A GROOVY TWISTS FOR CLASSIC
The Sorcerer Blackpool Grand Theatre

G&S “groovy” ? Who’s been at the G&T in the interval ? I stuck with Just One Cornetto , but who needs Popstar to Operastar when you’ve got excellent ensemble Opera della Luna, masters of crossover, the occasional cross dresser, and a great cross section of audience ? Give them operetta and they produce a tour de force, and farce, singing up a storm. Give them an audience such as last night’s, near-capacity, and, bar the occasional die-hard purist, thoroughly enjoying it, and The Sorcerer was magical indeed. So much so that an 80 year old G&S fan was left enthusing to a group of equally captivated students “I’ve loved G&S since I was your age, and I’ve never seen a show like this before. I rocked with laughter.” Naughty but nice Luna have never played it safe. Pinafore, Mikado, Pirates are more familiar terrain but Sorcerer was G&S’s apprenticeship, served before the big money-spinners, a comedy of manners rather than biting political satire. In this pleasantly potty but ever-so professional company’s hands, the long overdue revival was tweaked into a 70’s sorcerer with a surprise twist; Simon Butteriss pitching “lurve juice” dealer John Wellington Wells’ patter to perfection, Jason King to the Austin Powers-like Alexis of deliciously dictioned Oliver White. The Grand has been starved of major opera, of late, and this was more a substantial appetiser than a feast. More, please, Opera della Luna, Blackpool loved you. Jacqueline Morley