The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston is presenting "A Topsy Turvy Mikado", a new take on the classic operetta "The Mikado". The play takes place in 1885 during one of the final rehearsals before opening night. It is directed by Alistair Donkin and features the songs and characters from the original production. The performance puts a new spin on the story by portraying the rehearsal process and including humor about preparing the actors for their roles.

1. Reviewed by Kristen Black

2. The Cast and Crew
Brochure provided by the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston

3. Photos: Gilbert & Sullivan Society
Houston
• https://www.fox26houston.com/morning-
news/420214884-video

4. What is A
Topsy Turvy
Mikado?
• The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston presents A Topsy Turvy
Mikado, a new take on an old favorite. Join us in Victorian England for a fresh
perspective of the original D’Oyly Carte production of the classic Mikado.
• The play within a play, guided by international 30-year G&S star director
and performer, Alistair Donkin, takes place in 1885 during one of the
final rehearsals before opening night. Based on historical records and
hilarious behind the scenes happenings, it features a surprise
appearance by W.S. Gilbert who strives to prepare the original actors for
their roles, plus hear all the songs and dialogue you know and love. Gain
insight on how an opera is created - what you expect is not quite what
you see.
• Don’t miss the international debut of this unique and genuine
performance the whole family can enjoy, produced by the local Emmy-
nominated and award-winning theater group.
https://www.thehobbycenter.org/?q=node/2593
-The description above is the only thing I knew about this
play when I decided to attend a showing of it. I figured it
would be an opera comedy, as it is supposed to be a
behind the scene take on this production. I had many
questions regarding this play, and I am happy to say that I
did my research before attending, or I am afraid that I
would have been extremely lost while viewing it.

5. Description/Elements
• Alistair Donkin did a wonderful job of filling the space of the
stage in a way that felt natural the progression of the
production.
• Each scene used different elements of lights to signify how
serious we, as the audience, should be taking each scene. For
example, red lights over the cast were used to signify crucial
decision that was to made and the majority of the cast was
acting as the characters conscience.
• It was also used to spotlight different characters, when they
had a comedic line approaching, or a line that was spoken
directly to the audience instead of to another character.

6. Description/Elements
• The play begin by showing the audience, the
director's inspiration for this production by
transporting us into a Japanese exhibition.
• Women were interested in traditional Japanese
tea, while the men were introduced to Kendo, a
traditional Japanese style of martial arts which
originated from Kenjitsu.
• All though the rest of the play was set in a
Japanese village of the play itself is a rehearsal
before the final dress rehearsal and the actors and
actress are wearing traditional dresses and
trousers from year 1885.
• The pictures are pulled from google images; I do not own the rights to them.

7. Analysis
• The story of the Mikado is taking place a rehearsal
before the dress rehearsal because of the racially
charged attention that this play was initially receiving.
• The period clothing is now used because the Gilbert &
Sullivan production company thought this was the best
way to get the play itself out into the world without
offend any Japanese, Chinese, or islanders.
• In fact, while searching YouTube for some clips of the
production, as early at last year, this play was
performed with the traditional Japanese garments
instead of period clothing.
• “A 2014 version in Seattle, featuring
white actors donning traditional
Japanese costumes and makeup (or
“yellowface”), drew heavy criticism
and national media attention. The New
York Gilbert & Sullivan Players
scratched its scheduled 2015
production after coming under similar
fire; the next year the company
produced a version featuring an all
Asian-American cast and crew”(Gray).
Gray, Chris. “'A Topsy-Turvy Mikado'
Reinvents the Comic Opera for
Turbulent
Times.” HoustonChronicle.com,
Houston Chronicle, 12 July 2019,
www.houstonchronicle.com/entertai
nment/arts-theater/article/A-Topsy-
Turvy-Mikado-reinvents-the-comic-
14088832.php#photo-17840283.

8. Anaylisis
• The movement of the Characters was precise. Donkin was able to
achieve an easy flow from one scene to the next with ease.
• The use of Japanese drums was used to introduce a new character
into the scene, along with a new song about why they were there.
Each character had a place and was not overused.
• Donkin also used comedic relief whenever it felt like the
performance may become much more serious than what was
intended. For instance, even though it was set in 1885, the
character Ko Ko still sang a song with a modern twist. He referenced
the 59 loop, the infamous Blue Bell Ice cream licker, and of course
Facebook friends who do not actually acknowledge you when they
see you in person. This brought an element of relatability to the
audience which successfully sucked me back into the performance.
• The relationships with the characters was familiar, and energetic.
Considering, Ko Ko wanted to marry Yum Yum, but Yum Yum was in
love with Nanky Poo (who was really the Prince Mikado in disguise).
The two maids who accompanied Yum Yum really brought out
comic relief when Yum Yum was being vain and reiterating that
everyone was in love with her.

9. Interpretation
• The characters of this performance used many expressive qualities.
They used humor to keep the audience interested, Song to expresses
their individual thought process, and even descriptive characteristics
to describe the less than attractive Katisha.
• Katisha herself sang to Ko Ko describing how she was attractive. She
would sing about her right shoulder blade and left elbow, while her
one dangly tooth in the front was something of a marvel that an artist
just could not capture correctly. She implored Ko Ko to see her true
beauty in these features, yet Katisha came off as being power hungry,
flippant, and uncaring.

10. Interpretation
• The live orchestra used drums at the very beginning of this
performance and it immediately made me think of the
Disney movie Mulan. It helped to set the tone of the
Japanese exhibit.
• The idea of this play, was to authenticate the Japanese
culture. During the first act, a Japanese male came out to
teach the men how to use their fans, while a Japanese
female taught the women how to walk and hold their
hands. This relates to Humanities as well as the study of
Religious Anthropology. The way a culture acts and uses the
items that they do is important to their tradition and
beliefs.

11. Evaluation
• I have seen several live performance within the last year,
but I feel this play was different because of the musical
elements. I do not feel that I can fairly compare it to
another performance because of this.
• I feel that the overall performance was a complete
success. The comedic relief from each character helped
to make this successful. The most successful characters to
me where Ko Ko and Pooh Bah. Ko Ko, was an older
gentleman who was clearly in his 60’s but was able to
jump up and down, crawl on the floor, run up and down
the stage steps, and still bring an element of comedy that
reminded me of Michael Caine. He was charming and
absolutely amazing! The character of Pooh Bah was also a
complete delight as he was one man who loved to take
bribes to assuage his multiple personalities. Each
personality served an office of the government and all
decisions were essentially made through Pooh Bah. He
never hid them and frankly owed each personality with a
fever that my younger self would have envied.

12. Evaluation
• One element that did not seem to work, is the way that Gilbert
would stop the production and make changes. The description
states that this is supposed to be a behind the scene look into the
play, but these breaks would happen so little that when the loud
booming voice of Gibson came across the speakers to give either
stage directions or his thoughts on cutting a scene, it just seemed
out of place.
• The other element of this play is to keep in mind that it is
happening in the time period of the late 1880’s. As the characters
are dressed in period clothing, but they are pretending that they
are Japanese and living in small village. I would sometimes forget
where they were until it was referenced, or the drums would begin
to signify a character's entrance. I understand the need for the
change, but I do feel like there should have been more humorous
interruptions through out the plot line to help reiterate that this is
in fact a rehearsal performance.