REVIEW: The Mikado | ICW Productions
Sometimes the old classics need a little 21st century reboot. ICW Productions and Mark Barford have updated the perennially popular Gilbert & Sullivan comic opera The Mikado at the Regal Theatre with a lot of flair, new lyrics and a few iGadgets. Taking his visual cues from Japanese Anime and his re-written lyrical cues from current headlines, Barford has given this Victorian British satire a decidedly modern Western Australian slant.
One of the joys of these types of modernisations is the anticipation of seeing what gets reinvented scene by scene; there’s plenty of that to look forward to, although the updates probably won’t upset the traditionalists either.
The simple set (designed by Sara Chirichilli) comprises a bridge and two trees adorned with pink fairy lights and small cherry blossoms; it is beautifully lit with an ever-changing lightscape of pastels designed by Jenny Vila. The costumes (also designed by Chirichillis) range from Sailor Moon-esque, to traditional Japanese, to Bride of Frankenstein/evil Disney queen.