Melbourne has long been a city that loves its Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.
Unlike opera, there is no regular professional opera company specializing in G and S, so Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria (GSOV) has filled the gap for 90 years by providing high standard community theatre productions of G and S.
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of GSOV, the company is staging a double bill called Jubilee, with the first half being the popular Trial By Jury, a spoof on elements of the justice system, while the second half is a special musical story entitled A Celebratory History of Gilbert and Sullivan in Victoria. Devised by director Diana Burleigh, it is an entertaining walk through the history of the company, packed with musical excerpts from the G and S canon.
The linchpins of the Celebratory History are Gilbert and Sullivan themselves, appearing in 2025 as apparitions from the past who are keen to learn about the history of their creations Down Under. To take us back in time to how entrepreneur D’Oyly Carte brought them together, the performance begins with introducing us to the duo and how they started to work together as a team.
Then we jump to Trial by Jury, in which a bride left at the altar is suing her ex-fiancé for breach of promise of marriage. While it is an anachronism in 2025, in the distant past this was a true crime taken seriously by the courts. Of course, Gilbert and Sullivan poke lots of muck at the whole situation, and the two-timing defendant is let off the hook at the end of the action by the flirty judge deciding to marry the plaintiff himself.
Both the ladies’ and men’s choruses in Trial are a delight, each being individual characters rather than just a voice, and that gives the show its sparkle and strength. As the plaintiff Angelina, Lucy Gries brings us an impressive soprano voice and a commitment to her character, while Ryan Jacobs as the defendant has a wonderful tenor voice, a natural stage presence and a flair for comedy.
Opening the second act we join Gilbert and Sullivan as we go through the 90-year history of GSOV. As Sullivan, Andrew McGrail brings vivacity and wit to his performance, while as Gilbert, John Parncutt is one of the most impressive performers on the stage, with excellent timing, acting and vocals. I did find McGrail’s stage sideburns rather exaggerated and distracting, but that did not detract from his fine performance.
It seemed that every living past or present performer was involved in the Celebratory History, and it was a great pleasure to hear stalwarts such as Rick Burman, Susan Marshall and John Larcombe sing a most amusing trio bemoaning the perils of old age – they showed why they have been such an important part of the company’s history.
One of GSOV’s best character mezzo-sopranos, Jennifer Wakefield, showed her panache and vocal skills in her Fairy Queen aria from Iolanthe. Marisa Pansarin as early G and S performer Violet Jackson, and Naomi Tooby as herself treated the audience to wonderful performances with fine vocals and polished stage skills. More good solo performances came from Danielle Zuccala as expatriate American G and S performer Maggie Moore, and Serena Waterworth, whose Yum Yum and Mabel were especially fine.
Rachel Buckley brought her acclaimed performance as Queen Victoria to the stage and contributed wit and style, lighting up proceedings whenever she claimed the spotlight.
There were a few minor shortcomings, with the singing ability of the solo males being somewhat variable, and the Celebrated History is a little too long – the audience was shuffling after the two and a quarter hour mark. However, it’s understandable that with such a rich history, Burleigh wanted to give us a compressive walk through time.
The small orchestra under musical director Timothy Wilson was disciplined and gave excellent support to the performers, though occasionally the acoustic solo voices struggled against those forces. Having said that, congratulations for giving us the rare treat of unamplified voices. Diction was generally good, though some people coped better with the demands than others.
Burleigh extracted commitment from every member of her cast and that is why the show works well. While there were many good solo voices, the real star of the show was the chorus. Whenever the male and female choruses combined, the result was quite thrilling.
Overall, “Jubilee” was an entertaining and tightly performed afternoon from the cream of community theatre. Gilbert and Sullivan would have been impressed.
Photo credit: Torquil Syme
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Julie Houghton reviewed “Jubilee”, presented by Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria at the Athenæum Theatre on October 17, 2025.
