The Mikado, London Coliseum

When Arthur Sullivan presented the unjustly neglected composer Ethel Smyth with his oratorio The Golden Legend and claimed it was his best work, the usually seriously-minded dame had to demur: The Mikado (1885) was his masterpiece. Gilbert & Sullivan’S mid-career operetta has achieved a level of fame that quite surpasses their other beloved collaborations. With its Eastern flourish, biting critique of Victorian politics and memorable tunes, The Mikado has transcended its satirical origins to become one of the key pieces of the English operatic repertoire.

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Jonathan Miller’s production for the English National Opera, almost thirty years old today, might just be that director’s finest hour too. Revived constantly since its original appearance, Miller transformed the Japan-inspired town of Titipu into an elegant 1930s grand hotel – ramping up the libretto’s very English sense of camp while forsaking its nineteenth century orientalism. The edges are softened, creating something so sweet that Miller has claimed to want his audience to feel as if “they have overeaten an enormous meal of cream meringue”. There cannot be a better introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan’s delightful work, which is all too often regarded an anachronism.
There have been enhancements and updates through the years, with contemporary references thrown in each revival, but Miller’s original vision still stands intact. The exuberant sets by the sadly deceased Stefanos Lazaridis remain, as does Anthony van Laast’s winningly bizarre choreography. And Richard Suart, who has played the central comedic role of Ko-Ko since the 80s, remains on hand to enliven proceedings. ENO Harewood Artists Mary Bevan and Anthony Gregory play the almost-starcrossed lovers Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo, while veteran bass Robert Lloyd makes his Mikado debut in the title role. The music will be lead by the promising young composer Fergus Macleod, here making his debut as the ENO’s Charles Mackerras Fellow.