Gilbert and Sullivan
At the height of Gilbert and Sullivan's powers in the late 19th Century, the Savoy Theatre in London was built by impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte specifically to stage their works. Their cultural impact is undeniable and their surreal comedy musicals are still loved today. Below is Alice's collection of their works committed to celluloid, along with Mike Leigh's tribute 'Topsy-Turvy'.
The Pirates of Penzance (2007)
7.2/10
Director: Stuart Maunder
Starring: Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Suzanne Johnston
Peppered with unforgettable melodies and tongue-twisting songs, Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta is one of the most popular ever written. Opera Austral... Read more
HMS Pinafore / Trial by Jury (2005)
Director: Stuart Maunder
Starring: Anthony Warlow, David Hobson, Roxane Hislop, Colette Mann, John Bolton Wood, Tif...
Opera Australia reunites these long-standing stage-mates with two fresh productions and an inspired cast. In this filmed recording, Anthony Warlow, Au... Read more
Topsy-Turvy (1999)
7.4/10
Director: Mike Leigh
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Allan Corduner, Ron Cook, Lesley Manville
Filmmaker Mike Leigh's ("Secrets & Lies") serio-comic spin on the stormy collaboration of operatic masters William S. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Arth... Read more
Patience (1995)
8.5/10
Director: John Cox
Starring: Christine Douglas, Anthony Warlow, Heather Begg, Dennis Olsen
All the ladies are in love with poetry - and poets - except Patience. This classic performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera is set in two act... Read more
The Gondoliers (1990)
8.4/10
Director: Brian Macdonald
Starring: David Hosbon, Roger Lemke, Suzanne Johnston
A stylish Australian production of the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta following the story of two men, recently married, who discover that they are need... Read more
The Mikado (1987)
7.7/10
Director: Christopher Renshaw
Starring: Anne-Maree McDonald, Heather Begg, Peter Cousens, Graeme Ewer
Sullivan's ingenious melodic brilliance, derived from his vivid sense of satire, and Gilbert's witty libretto make 'The Mikado' one of the most widely... Read more
The Pirates of Penzance (1983)
7.2/10
Director: Wilford Leach
Starring: Angela Lansbury, Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, Rex Smith, George Rose
Frederic (Rex Smith), who has spent his formative years as a junior pirate, plans to mark his 21st birthday by breaking free from the Pirate King (Kev... Read more
The Pirate Movie (1982)
5.1/10
Director: Ken Annakin
Starring: Christopher Atkins, Kristy McNichol
A parody pastiche of Hollywood's finest films, this musical comedy puts a pop music spin on Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." When pla... Read more
Ruddigore (1982)
5.9/10
Starring: Vincent Price, John Treleaven, Sandra Dugdale
A witch's curse binds each succeeding Lord of Ruddigore to commit a crime a day... or die. Meantime, in the local fishing village, all the young men a... Read more
The Yeomen of the Guard (1982)
7.1/10
Starring: Joel Grey, David Hillman, Elizabeth Gale, Alfred Marks
Surrounded by the battlements of the Tower of London, Phoebe Meryll sits brooding over the coming execution of Colonel Fairfax. Only Phoebe's father,... Read more