West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 15 July 1941, page 6


SAVOY OPERAS. I "The Lass That Loved a Sailor." (By "Fidelio.") There should be an initiation test for devout Savoyards. They should be able to give the alternative titles of all the operas, and the meaning of every outlandish word in the librettos. They should be able to describe precisely, for instance, the accomplishment of which Captain Corcoran boasts when he sings that he can "ship a selvagee." And they should know which opera it is that. alone in the series, is mentioned by name in another Savoy opera. (Don't you remember, "whistle all the airs from that infernal nonsense, 'Pinafore.' "?).Delightful Delightful nonsense it is, of course, as we were reminded last night when, at His Majesty's Theatre, we renewed our acquaintance with the captain and his gallant crew, not to mention his fair daughter Josephine, Little Buttercup (that "plump and pleasing person"), the First Lord, and his flock of sisters, cousins and aunts. As for the music, who could believe that Sullivan composed this most buoyant score during a period of great physical suffering? The uncommon excellence of the mounting of the operas in the present season was again in evidence. We have never seen Sir Joseph Porter's numerous female relatives make so attractive a spectacle, in handsome costumes in which splashes of red and blue contributed to a vivid, charming picture. Ivan Menzies played Sir Joseph with apt dryness of manner and missed no points. The singing of the principals was a little unequal. As Josphine, Viola Wilson was bright and attractive but somewhat uncertain at times as regards intonation. Maxwell Oldaker and Gregory Stroud were vigorously effective as Ralph Rackstraw and Captain Corcoran, respectitly, Evelyn Gardner (Little Buttercup), Richard Watson (Bill Bobstay), and Bernard Manning (Dick Deadeye) made in each case effective contributions. As curtain-raiser we had Sullivan but not Gilbert. "Cox and Box," Sullivan's first attempt in operetta form, was composed before he met Gilbert. F. C Burnand, the "Punch" humorist, based his libretto on a popular farce by Maddison Morton. Sergeant Bouncer (Bernard Manning) lets the one room to two lodgers, a fact unknown to them, since one works by day, the other by night. On this foundation a piece of hilarious fooling is built. Vincent McMurray and Len Gotting were, respectively, Box and Cox On Thursday "Princess Ida" will succeed "H.M.S. Pinafore."