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NZ Opera presents The Mikado
March 9, 2017 @ 6:30 pm
| Filled with vibrant colour, sharp blades and even sharper wits, Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic masterpiece The Mikado is a treat for all ages and it’s coming to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in New Zealand Opera’s summer season.
Wacky, hilarious and with its sights firmly set on ridiculing bureaucracy and the British establishment, The Mikado transports us to the imaginary Japanese town of Titipu where Harajuku fashion, mobile phones and Hello Kitty rule. Swinging wildly between dry British humour and zany comedy, The Mikado features self-serving politicians, giggling schoolgirls and a ruler with an excessive fondness for executions. Gilbert & Sullivan’s most famous tunes feature, including ‘Three little maids’, ‘Tit-willow’ and ‘I’ve got a little list’. Featuring a brilliant cast from New Zealand and Australia, the production boasts James Clayton in the title role, with rising Australian tenor Jonathan Abernethy as Nanki-Poo. The comedic lynchpin Ko-Ko is played by the hilarious Byron Coll, best known as All Blacks super-fan Tim in a series of Mastercard commercials. National treasure Helen Medlyn plays the bloodthirsty Katisha and Amelia Berry is the deliciously self-absorbed Yum-Yum. |
Andrew Collis – a “crowd favourite” as Don Magnifico in New Zealand Opera’s 2015 production of La Cenerentola – plays the dryly humorous role of Pooh-Bah, while Robert Tucker – most recently seen on the New Zealand stage as Pirelli in Sweeney Todd – is Pish-Tush.
Debuted in 1885, The Mikado remains an enduring favourite with audiences the world over, thanks to the brilliant language and political satire which remain as fresh as ever. This stunning production was hailed as “laugh out loud stuff” which “fizzes with charm” by reviewers of the Australian season. Don’t miss this fresh take on one of the great comic classics as The Mikado comes to New Zealand for a strictly limited season.
Christchurch, Isaac Theatre Royal
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