S. Worthen | Weblog

Here's what I saw en route to Picocon on Saturday when passing by the Science Museum....



The three-or-so hours I managed at Picocon were well-worth the time for seeing friends, less worth the time for the bits of programming I happened to catch. It failed to engage me the way it usually does. Also, the guest of honor about which I knew the least (and was thus the most interested in) as on first, in the morning, before I could be there. After a lovely dinner with makyo, coth, and co. at Chez Jules, C. and I were off to see the ENO's revival production of The Mikado.

I don't remember ever having seen the operetta performed live, although I'm certain I'd seen a movie version years ago. I'd completely forgotten quite how many very famous G&S songs are in it, and, in this production, there were very good singers to sing them. The set design was fun and effective, a large club drawing room primarily in white, with oddball extra objects in it which were sometimes merely thematic - musical instruments - and sometimes useful - such as globes which eventually proved representational in "The Sun and I". Ko-ko was brilliantly acted, and his "I've got a little list" wasn't the only song updated for modern references. The whole thing is just so wonderfully silly!