2002 – The Mikado

The Mikado

(or The Town Of Titipu)

by W.S.Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan.

Monday, 13th May to Saturday, 18th May, 2002
The Spadesbourne Suite, Burcot Lane, Bromsgrove.

Cast And Credits

  • Stage Director: Roberta Morrell
  • Musical Director: Malcolm Procter
  • The Mikado Of Japan: Ian G Cox
  • Nanki-Poo (his son): J Paul Murdock
  • Ko-Ko (Lord High Executioner): Roger Hanke
  • Pooh-Bah (Lord High Everything Else): George Brooks
  • Pish-Tush (a Nobel Lord): Alan Wagstaff
  • Yum Yum (a sister): Sue Troth
  • Pitti-Sing (a second sister): Karen Perrey
  • Peep-Bo (a third sister): Jan Harvey
  • Katisha (An elderly Lady in love with Nanki-Poo): Judith Horton

Synopsis

Nanki-Poo is in love with Yum-yum, butpreferred banishment to an enforced marriage to Katisha, a lady somewhat older than himself. He has become a wandering minstrel and returns to Titipu in disguise only to find his loved one on the eve of her marriage to Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner. Nanki-Poo reveals his true identity to her and makes it clear how he would woo her if she were not plighted to Ko-Ko

Ko-Ko has his own problems and has been under sentance of death for flirting! He also learns that he will lose his position if he doesn’t execute someone within a month. Nanki-Poo is persuaded to offer his own head in exchange for a month of connubial bliss with Yum-Yum. Yum-Yum’s ardour for Nanki-Poo is somewhat reduced, however, when she discovers that the wife of a beheaded husband is buried alive!

The feared Mikado arrives with Katisha and Ko-Ko falsley tells the Mikado that the execution has already taken place, as he has been too cowardly to behead anyone. Katisha discloses who Nanki-Poo really was, the heir to the thrown, Ko-Ko has thus beheaded the heir and must therefore die.

Ko-Ko persuades Katisha to accept his hand in marriage, brings Nanki-Poo ‘back to life’, and, of course, as there has to be a happy ending, Nanki-Poo ends up with his beloved Yum-Yum.

Song List

Act 1:

  • If You Want To Know Who We Are (Mens Chorus)
  • A Wand’ring Minstrel I (Nanki-Poo)
  • Our Great Mikado, Virtuos Man (Pish-Tush and Chorus)
  • Young Man, Dispair, Likewise Go To (Pooh-Bah with Nanki-Poo and Pish-Tush)
  • And I Have Journey’d For A Month (Nanki-Poo and Pooh-Bah)
  • Behold the Lord High Executioner (Ko-Ko)
  • As Some Day It May Happen (Ko-Ko with Mens Chorus)
  • Comes A Train Of Little Ladies (Ladies Chorus)
  • Three Little Maids From School (Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing with Ladies Chorus)
  • So Please You, Sir, We Much Regret (Yum-Yum, Peep-Bo, Pitti-Sing and Pooh-Bah with Ladies Chorus)
  • Were You Not To Ko-Ko Plighted (Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo)
  • I Am So Proud (Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah and Pish-Tush)
  • With Aspect Stern And Gloomy Stride (All)

Act 2:

  • Braid The Raven Hair (Pitti-Sing with Ladies Chorus)
  • The sun, Whose Rays Are All Ablaze (Yum-Yum)
  • Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day (Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Nanki-Poo and Pish-Tush)
  • Here’s A How-De-Do! If I Marry You (Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko)
  • Mi-ya-sa-ma, Mi-ya-sa-ma (Chorus, Mikado and Katisha)
  • A More Humane Mikado Never Did In Japan Exsist (Mikado and Chorus)
  • The Criminal Cried As He Dropped Him Down (Pitti-Sing, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah and Chorus)
  • See How The Fates Their Gifts Allot (Pitti-Sing, Katisha, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah and Mikado)
  • The Flowers That Bloom In The Spring (Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko with Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing and Pooh-Bah)
  • Alone, And Yet Alive (Katisha)
  • On A Tree By A River, A Little Tom-Tit Sang, Willow, Tit-Willow (Ko-Ko)
  • There Is Beauty In The Bellow Of A Blast (Katisha and Ko-Ko)
  • For He’s Gone And Married Yum-Yum (All)