Review: ADELAIDE FRINGE 2014: PIRATES OF PENZANCE ON THE POPEYE Brings Outdoor Freshness To A Favourite Operetta

Reviewed by Christine Pyman, Friday 28th February 2014

Up close and personal, by necessity, this packed show on the riverboat Popeye generated great excitement and enjoyment from its patrons. Having pirates brandishing cutlasses as the ringing tones of Gilbert's and Sullivan's famous operetta sounded out over the river in Pirates of Penzance on the Popeye was a fabulous experience that, I suspect, most would willingly repeat.

Sporting wonderful costumes and singing to live music, courtesy of pianist Andrew Georg, this team of great performers wowed us from the very first "Ahoy" from Jolly Roger brandishing Pirate King, baritone Andrew Turner, to the last Poor Wandering One chorus from the cast.

Ably directed by the Pirate King himself, with musical direction from Emma Knights, this entire show was a delight, with pirates and policemen rushing along the gangway, a bevy of beauties gambolling along the Torrens bank, and a wonderfully droll Major General, Andrew Crispe, whose performance of the tongue twistingly I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Major General was nothing short of breathtaking.

Lisa Cannizzaro's beautiful voice was perfection itself for our heroine, Mabel, and she was flanked by Megan Doherty and Karina Jay as the other beauties, Edith and Kate.

Michael Denholm was a suitably manly hero as Frederick, the indentured apprentice whose conscience leads him to attempt to abandon the gentlemen of the sea and become a policeman, with a performance which would have graced any stage, so to experience this so closely was a treat.

Wendy Rayner's Ruth was richly portrayed in the grand comedic fashion, with Lindsay Prodea rounding out the cast to be a pirate and a policeman by turns, and each being a superb portrayal, even down to details such as accent.

Even the actual Captain of the Popeye, Tony Shurman, got into the act with costume, eye patch, and 'ayes'. This entire show was a delight, following the original operetta, and yet bringing a freshness that G & S would have appreciated.

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