September 26 - October 19 2002

The Titipu Town Planners
The Luminaries of Titipu
The Good Citizens of Titipu
The Titipu Town Band
Review - stagediary.com

 

The Titipu Town Planners
Stage Director & Musical Director	Rodney Wolff
Choreographer & Terpsichordist	Sue Forster-Crilly
Lord High Production Manager	Julie Croft
Marketing & Public Relations Guru	Emma Sutton
Titipu Designer-General	Leo Bradley
Costumiere & Wiggist	David Watermeyer
Set Designer & Purveyer of Pink	Scott Bagnell
Lighting & Sound Wizardry	Derek Griffin
Assistant Stage Director	James Crilly
Assistant Choreographer	Julie Croft
Fount of Vocal Training Expertise	Elspeth Sutherland
Wellspring of Directorial Wisdom	Lynne Wright
Oasis of Musical / Instrumental Harmony	Lee Norrell
Stage Manager & Ringmaster	Christine O'Brien
Properties	Rachel Cunningham
Properties	Stephanie Swalwell
Assistant Stage Manager	Lynn Askem
Assistant Stage Manager	Helen Ekundayo
Assistant Stage Manager	Donna Horton
Assistant Stage Manager	Rhylee Nowell
Assistant Stage Manager	Chris Oldershaw
Assistant Stage Manager	Danika Saal
Lighting Assistant	Afra Feeney
Lighting Assistant	Myfanwy Oldershaw
Lighting Assistant	Yasmin Robinson
Orchestra Manager	Andrew Millard
Box Office Receptionist	Rachael Utley
Front of House Manager	Wendy Dobinson
Program Design & Artwork	Kate Andrew
Poster Design & Artwork	Myfanwy Oldershaw
Program & Poster Cartoonist	Kathe Conover
Incidental Music Scoring	James Dobinson
Music Recording Engineer	James Crilly
Foyer Dressing	Kent Sherlock
Additional Lyrics	Greg Bell
Additional Lyrics	Peter Binyon
Additional Lyrics	Scott Bolland
Additional Lyrics	David Coombs
Additional Lyrics	James Crilly
Additional Lyrics	Michael Darmody
Additional Lyrics	Paul Fairweather
Additional Lyrics	Christie Meehan
Additional Lyrics	Rebecca Munroe
Childcare Experts	Coral & Rudi Wolff
Sagacity & Green Curry	Cathy & Paul Collings

The Luminaries of Titipu
Nanki-Poo	James Dobinson
Pooh-Bah	Michael Corcoran
Pish-Tush	James Caldwell
Ko-Ko	David Coombs
Yum-Yum	Elizabeth Stockdale
Pitti-Sing	Brianna Carpenter
Peep-Bo	Tina Carter
Katisha	Elspeth Sutherland
The Mikado of Japan	Scott Bolland

The Good Citizens of Titipu
Nap-Pi-San	Greg Bell
Oki-Doki-San	Stephanie Biggs
Mocha-San	Peter Binyon
Suki-Yamada	Bevan Brown
Sayaka	Susie Carter
Kuriri-San	James Crilly
Ebi-Kuryama	Michael Darmody
Azusa	Hannah Douglas
Ai-Niku-San	Paul Fairweather
Sue-Shi	Sue Forster-Crilly
Fleezi-Lee	Cathy Gunton
Dit-Sai	Aerlyn James
Terri-Tubbi-San	Mark Jeffery
Geishafayasa	Joseph Kendall
Miyamoto-Musashi	Jason King
Kook-a-Nee	Sarah Lockwood
Sue-Zuki	Sue McNulty
Di-n-Dodi-San	Catherine McTavish
God-San	Christie Meehan
Not-Happijan-San	Chris Mulligan
Tommo-Ko	Rebecca Munroe
Holi-Poki	Kaitlin Oliver
Sumato	John Partridge
Sassi-Lee	Sara Reynolds
Floozi-Loo	Daryl Robertson
Mini-Tee	Tracey Roper
Po-Meke-Wee	Steve Sulman
Nottusamma	Emma Sutton
Lili-Ping	Stephanie Swalwell
Khani-Sing	Mark Tindle
Minako	Lanna Wong
Isuyu-San	Carolyn Youle
Katisha's Bodyguards
Thor	Jeremy Cooper
Tharg	Jim McKenna
Thad	Livio Regano
Cecil	Ethan Salleh
Titipu's Ballroom Dancers
Fleezi-Lee	Cathy Gunton
Floozi-Loo	Daryl Robertson

The Titipu Town Band
Maestro d'Orchestre	Rodney Wolff
Violin & Leader	Megan Driscoll
Violin	Katie Lawton
Violin	Andrew Millard
Violin	Annette Milliken
Violin	Jessica Shelley
Viola	Mercedes Wilson
Violincello	Eric Milliken
Double Bass	Murray Gay
Flute & Piccolo	Kylie Moorhouse
Flute & Piccolo	Lee Norrell
Clarinet	Gavin Rebetzke
Clarinet	Nikki Shellback
Oboe	Frances Brodie
Bassoon	Shona Nystrom
Bassoon	Sarah Ferguson
French Horn	Kerry Thomas
Trumpet	Scott Bignell
Trumpet	Emily Lashmar
Trombone	Richard Thayil
Second Trombone	Vacancy
Percussion	Leon Coate
Principal Rehearsal Repetiteur	Stephanie Swalwell
Rehearsal Repetiteur	James Dobinson
Rehearsal Repetiteur	Ann Gaffney PPE
Rehearsal Repetiteur	Delena Gaffney
Rehearsal Repetiteur	Elspeth Sutherland
Rehearsal Repetiteur	Muriel Sutherland
Rehearsal Repetiteur	Justine Willsher

 

Review - Stagediary.com

Arguably the most popular comic opera ever written, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado, or The Town of Titipu, when performed by a talented cast and with good direction can be magnificent — something The Ignatians Musical Society has succeeded in doing in their latest interpretation of the opera.

One of the hardest aspects of performing a comic opera is timing of the humorous lines — this the Ignatians group does perfectly, resulting in waves of laughter in Saturday night's almost full house.

Through the various twists and turns of its comic plot, involving nobility disguised as commoners, broken marriage responsibilities and a rather timid lord high executioner, the opera/soap opera unfolds in its supposed Japanese setting.

The story line is like a modern day soap opera: Nanki-Poo, a young minstrel, would like to marry Yum-Yum, who is about to marry the newly appointed executioner Ko-Ko. Ko-Ko is under pressure from the Mikado of Japan for an execution to take place, and given that flirting is a punishable offence (Ko-Ko himself being under sentence of death for this crime), Nanki-Poo agrees to be executed in his place, one month after being allowed to marry Yum-Yum. However, to everyone's surprise, Nanki-Poo turns out to be the son of the Mikado.

James Dobinson as Nanki-Poo, Michael Corcoran as Pooh-Bah and James Caldwell as Pish-Tush produced excellent and memorable performances in the opera. However it is David Coombs as Ko-Ko and Elizabeth Stockdale as Yum-Yum who really steal the show. Both are totally involved in their characters, right down to the way they walk. Coombs' interpretation of Ko-Ko, with short 'lairy' shorts and a general 'flighty' persona, is very comical and appreciated by the audience.

Under the direction of Rodney Wolff, the strong chorus produces both a musically rich tone and their choregraphed movements are precise and polished. I particularly found amusing that each chorus member is given a name providing a persona they can portray.

The orchestra's sound is rich, but not so much as to overpower the chorus or soloists singing.

The set design is simple yet effective, with Japanese fans and tea-houses set around the large Schonell Theatre stage, creating the Japanese township of Titipu.

The kimono-like costuming brings the stage to life with colour and the outrageous hair designs are appropriate.

The Ignatians add their own comical twists to the original — such as having Katisha's body guards dressed in kimono-like speedo bathing suits, to which the audience responded with great laughter.

As someone who has not see The Mikado before, I found this an example of excellent writing and direction and when performed by a fantastic and talented cast such as The Ignatians Musical Society it made for a memorable performance.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sager, www.stagediary.com  
(Performance seen: 5th October 2002)