A double dose of G&S

May 9 2008 by Val Javin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THEY are firm favourites in musical circles and next week are offering not one show, but two.

Head for the Lawrence Batley Theatre any night from Tuesday of next week (or Saturday afternoon) and you’ll get a double helping of the satirical talents of Gilbert and Sullivan.

The work of Gilbert and Sullivan, witty and hugely entertaining, remains hugely popular today and next week’s twin portions of Trial By Jury and HMS Pinafore should satisfy the most ardent fans.

Huddersfield Gilbert and Sullivan Society has put together a strong team of performers for the two shows, which open in the LBT’s main house on Tuesday.

They will be putting the might of the British legal system under the microscope in Trial By Jury, which promises 45 minutes of non-stop music.

And to follow that they will cast off in HMS Pinafore, a gentle satire on love between different social classes which also manages to poke gently fun at institutions like the Royal Navy, Parliament and at the rise of unqualified people to jobs of authority.

Sounds all too familiar?

The show’s MD is Simon Ackroyd and its producer is Graham Weston. Four of the men in the cast double up in both pieces. Paul Richmond, Bruce Merlin, John Ramsdin and Roger Denison will have to escape the clutches of the law in Trial By Jury before returning to the stage for their roles in HMS Pinafore.

Evening performances begin at 7.15pm with Saturday’s matinee starting at 2.15pm. Box office is on 01484 430528.