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TFAHETGOS Production of The Mikado, S.C.R.A.P., Kinson Community Centre

IT isn’t often that a show lives up to its hype, but in this instance the publicity was absolutely spot-on, and ‘a fantastically funny and extremely silly version of the operetta’ was exactly what we got, performed in a totally professional manner with some great singing and acting and a smashing orchestra.

The director, Penny Gerken, musical director Jean Holt and virtually everyone on stage is steeped in G&S, so South Coast Really Awesome Productions couldn’t have made a better choice.

They got it all so right, from the pre-show wittering of Chairwoman Mrs Reece (Janet West), mid-show hymn singing and participatory origami session led by the vicar (Bruce Vyner) to the brilliant, hysterically funny on-stage chaos.

A Scottish Mikado with almost total amnesia, a Pooh Bah (or Pooh Bear, according to Ko-Ko) in a designer suit, a Yum Yum with attitude and a drunken pianist made me cry with laughter. And the chorus was – well, words fail me. Let’s just say I shall never look on zimmer frames and maypoles in the same light again.

And, with regard to the programme ‘apology’, I must point out that if Linda Dingle-Dangle had indeed been burnt at the stake, you would not be reading this!

Linda Kirkman

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