THE COMPLEAT WORKS OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN, ABRIDGED !

By calling its latest production "The Compleat Works of Gilbert and Sullivan", the G & S Society of Nova Scotia is making an awfully large claim. After all, Gilbert and Sullivan wrote 14 complete musicals over their long and successful collaboration. Director Jolene Pattison quickly points out the word Abridged! has been added to the ambitious title. “It’s in the spirit of the delightful romp, The Compleat Works of Wm. Shakespeare (Abridged) which dashes through each and every play by the Bard.” Pattison says she was inspired to create her revue when she was asked about a production of The Mikado – “Is that the one where the Japanese girl falls in love with a sailor?” She started thinking about how the various shows really do sort of blur into one another – with similar stock characters, patter songs and improbable plot twists. So why not write your own G&S show? And include all your favourite tunes? She came up with a madcap story of a girl’s military academy, led by a female Major-General, in competition with a group of male sailors. This gives the group the excuse to sing songs like We Sail the Ocean Blue, A British Tar and Cat Like Tread. A comic commentator (Michele Gaudet) guides the audience through the basic elements of G&S. Pattison was one of the stars of Red, Hot and Cole at the Theatre Arts Guild last season. She has recruited several of her fellow cast members for the new show. Among them are Stuart Hiseler (Cole Porter himself), Karen Myatt, Lori Proulx and Rayna Smith-Camp. A real Gilbert and Sullivan gem, Trial by Jury, rounds out the comic evening.

SAT, NOV 25, 3006    8pm    
THE PEARL THEATRE, LUNENBURG

FRI, DEC 1 & SAT, DEC 2, 2006@ 8 pm
ST GEORGE’S CHURCH, HALIFAX

CAST & CREW

SHOW PICTURES