The Gondoliers
or
The King of Barataria
We will be performing "Gondoliers" at the Pendle Hippodrome
from May 14th to May 16th 2008 inclusive.
Click here for the cast list
We are delighted to once again have Steve Taylor as our
musical director and are equally pleased to have acquired
the much sought after Roger Nuttall as our producer, who
you may remember for his excellent performance as Coco in
our last performance of the Mikado.
The Gondoliers was the twelfth opera written together by
Gilbert and Sullivan. Opening on December 7, 1889 at the
Savoy Theatre, The Gondoliers ran for 554 performances, and
was the last of the G&S operas that would achieve wide
popularity. Its lilting score has, perhaps, the most
sparkling and tuneful music of them all and calls, perhaps,
for the most dancing.
Gilbert returns, in this opera, to satire of snobbery
regarding class distinctions and begins his fascination,
which will play an even larger part in the next opera,
Utopia Limited, with the "stock company act" using the
absurd convergence of natural persons and legal entities.
Again setting his work comfortably far away from mother
England, Gilbert is emboldened to level somewhat harsh
criticism on the noble class, and the institution of the
monarchy itself.
ACT I
The Piazetta, Venice (Date, 1750)
The two Gondoliers, Marco and Giuseppe, are so handsome and
have such winning ways that they have completely turned the
heads of the pretty contadine. Marco and Giuseppe are
Giuseppe (Leslie Rands) and Tessa (Marjorie Eyre) in Act
1nonplussed as to whom to choose as their brides. They
decide to solve the problem by allowing themselves to be
blindfolded, whilst the contadine and their superfluous
gondolier admirers dance round Marco and Giuseppe. In the
ensuing game Marco catches Gianetta, and Giuseppe, Tessa.
The remaining contadine accept their fate and pair off with
the previously ignored gondolieri. They all run off merrily
to get married.
As they disappear a gondola stops before the steps of the
Piazetta. From it emerge the Duke and Duchess of PlazaToro,
their daughter Casilda and their suite, consisting of "His
Grace's private drum," Luiz. They are dressed as befits
their noble station, but their clothes are a little the
worse for wear. They have brought their daughter Casilda
from Spain. The Duke demands an audience with Don Alhambra,
the Grand Inquisitor.
While Luiz is on the errand the Duke reveals to Casilda
that when she was a six months old babe she was married by
proxy to the infant son of the wealthy King of Barataria.
The King of Barataria subsequently became a Wesleyan
Methodist of a most bigoted and persecuting type. The Grand
Inquisitor, determined that such an innovation should not
be perpetuated in Barataria, stole the youthful heir to the
throne and conveyed him to Venice. A fortnight later the
Barataria King and his Court were all killed in an
insurrection.
Casilda, therefore, is now Queen of Barataria. But the
whereabouts of the new King is not definitely known.
Casilda, unfortunately, is in love with someone else-her
father's "private drum," Luiz-and they are both despondent
at the sad thought of what the future must bring.
Casilda (Rowena Ronald) and Luis (John Dean) in Act 1
Don Alhambra, the Grand Inquisitor, who now approaches and
is introduced to Casilda, explains that when he stole the
youthful Prince of Barataria, he brought him to Venice and
placed him in the family of a highly respectable Gondolier,
who had a son of the same age. The Gondolier, through a
fondness for drinking, muddled up the two children, and
when the Inquisitor went to fetch the Royal Child he found
it impossible to tell which was which. This news is
received rather philosophically The only person who can
possibly tell is the foster mother of the Prince, Inez (who
is Luiz' mother) . Luiz is sent to fetch her.
Giuseppe and Marco now return with their newwed wives. Don
Alhambra (whom at first they mistake for an undertaker)
informs them that either Giuseppe or Marco is the King of
Barataria, and that until the mystery is unravelled they
must take up the reins of government as one individual.
They may take all their friends with them-all, that is,
except the ladies, who must stay behind. This is rather a
blow, but they are assured that the separation will be only
for a short period. A boat is then brought, and the
Gondoliers clamber aboard with Giuseppe and Marco, whilst
the contadine wave a tearful farewell.
Don Alhambra (Sydney Granville) with Tessa (Marjorie Eyre)
and Gianetta (Muriel Dickson)), Marco (Charles Goulding)
and Giuseppe (Leslie Rands).
ACT II
A Pavilion in the Court of Barataria
(Three Months Later)
Both Marco and Giuseppe, when they were Gondoliers, had
ideas on Republican government, and they have reorganized
the state on their idealistic principles. The result is
somewhat chaotic, but they seem to enjoy it, and as the act
opens they are seen cleaning the royal crown and sceptre
whilst they sit, clad in magnificent robes, on the royal
throne. If they want anything done they have to do it
themselves. In a delightful little song, "Of happiness the
very pith," Giuseppe outlines his day's work as a monarch
about the palace. Only one thing is missing, they feel-it
is dull without female society.
Scarcely have they confessed the fact when the contadine
run in, led by Fiametta and Vittoria. Curiosity is the
cause of the invasion, though they know they were strictly
forbidden to come. They are all very excited. Tessa and
Gianetta are anxious to know if their husbands have anyone
to mend the royal socks, and if it is known yet which of
them is to be queen.
In honor of their arrival Giuseppe and Marco announce a
grand banquet and dance. In the middle of a brilliant
cachucha there is an unexpected interruption. Don Alhambra
enters. He is astonished at the scene, and tries, by
quoting an example, to explain where their theories of
government are wrong.
The Duke (Henry Lytton) with his daughter Casilda (Rowena
Ronald)He announces the arrival of Casilda. One of them, he
says, Marco or Giuseppe (whichever is the real King of
Barataria), is married to the beautiful Casilda, and is, of
course, an unintentional bigamist if he has married a
contadina in the meantime. Poor Tessa and Gianetta are very
upset. By the light of this new exposure, one of them is
married and one of them is not. But they cannot tell which
it is. They burst into tears.
Meanwhile Casilda is afraid that she will never learn to
love her husband. The Duchess is firm. "I loved your
father," she says, and proceeds to explain how she married
and "tamed" him. The Duke has turned his social prestige to
account and has become a limited company. His daughter
feels that there is hope that when the King sees what a
shady family he has married into he will refuse to
recognize the alliance. Both the Duke and the Duchess
repudiate the statement that their transactions are shady
in a delightful duet, "To help unhappy commoners".
Marco and Giuseppe explain the state of the country and the
attitude of their subjects towards them. The Duke, in the
famous Gavotte, "I am a courtier," instructs them on the
correct demeanor of a king, which they try, very awkwardly,
to adopt. Marco and Giuseppe are tactfully left alone with
Casilda, but Gianetta and Tessa come in, and they all
discuss the highly complicated problem of exactly who is
married and who is not.
Sydney Granville as Don AlhambraThey are interrupted by Don
Alhambra, who enters, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess
and all the court of Barataria. Inez, the fostermother of
the Prince has been found. She alone can unravel the
mystery. Inez is brought forward. She confesses that when
she took care of the royal prince, and there was an attempt
to steal the child, she substituted her own little boy. The
traitorous bands never knew the difference, and the child
she slyly called her "son" is none other than the King of
Barataria.
Luiz is, therefore, the King. Casilda and Luiz are
reunited, and everything ends happily, much to the secret
relief of Marco and Giuseppe.