Gilbert & Sullivan inevitably evoke nostalgia for a vanished era but Geraldine Brophy's robust, stripped down treatment of HMS Pinafore suggests their inimitable brand of musical mirth could easily win over a new generation.
The production is framed with a vignette of a Victorian touring company washing up in the New Zealand bush and the complex orchestration is replaced by sparkling piano accompaniment from Musical Director Tim Bridgewater.
The chorus of seamen along with a gaggle of 'sisters, and cousins, and aunts,' punch out the songs with the verve of well-drilled choristers and throw themselves in to the boisterous choreography.
There is an endearing chemistry between the romantic leads, with Tizane McEvoy's fine soprano expressing the ambivalence of a Captain's daughter who has fallen for a common sailor.
