The Mikado at the Civic Theatre

By HEATH LEES

When Jon English and company blazed through the country a few years ago with a hilariously spoof "Mikado" they left the work little more than a smoking ruin.

Now here's the Royal Carl Rosa company bringing it to life again, but playing it elegantly down the middle in a Peter Mulloy production that attempts to return to Gilbert's own 1885 Savoy Opera form.

The reward comes in the costumes and lighting, which make the show a feast for the eyes. From the stunning, gold-embroidered black of the Mikado himself down through the spectrum of primary colours for the men and the women's soft pastels, to the colourful but simple tunic of the terribly common (but secretly high-born) minstrel, the costumes take pride of place, and the indulgent lighting makes sure you don't miss a stitch. Mulloy is obviously a fan of the fan too - at every moment they quiver elegantly or burst into life threateningly, and their designs are sumptuous.

It's not such a treat for the ears alas, since the large Civic space swallows up the somewhat small sounds of people who, in true G and S tradition, are chosen less for the strength and beauty of their voices than for their gift of articulating words at speed.

And what words! Gilbert's chief gift was to mobilise the English language and bend it into prattle - delicious prattle that dates badly, but always generates excitement from audiences that enjoy the challenge of following at high speed.

Sullivan's contributions, the tunes, were not so fresh as one would have liked, though the small orchestra was a nice mixture of Savoy and music-hall, and the set-pieces including the wistful Wedding Madrigal were neatly done.

Apart from Peter Ellis's Mikado, none of the voices stood out, indeed the women's roles were often quite disappointingly sung. Lesley Cox's substitution for an indisposed Yum Yum was valiant, but last-minute.

But Simon Butteriss kept things alive as Titipu's Lord High Executioner, and his "little list" had some Kiwi updates that hit home brilliantly.

Overall, this "Mikado" is more of a sumptuous historical re-creation than a sprightly musical drama.