The Mikado Review

The highlight of this show has to be the musical talent from the whole cast, especially when they were singing all together as a chorus. It was nothing short of outstanding and felt an honour to be able to witness such talent in a small, intimate space. In particular, I loved watching flautist and chorus member, Erica Flint, playing the flute both on and off the stage. The fantastic staging meant that her transitions between the two were seamless and her presence on stage added a whimsical element to the show which felt very fitting. 

Nicholas Curry who played Nanki Poo also carried an instrument with him; as the ‘second trumpet’ he had the instrument casually hanging around his body like a guitar and did a masterful job of switching between playing and singing. Curry’s charming character and his relationship with Tilly Goodwin’s Yum Yum was a joy to watch – you’d be hard pressed not to fall in love with them both. They were bright eyed and bushy tailed as they stared into the spotlight, and with their perfect pitch and playful interactions Curry and Goodwin did a great job of leaving their mark on The Mikado.

There is a tradition to update the lyrics to the song, ‘I Have a Little List’, where the Lord High Executioner names all the people who wouldn’t be missed if they were to be executed. It went down a hit with the audience to hear contemporary references made (I’m sure I don’t need to spoil those – you can probably guess who was top of the list…). It was brilliantly delivered by Fed Zanni as Ko Ko and I felt that he was one of the star performers from the night; the source of most laughs due to his caricatured impressions of a typical fool and villain, as well as having an incredible voice to match.