The Mikado at Pilbeam Theatre

A world of forbidden love and delightful satire.! A true romantic comedy, Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado is fresh, fun, cheeky … and in English. Set in a Japan that never actually existed, this hilarious parody unfolds in the mythical town of Titipu, a place where flirting has become a capital crime – punishable by death. Disguised as a travelling musician, Nanki-Poo, the runaway son of the Mikado (the Emperor of Japan) meets and falls in love with Yum-Yum, the young ward of Ko-Ko, a low-cost tailor in the town of Titipu, to whom she is betrothed. All seems lost for the travelling troubadour, that is, until he hears that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for the crime of flirting. Gilbert and Sullivan’s spicy dip into the world of subterfuge and political satire has been thrilling audiences for generations, but seems even morepoignant today. In an incurably bizarre world, this colourful production of The Mikado proves that laughter is still the best medicine.