Gondoliers 2016 (Harrogate)

"The Gondoliers" was LOpSoc's 2016 Summer Show, and was also performed at the International G&S Festival on August 17th in Harrogate. Four of our cast members have been nominated for the UniFest 2016 Awards: Sophie Brant (best character actress), Billy Boulton (best character actor), Barnaby Wilson (best character actor) and Amber Courage (best costumes).

Marco and Giuseppe are two merry republican Venetian gondoliers, recently engaged to Gianetta and Tessa. What is their surprise when, right after their wedding, the Spanish inquisitor Don Alhambra shows up and reveals that one of them is no other than the King of Barataria!

The inquisitor stole the baby prince from Barataria many years ago and brought him to be raised by a gondolier in Venice. Said gondolier died when Marco and Giuseppe were younger, and now the only person who can identify the true King is Inez, the lady who nursed the royal baby back in Barataria. Now with the death of the former King, it is imperative that Marco and Giuseppe leave immediately and assume the throne as one individual. There is only one little problem: ladies are not allowed in the court of Barataria, and so Gianetta and Tessa must remain in Venice...

That, in fact, is just an excuse made up by Don Alhambra. The truth is, the prince of Barataria was married in infancy to Casilda, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Toro. Casilda herself didn't know about her husband, and is desolate when her parents tell her the truth. She is secretly in love with Luiz, her father's servant, and now her dreams seem more impossible than ever before...

Are the gondoliers going to succeed in bringing their republican ideals to Barataria? What will happen when Gianetta and Tessa find out that either Marco or Giuseppe was already married to Casilda? Will the Plaza-Toros regain their status and fortune? Will Don Alhambra find Inez and finally solve this confusion?

Love, gondolas, political ideals, mistaken identities and all the classic G&S plot tweaks and twists meet in Harrogate this Summer!

Production Team

Role	Name
Director	Joe Hand
Director	Owen Perring
Assistant Director	Vikie Miller
Choreographer	Emily Gray
Musical Director	George Smith
Musical Director	Renata Stella
Producer	Jeremy Hunt
Wardrobe Manager	Amber Courage
Assistant Producer	Guillemette Rident

Cast

Role	Name
Marco	Barnaby Wilson
Giuseppe	Stephen Woolford
Gianetta	Mara Bucsinescu
Tessa	Sophie Brant
Duke Plaza-Toro	David Child
Duchess	Venetia Matthews
Casilda	Amy Wardle
Luiz	Ben Walker
Don Alhambra	Billy Boulton
Inez	Rhiannon Creffield
Fiametta	Amber Courage
Vittoria	Katie Giles
Antonio	Richard Kille
Giorgio	Jamie Hizzett
Chorus	Nadia Fundell
Chorus	Rhona Graham
Chorus	Joseph Hand
Chorus	Tom Hudson
Chorus	Stephen Jenkins
Chorus	Jaime Lomeli
Chorus	Abby Pardoe
Chorus	Owen Perring
Chorus	Renata Stella
Chorus	Lucia Watts