The Mikado, London Coliseum ****

Jonathan Miller's production of the Barber of Seville has aged badly but the same can't be said for his production of Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado. Thanks to Stefanos Lazaridis' set design and Sue Blane's costumes, this production is bright and vibrant, keeping the light- hearted humour of G and S without falling into the more racist, stereotypical pitfalls of the jokes. Carol Grant and Anthony von Laast's choreography is delightful and comic whilst Marc Rosette's and Davy Cunningham's lighting makes the production look joyous. Richard Suart is  wonderfully kniving and sympathetic Ko-Ko, with a brilliantly topical little list including pig-gate and Top Gear and Anthony Gregory as Nanki- Poo is vocally excellent as well as comical. Mary Bevan's Yum-Yum feels effortless as does every performance in this cast. This is truly Gilbert and Sullivan at it's most fun.

The Pirates of Penzance, London Coliseum ****

My first Gilbert and Sullivan could not more different from the typical am-dram production but a Mike Leigh production at the ENO. The first thing to note is that I have never laughed so hard at the Coliseum. This satire on the British hierarchy takes the form of an operetta about a group of pirates who wreak havoc in Penzance (unless you're an orphan or weaker than them). The libretto pokes fun at the respect given to nobility and the useless nature of Britain's constabulary. It is clearly dated yet is still very amusing in its own way. The music is joyous and beautiful, with 'Poor Wand'ring One' being an aria that transcends the frivolous world in which this operetta is set and is sung stupendously by Claudia Boyle. She has the best part in the piece, with Mabel being the most obviously difficult yet effective role. Other parts such the policemen (Jonathan Lemalu) and Stanley (Andrew Shore) are extremely humorous whilst the Pirate King, played by Joshua Bloom, portrays a gentile nature and a gentleman. The ensemble are strong and other parts are similarly well sung. The spoken parts are well projected for the vast space of the Coliseum and the acting is surprisingly good for singers. The set is striking and effective whilst Leigh's direction captures the light-hearted humour. It is a family friendly introduction to opera and a marvellous afternoon at the theatre.