Gilbert and Sullivan: Their biggest success - "The Mikado" | A Motley Pair (4/5)

Simon Butteriss explores the success of "The Mikado" and the rewriting of Ruddigore, while hearing how a sceptical Jonathan Miller set about directing a Gilbert & Sullivan operetta.
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Gilbert and Sullivan are synonymous for British operetta. This celebrated collaboration has been one of the most successful in music history and yet most music lovers outside the English speaking world just about know of "The Mikado". Of Sullivan's more serious work little or nothing is known and even in the UK almost non of it is performed today. But the operettas resulting from the collaboration with the gifted poet W. S. Gilbert have achieved fame through the D'Oylo Carte company and its successors, the Carl Rosa Opera Company. Time for a close look at what made this unique couple tick.
Simon Butteriss’s in depth look at the works of Gilbert & Sullivan is brought to life in this five part documentary, including commentaries from Michael Ball, Germaine Greer and Dr Jane Glover. Musical and dramatic excerpts illustrate the narrative in addition to some important archive footage and specially recorded performances by our own repertory company, including world renowned G&S soloists like, of course, Simon Butteriss himself.
Original title: "Gilbert and Sullivan - A Motley pair (4/5): Night After Night to the Wicked Theayter"
Written and presented by Simon Butteriss
Directed by Tony Britten
Produced by Capriol Films
© 2010, licensed by Poorhouse International

[@fizzao1342]

Yeoman making me cry all over again. Bravo!

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

Simon Butteriss is just beyond superb -- six stars out of five -- and this series is a treasure.

[@tommytar222]

Thank you for putting this together.

[@oldcremona]

24:22 YOTG is my favorite G&S opera and I've never seen the final scene done so powerfully.

[@mariashelly6392]

So glad I found this!

[@harpo345]

I always found Jonathan Miller the most appallingly self-satisfied intellectual snob and this has confirmed me in that view.

[@jstevenson7121]

Yes. Of all those satirical geniuses of that era (Cooke, Moore, Python's etc. etc.) Miller always just rubbed the wrong way. Pretentious twit.

[@thomasw.eggers4303]

What Mikado performance is this from? I would really love to get a full performance. It looks delightful!

[@jvgreendarmok]

18:51 Eric Lewis... who Simon Butteriss himself played in Mike Leigh's "Topsy-Turvy". :)

[@Nina5144]

Miller’s comments were cut here. He says he hates G&S and compares their patriotic songs and fans as similar to UKIP, Germaine Greer (who will start an row in an empty room) calls the patriotism and fans as ‘racist’. Yet G&S are hugely popular throughout the world

[@webz3589]

He is an insufferable burk. Of course to people like him, anything that doesn't shit all over Britain in the most hateful, non subtle manor must be racist 🙄

[@maximilianpound1700]

His words are previously shown in an earlier part so they are not cut and the viewer if watching chronologically is aware of his opinions and therefore understand why his opinions on the mikado are rather unique

[@lekmirn.hintern8132]

@@maximilianpound1700 "Rather unique"... nicely put. I've always been surprised at how G&S fans always seemed to be so pleased with his MIKADO, which was just pus. "Let's take the greatest musical comedy ever written and drain all the humor out of it." Yeah, brilliant.

[@dimetronome]

Plus, the G&S song most often interpreted as being "patriotic" and most frequently used by ultra-nationalists on the far-right ('He Is an Englishman!') is so obviously a satire of patriotism.

[@jaapweel1]

Germaine Greer's bit is in the 2/5 segment (different video) and she manages to somehow wiggle her TERF nonsense into a 2 minute soundbite on Gilbert and Sullivan, it's amazing.

[@foveauxbear]

The sword falling from the wall anecdote has been never proven to have happened. According to research done for the movie Topsy Turvy.

[@jeffreyhoward879]

Who is the glorious soprano at 21’ 24”?

[@jvgreendarmok]

I think it's Charlotte Page.

[@jeffreyhoward879]

@@jvgreendarmok - thought so. I was at the RAM with her.

[@oldcremona]

0:06 I know not of what he speaks

[@nrm77]

Condescending much Jonathan Miller?

[@tomshea8382]

Way too much post-modern wise-assery in the little performances.

[@thomasw.eggers4303]

The first time I heard the Mikado was on a 33 in 1957. I loved it then, and I love it now. The "post-modern wise-assery" gives an interpretation I had not heard before. I'm still deciding whether or not I like the interpretation, but it was interesting.

[@joanr3189]

Miller seems to lack a sense of humour.