In trawling people’s status updates last week to enjoy the ‘WS Gilbert World Status Day’ madness, it occurred to me that a good few of the G&S lines are marred, marked, starred, scarred, blemished or otherwise tarnished by experiences I have had of them. I don’t at all mean this in the negative way, merely that I can no longer hear the line in one context without referencing it in another, making a direct and often surprisingly strong connection to a memory. I’m pretty sure this must be something common to everyone who performs, though feel free to contradict me. I have compiled a list for your enjoyment of the overriding memories coming from many of the world’s favourite Gilbert quotes. Happy times!
Ruddigore
“I am the spectre of the late Sir Roderick Murgatroyd...”
Steven (alias Sir Roderick) answering his shoe phone hilariously with an interpretation of the above – also Rory’s exaggerated creepy walking in time to the music
“What is it, have you carried her off?”
Steven delivering his line in the dark because the lights just didn’t come on. Kayleigh unable to keep a straight face.
“I get my crime over with first thing in the morning”
Richard’s bizarre and amusing ‘Transylvanian’ or Sesame Street’s ‘The Count’ accent
“…Step down from their frames..”
Laura W forgetting her line and merely repeating ‘from their frames’ several times until she remembered it
“Roddy Doddy!”
THAT Scottish accent.
“Belay? Certainly not.”
Sebastion, full of smooth moves, getting a kiss from his Rose Maybud
Iolanthe
“Distinctly. I have always kept my duty strictly before my eyes and it is to this fact that I owe my advancement to my current distinguished position.”
This conversation between the Lord Chancellor and Strephon, in the HUGSS version, included a rather precarious pair of short shorts, and Ryan’s crotch uncomfortably close to Alex’ face; possibly one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen.
“Dignified and Stately! Stignified and Dately? ”
Double D, stumbling forward, drunk!
“Never, Oh Never, A one for me!”
Can't hear this without remembering Liam’s insertion of three words (“GAME! SET! MATCH!”) over the chords following the line.
“Tis I, Young Strephon!”
Memories of Alex, on the last night, milking his exceptionally long “I” for all it was worth!
“Away we go to Fairy Land!”
Never complete without Dee’s little voice saying ‘Fairyland?! Great!’ a la HUGSS 2008
Mikado
“Every cloud has a silver lining”
Seanny, in a move of surprising ironic humour, pointing his silver tunic lining out to the unsuspecting audiences
“Abroad? His address!” followed by… “To Italy!” “To Italy?!?” “…to Whitley Bay”
Paul, enjoying Keith or Peter’s hilarious local reference
Pinafore
“I attach but little value to rank or wealth”
Aidan, getting his ‘w’ and ‘r’ mixed up…!
“Three loving pairs on the same day united!”
Elizabeth’s attention seeking Phoebe
“Farewell, my own, light of my life, farewell!”
I will never hear this again without laughing at poor Kate trying to find the button on the keyboard which turns off the accidental ‘Drum and Bass’ rhythm!
“Go, ribald, get you hence, to your cabin with celerity!”
Liam replacing ‘cabin’ with ‘cabbage’ and ‘celerity’ with ‘celery’
Grand Duke
“But darling, what do you expect for eighteen pence a day?”
Two on this one; Elizabeth’s Russian Daaahrlink, and Richard’s rehearsal-version Gay New Yorker!
“I was thinking of embracing you, my sugar plum!”
Matthew, in several conversations pre-dating the performance, trying to make the Sugar Plum sound as creepy as possible
“Oh no he’s not!/ Oh no HEEEE’S not!”
Matthew again, a penchant for hilarious donkey noises which spurred on uncontrollable laughter. Alo, not attached to a line, but just after this, the 'RRRRUUUFFF' noise in the dance :)
“His beautiful daughter”
Aidan and Jamie manning the Greek Men volume front in absence of all others!
Yeomen
“Oh thoughtless crew, ye know not what ye do…”
Liam being horrifically murdered in Peak Opera’s Yeomen; surprisingly emotional!
Ida
“We rather think he dares but never never mind!”
Brian, leering over soldier’s shoulders as the peppery Hildebrand
The Gondoliers
“Old Xeres we’ll drink, Manzanilla, Monterro”
Laura and Laura, with ‘Old Dog Head we’ll drink’…
“A plate of macaroni and a rusk?”
Jonathan’s infectious laughing fit at revealing SavoyNet’s intriguing pasta dish creation
“Then away we go to an Island fair, that lies on a Southern Sea”
The incredible sadness which I actually felt for touching silhouetted wives left behind in Venice while the Gondoliers sailed away; the most empathy I have ever suffered for a character or scene
Pirates
“On his mother;” “ON HIS MOTHER?!?!”
Ryan and Rory in the hilarious and unique Geordie Policemen Duet
“A policemen’s lot is not a happy one – happy one.”
Will never be complete again without a yawn and an ‘I hate you!’ at the end, a-la Rory and Ryan
“We charge you yield, in Queen Victoria’s name”
Jon, enjoying Ryan’s brain child, the horrendously posh sounding well-placed ‘Bugger.’
I’m absolutely positive that there are many more G&S lines than this which have mental notes permanently attached to them, but they escape me at the present. One day I shall endeavour to complete the list! I’d love to hear other people’s marked lines one day too :)
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