On Sunday 6 December, British mezzo-soprano Dame Felicity Palmer presented director Jonathan Miller and the cast and chorus ofThe Mikado with a cake to celebrate the 200th performance of the Gilbert and Sullivan classic at the London Coliseum.
This production first premiered for English National Opera on 21 September 1986 and has delighted audiences for almost 30 years. During this time, it has played to over 400,000 audience members and has been broadcast on ITV (in 1987) and screened live to cinemas across the UK and internationally (3 December 2015).
Original cast members include: Eric Idle playing Ko Ko, the Lord High Executioner, Lesley Garret, Jean Rigby and Susan Bullock as Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing and Peep-Bo, Dame Felicity Palmer as Katisha and the late Richard Angas as the Mikado.
Miller’s ‘glorious production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s best comic opera’ (Daily Express) has become a true audience favourite and is the perfect Christmas treat for all the family. Its Marx Brother’s inspired song-and-dance take on Gilbert & Sullivan has long been a hit with theatre-goers of all ages. Full of high-kicking chorus lines, satirical touches and a wonderfully elegant score it tells the tale of Nanki-Poo and his love for Yum Yum. There’s just one snag. She’s betrothed to Ko-Ko, the new Lord High Executioner. And he needs someone to execute otherwise it’s his own head on the block. Perhaps Ko-Ko and Nanki-Poo can come to some arrangement, without anyone losing their head?
The Mikado runs until 6 February 2016 www.eno.org
photos(c) ENO/Richard Hubert Smith