Gilbert & Sullivan's The Gondoliers sails into Scarborough
Bringing a taste of Mediterranean sunshine to Scarborough’s YMCA Theatre on the afternoon of Sunday September 17 are the West Yorkshire Savoyards, making a welcome return with their touring production of ‘The Gondoliers’, one of the most popular operas to come from the partnership of WS Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan.
Sullivan’s sparkling music and Gilbert’s humorous plot twists and topsy-turvy wit, combined with colourful costumes, lively dances and beautiful melodies, and accompanied by a professional orchestra, are guaranteed to make theatregroers leave with a smile on their face.
‘The Gondoliers’, which is touring Yorkshire, is pure joy from start to finish. It was a huge favourite with Queen Victoria, despite satirising the ruling classes and their position within society, with the tale of two happy-go-lucky gondoliers who discover that one of them is the heir to the throne of a distant kingdom. In a show packed full of fun, the gondoliers set off to rule with an idealistic – if somewhat chaotic – plan.
The ‘Savs’, a Gilbert and Sullivan touring company made up of hand-picked singers and musicians from across the north of England, have been delighting audiences and building up a following throughout Yorkshire and abroad for many years. This year the YMCA Theatre in Saint Thomas Street welcomes them back again under the direction of Graham Weston with the orchestra under the musical direction of Oliver Longstaff.
The Yorkshire based company has received the backing of TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh, the well-known broadcaster, novelist, journalist and gardener, who said, "The works of Gilbert and Sullivan continue to inspire and amuse generation after generation of music-lovers and theatre-goers, and the West Yorkshire Savoyards continue to enthrall their audiences.
"With Sullivan's tuneful melodies and Gilbert's rapier-sharp wit (Stephen Sondheim considers him the best of all lyricists), coupled with the W.Y.S. high standards, any audience can be assured of a great night out!”
The Gondoliers is being staged at 3pm on Sunday September 17.
Tickets (£5 for accompanied young people under 16, and £17 for adults) are available online at the Scarborough YMCA Box Office (https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ymcascarborough), in person, or on the door.