THE MIKADO, Paisley M & O.S., 70th Anniversary Production, 3 Oct. 1978, Park Mains Theatre, Erskine.

The costumes were very fresh and colourful, the only one resembling DOC being Koko's. The set, with very minor alterations, was the same for both Acts. It was simple but functional with a lotustree [sic] at the back and a walkway in front of it. The hit of the show was Douglas Pender's Nanki-Poo. His clear tenor voice made every word audible. This young man has improved considerably over the last two years and has got rid of that "awkward" appearance. Bill Puckrin's strong baritone voice (Mikado) has acquired more character and I felt he was capable of more visual impact if his producer (Marjory Miller) had seen the opportunities. His costume was poor. He also had only a small fan PoohBah's was twice the size. Jim Walker's PoohBah started by imitating Jim Callaghan/Dennis Healy then settled down to an adequate performance. Tom McVeigh's PishTush was relaxed and controlled. Margaret Murdoch (YumYum) sang "The sun whose rays" beautifully and acted well, too she looked a bit like Julia Goss. Alan Donald (KoKo) was, I felt, miscast he would have made a good Jack Point but his somewhat whining voice and poor singing and dancing didn't endear him to me. He missed out a lot on the visual business, especially in "Here's a howdedo" when all that was done was different sized fans, and a scooter that was mobile on the first occasion and under tow by AA Relay for the second. In "TitWillow" he just stood and sang. I was a little disappointed, too, in Janice Holms as Katisha. Her singing was weak, even in a small theatre, and she was too motherly in appearance and character to scare me. The orchestra, led by MD Derek Norval, was a bit hesitant at beginning, but the drummer must have got a kick at belting his big bass drum at the prescribed moment and making the whole audience jump two feet in the air. On balance I enjoyed it, but I felt that Bill Puckrin would have been a funnier KoKo and Alan Donald a more forbidding Mikado. LINDA WOOD

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