ED2011 2/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews

About Gilbert (Without Sullivan) (Mercators)

By | Published on Wednesday 31 August 2011

A series of dramatised readings and extracts from the life and letters of W.S. Gilbert, ‘About Gilbert (Without Sullivan)’ is an informative play, if a rather dull one. Edinburgh’s own Mercators were unlikely to be riotous – mostly pillars of the community, they are part of the city’s oldest amateur dramatics society – but their subject matter doesn’t do them many favours; of all the great Victorian figures, Gilbert doesn’t have the most fascinating biography. Much is made of the supposed controversy surrounding ‘The Mikado’, briefly banned in 1907, but that can’t disguise the limited plot. The cast enjoy themselves, but at 80 minutes it’s a long play, and unless you have a passion for Victorian librettists it’s liable to drag.

Mayfield Salisbury Church, 8 – 13 Aug, 6.30pm (7.50pm), £8.00 – £10.00, fpp236.
tw rating 2/5
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