The Mikado (1967 film)

Cast

Production

The 1966 production of The Mikado by the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was adapted by director Stuart Burge, who had previously adapted such films based on theatre productions as Uncle Vanya (1963) and the Laurence Olivier version of Othello (1965). The direction of the film closely reflects traditional D'Oyly Carte staging of the time by Anthony Besch, although there are some cuts.

The Mikado was filmed at the Golders Green Hippodrome on enlarged stage sets in the same way that Burge had filmed Othello. It starred John Reed, Kenneth Sandford, Valerie Masterson, Philip Potter, Donald Adams, Christene Palmer and Peggy Ann Jones in their usual roles with D'Oyly Carte and used the D'Oyly Carte chorus. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra was conducted by D'Oyly Carte's longstanding conductor, Isidore Godfrey. Set design and decoration was by Disley Jones and Peter Howitt, with costumes by Jones.

Release

The Mikado was released in the United States on 15 March 1967. The UK title was The Mikado: The Town of Titipu.

Reception

The New York Times criticised the filming technique and the orchestra and noted, "Knowing how fine this cast can be in its proper medium, one regrets the impression this Mikado will make on those not fortunate enough to have watched the company in the flesh. The cameras have captured everything about the company's acting except its magic." A reviewer of the video commented: "the performance is extremely flat. One senses that the cast, lacking a live audience to interact with, are merely going through the motions."