend in the duet “I know a youth”. It transpires that Robin is in fact the wicked Baronet, Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd. He assumes the title and is compelled to commit a crime every day on pain of death. His brother, Despard, and sister-in-law, Margaret arrive to persuade him to renounce a life of villainy, even at the cost of his own life. Reluctantly, Robin/Ruthven agrees in the fiendish patter trio “My eyes are fully open to my awful situation”.
Elsie Maynard Heather Johnson
Phoebe Merryll Catrine Kirkman
Colonel Fairfax Nick Watts
Jack Point Graham Rogers
Elsie Maynard undertakes a secret marriage of convenience to Fairfax, but he is sprung from prison by Phoebe Meryll who is also in love with him. In disguise as Phoebe’s brother, Fairfax woos and wins Elsie, much to the distress of Phoebe and Elsie’s erstwhile suitor, Jack Point (“When a wooer goes a-wooing”).
Marco Palmieri Nick Watts
Giuseppe Palmieri Graham Rogers
Duke of Plaza-Toro Chris Cann
Duchess of Plaza-Toro Sue Foister
Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri are two republican Gondoliers (“We’re called Gondolieri”) who discover that one of them is actually the rightful King of Barataria. Until the King’s identity is confirmed, they will rule as joint monarchs. Once installed on their joint throne, the Kings start to miss the company of their wives, Gianetta and Tessa, whom they have had to leave behind (“Take a pair of sparkling eyes”). They are visited by the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro whose daughter, Casilda was married in infancy to the King. The Duke and Duchess outline their shady money-making schemes in the duet “Small titles and orders”.
Princess Nekaya Heather Johnson
Princess Kalyba Catrine Kirkman
King Paramount Chris Cann
The beautiful South Pacific island of Utopia is ruled over by the Anglophile King Paramount. The King intends to model the country on Great Britain and insists that his two daughters, Nekaya and Kalyba are brought up as English young ladies (“Although of native maids the cream”). He has also imported a number of English advisors to assist him. In the sparkling mock minstrel song “Society has quite forsaken all its wicked courses”, the King delivers a progress report on the Anglicization process.
Julia Jellicoe Heather Johnson
The Prince of Monte Carlo Graham Rogers
The Company
CHRIS CANN hales originally from Devon, and came to London as a student in 1992. A stalwart of the University of London Opera Group, he has played many Gilbert and Sullivan roles including the Judge (Trial by Jury), Major-General (The Pirates of Penzance), Lady Jane (!) (Patience), Lord Chancellor, Lord, Mountararat, Strephon and Private Willis (Iolanthe), Pooh-Bah (The Mikado), Dick Dauntless (Ruddigore), Duke of Plaza-Toro (The Gondoliers) and Ludwig (The Grand Duke). Other roles include Falke (Die Fledermaus), Higgins (Pygmalion), Lord Goring (An Ideal Husband) and Algernon Moncrieff (The Importance of Being Ernest). Chris has also directed The Sorcerer (twice), Princess Ida and Ruddigore. He directed last year’s production of Iolanthe in Louth and in June will direct The Mikado at the Riverhead Theatre with the New London Opera Group, of which he is the founding Artistic Director.
SUE FOISTER has been performing with ULOG for a number of years, usually playing ladies 'of a certain age' - which as her days as a fresh-faced microbiologist recede into the misty past, is probably just as well. Roles with the group include Lady Blanche (Princess Ida), Judith Starkadder (Cold Comfort Farm), Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes), Madame Dubonnet (The Boyfriend) and Ada Doom (Cold Comfort Farm). Other roles include Mrs Lovett (Sweeney Todd), Witch (Into the Woods), Madame Armfeldt (A Little Night Music), Mistress Quickly (Sir John in Love), most of the Gilbert and Sullivan contralto roles and some of the soprano ones. Directing credits include The Grand Duke, Something's Afoot, Cheryomushki, HMS Pinafore, Iolanthe, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ruddigore and The Gondoliers.
PAUL GUINERY studied the piano at the Royal College of Music in London where he was made an ARCM in 1975 having also been a student-répétiteur in the Opera School. He then took a degree in Modern Languages at Oxford before joining the BBC. For several years he was a staff announcer and newsreader for the BBC World Service and for BBC Radio 3, presenting many popular programmes over the years including the chamber music series Concert Hall, the long-running request programme Your Concert Choice, the Sunday morning series Sacred and Profane and, most recently, Choirworks. Now a freelance, he still introduces orchestral concerts on the air including the BBC Proms. Paul has had wide experience as an accompanist and is a regular member of the chamber music group Harmoniemusik. He fell completely under the spell of G&S at the age of eleven and has remainded bewitched ever since!
HEATHER JOHNSON studied at the University of Texas where she gained her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and was awarded the Gordon Getty Scholarship for Young Singers. At the university she performed the roles of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Le Feu in L’Enfant et les Sortileges, Valetto in L’Incoronazione di Poppea and Lucy in Menotti’s The Telephone. Her training also took her abroad to Austria where she studied at the Austrian/American Mozart Academy under their scholarship, singing the roles of the Queen of the Night in Magic Flute and Blondchen in Die Entführung with Budweis Orchestra under Manfred Mayrhofer. Heather completed her post-graduate diploma at the Royal College of Music, where she was involved in Opera Scenes performing the roles of Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Fedra in Cavalli’s L’Egisto, Bella in Tippett’s Midsummer Marriage and Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail..
In addition to her operatic performances Heather has performed the role of The Girl in the West End musical Blues in the Night at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Gianetta in The Gondoliers and the title role in Princess Ida by Gilbert & Sullivan with the University of London Opera Group and was recently covering the role of Carlotta in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Phantom of the Opera at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Future engagements include covering the role of Ida in Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus for Diva Opera in 2003 and 2004.
CATRINE KIRKMAN graduated with a Masters degree in Music from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and continues to be taught by Jessica Cash. Her extensive repertoire covers a wide variety of styles ranging from Early and Classical through to contemporary Avant-Garde, light opera and musicals. Recent engagements have included performances in the Royal Albert Hall, St John's Smith Square, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, and London's Globe Theatre. Catrine is especially fond of Gilbert and Sullivan, and has performed in many productions in roles including Yum-Yum (The Mikado), Phyllis (Iolanthe), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance),Josephine (HMS Pinafore) and Rose Maybud (Ruddigore). Other recent operatic roles include Giunone (Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in patria), Sandman (Hansel and Gretel), and Rose (Lakme).
Catrine is currently a member of the new Savoy Opera Company, and will be appearing in Mozart's Marriage of Figaro at the Savoy Theatre, London, from April. Other forthcoming engagements include a recital at the Cirencester Early Music Festival in June with her newly formed chamber ensemble, L'Aura, and a Britten project with Simon Butteriss in Aldeburgh in October.
GRAHAM ROGERS was highly suspicious of Gilbert and Sullivan throughout his childhood as his mother loved it and had all the old D'Oyly Carte LPs. But, much as it pains us to admit it, mothers always know best: no sooner had he arrived at the University of York to start his music degree than Graham was up to his eye-balls in rehearsals, set-painting and, of course, pub-going with the student G&S Society. He has never looked back, and is now a shamelessly devoted "fan" of the Savoy operas, having thoroughly enjoyed subsequent involvements with G&S groups at the Universities of Cambridge and London, both as a performer and as Music Director. He is now a founding member of the New London Opera Group and, by day, works as a scheduler for BBC Radio 3. Roles Graham has played on stage include Ko-Ko (The Mikado), Robin Oakapple (Ruddigore), Private Willis (Iolanthe), Florian (Princess Ida), the Prince of Monte Carlo (The Grand Duke), and Strephon in last year's University of London production of Iolanthe at the Riverhead Theatre here in Louth. Graham is especially delighted to be returning to Louth to perform in tonight's concert with his fiancée Catrine, as she wasn't able to come last year.
NICHOLAS WATTS was born in York in 1978 and is currently pursuing postgraduate studies with Margaret Kingsley as the Yvonne Wells Scholar at the Royal College of Music. His operatic repertoire includes Tamino (Die Zauberflote) and Peter Quint (Turn of the Screw) for the Benjamin Britten International Opera School; Fritz (L’amico Fritz) for Opera Omnibus and Hilarion in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Princess Ida for the University of London Opera Group. Concerts include Bach’s St. John Passion under Peter Schreier at St John’s, Smith Square; Bach’s B Minor Mass at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Handel’s Messiah in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin; Haydn’s Nelson Mass in the chapel of King’s College Cambridge and the Mozart Requiem in Barcelona. Nick has received many awards including the National Mozart Competition, Tenor Prize 2002; The Countess of Munster Musical Trust Award 2003-4 and the Ian Fleming Musical Education Award 2002. This summer Nick joins the Chorus of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera.