This week, Her Campus Exeter caught up with the cast of the upcoming production Princess Ida, bought to you by Exeter University Gilbert and Sullivan Society…
Many students do not know Gilbert and Sullivan, so can you tell us a bit about the shows and why the society is what it is?
Aled: They are parodies of certain topics, so for example this year’s show, Princess Ida, is a parody of women’s education, chauvinism and men’s dominance – it is that kind of parody of women trying to prove themselves superior to men. It is a very good show.
Katie: Because none of the characters are meant to be taken seriously, it is not like you have to invest in the characters. They are almost caricatures.
Aled: One of the best things about G&S is its music. It has fantastic orchestral pieces and quite challenging singing.
Why should students see Princess Ida?
Katie: Operetta is a compromise of musicals and opera, and it is a bit different. It has got the comedy relief of musicals, but the more complex style of Operatic singing. We commit to our art and do our best but we have fun within that.
Aled: Also, within operetta style there is more of a singing range than musicals – people who have interest in musical theatre are mostly limited to tenor for men and soprano for women, like Phantom. With G&S, you have got the four ranges – alto, soprano, tenor and bass. That range makes an even better sound.
How does Ida compare to the other Gilbert and Sullivan shows?
Aled: It is not as well-known as Pirates of Penance or Mikado, which I think are the most famous ones, but it has the same basic themes – making fun of men and women, marriage at the end, people not wanting to fall in love…
Katie: Men in drag!
Aled: That seems to be the main selling point for Ida. I would have volunteered but it seems to be for men with higher voices than myself. Our main tenor has a beard and he is not getting rid of it when he is in drag so it is highly Shakespearean of him.
Why did you choose the suffragette theme for the play?
Aled: It is always interesting to set them in different times, because they are not too period specific. The issues that they make satire of is not really relevant today, so we like to play with the context without pulling it completely away from its origins.
How challenging has it been so far and what challenges do you envisage in the next couple of weeks?
Aled: I think it is the first time we have gotten a ballet troupe in for dancing, because we concentrate on the singing and the dialogue. For once we are spending much more time trying to make it as visually magnificent as possible. I think we nail the singing, though. It really is great.
How relevant are the shows in the modern times and are some of the themes just going to live forever?
Katie: The setting of the university is quite cool – I don’t want to give too much away about the plot. It starts off that there is a guy who was married to a woman at birth to unite their two kingdoms, but she has gone off and started her own university, she wanted to be her own person. She has got all of these women, and they are uniting in trying to become educated.
Aled: They describe men as insubordinate and inferior…
What else do you want people to know about G&S, about Ida, about anything?
Katie: We have worked really hard and we’d love for people to come and support us. And Footlights and Shotgun have only recently started to sell out, because theatre did go out of fashion, but now it’s coming back in, so people should start getting back into going to the theatre.
Aled: And to be honest, the tickets for the Northcott are such good value.
Katie: There is the student standby price – if you buy tickets on the day, they are five pounds for students. It really is worth it.
Tickets for Princess Ida are on sale now, and will be running from 10th to 13th February at the Northcott theatre. Be sure to grab a ticket and see the show for yourself!
To keep up to date with this amazing event check out the event page, follow the Gilbert and Sullivan Society on facebook, or buy tickets here.
Photo Credits: Bethia Atkinson