by Maggie Baring
In 1939, red-headed 28-year-old Viola Hogg embarked on a yearlong tour of Australia and New Zealand with the Australian Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, where she played the principal roles for many of their famous operettas, including Josephine in HMS Pinafore, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. It was during her tour of Australia that she met her husband, Frank Tait, who was one of the Tait brothers who contributed significantly to the prosperity of C.J. Williamson’s, an Australian theatrical management company. Viola’s involvement in opera, in particular the operas of Gilbert and Sullivan, led to her membership of the order of Australia, the writing of two books, and a lifelong commitment to the arts in general; helping to establish the Performing Arts Museum in Melbourne and serving for a short time as artistic director of the Williamson Company.
This inspirational woman, who died in 2002 — the year before I was born – is my great-grandmother, and has been a personal inspiration to me in my artistic endeavours. When Durham Opera Society, therefore, began opening positions for Assistant Director for their upcoming operetta, HMS Pinafore, I jumped at the chance to continue her legacy in some form, and to contribute to the revitalisation of opera for audiences who have, since the mid 1940s, increasingly lost interest.
Audiences often see opera as an elite form of performance, with inaccessible lyrics (often in a different language), expensive tickets and formal dress requirements. One of DOE’s (Durham Opera Ensemble) aims with our production this term, which will be staged in early March (29th February-2nd March), is to debunk these elitist tropes; encouraging informal attire and offering tickets at affordable prices. Gilbert and Sullivan operas are the perfect performances to stage in order to raise the appeal of opera for modern audiences and the younger generation. Pinafore is written in English, containing moments of comedy and satire, whilst the songs themselves are memorable and highly energetic. Recognisable songs and lyrical phrases such as ‘He Is An English Man’ and ‘Sisters, Cousins and Aunts’ will remain stuck in audiences’ heads after the production, if they weren’t already ingrained there from the sheer fame of these iconic scores. The potential for slapstick and pantomime in Gilbert and Sullivan are also endless and deeply exciting for a director.
DOE’s attempt to appeal to families with young children is a part of the company’s vision of inspiring a love for opera in young hearts that has perhaps been lost in the modern era. DOE has allocated a specific performance (the Saturday Matinee) and are also encouraging informal attire when attending the production. It is unfortunate that often, when one asks their friends if they have seen an opera, the reply is often that they have never been due to expense, a lack of interest or an inference that it only appeals to an older generation. The rare occasion one has been, it is often because one of their grandparents forced them.
But Opera does not have to be such an intense, formal and confusing experience. When I first watched a Gilbert and Sullivan production, I was struck by its similarity to musical theatre (the same caricatured cast, vibrant and recognisable songs, simple storyline), and its sense of fun and informality. Furthermore, if one looks for more than just entertainment in their viewing-choices, Gilbert and Sullivan, and HMS Pinafore in particular, also includes some topical debates and political satire about the role of class in society.
Tickets for the production are already on sale on the DOE website, and I thoroughly recommend a visit. Only a few weeks into intense rehearsals, and the show is shaping up nicely, with a dedicated cast and passionate creative team. The performances will be held at the Assembly Rooms Theatre in week 18.