No 41 -- Spring 1994 Edited by Michael Walters
The Orpheus Club once again lived up to its high standard of production for this, their centenary year. This was a traditional show with some little local innovations to amuse the audience, like the appearance of "Miss Cranston's Japanese Tearooms". Ko-Ko, played by producer Walter Paul, was as ebullient, full of energy and invention as ever, and the fun in "Here's a how-de-do" had the audience in stitches. He did six encores, ending up with "shooting" the MD when he started up on a seventh. For this performance, owing to the indisposition of Jean Campbell, Betty Stark stood in at literally the twelfth hour to sing Katisha and made an excellent job. It would be unfair to pick out any specific performer in this cast of all-stars, so suffice it to say that David Blackwood, in fine voice, was, as ever, a wonderfully haughty Pooh-Bah, Alyson Raworth a delightful Yum-Yum, ably abetted by a pert and bouncy Chriss Mills as Pitti-Sing and Aileen Holm as Peep-Bo; John Shirreffs was a deep-voiced, tall and imposing Mikado (without the laugh!). I was also impressed by Jerry Taylor as Go-To. Mr. Taylor added a depth of characterisation seldom seen for this small but important principal role. This is the last time, at least for the time being, that Gordon Mabbott takes up his baton for the Orpheus Club, and his presentation of the musical score was certainly a highlight of his musical career and a fitting note on which to bow out.
LINDA WOOD
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