THE MIKADO Charing Cross Theatre

I have much enjoyed Thom Southerland’s productions on the Fringe in the past and especially his brilliantly staging of the Titanic musical at Southwark Playhouse, which should have transferred to the West End but didn’t because no theatre was available. But his decision to set Gilbert and Sullivan’s in a 1920’s Japanese fan factory makes no sense at all; and with just two baby grand pianos, and no other instruments, the production can hardly be expected to do justice to the score. The actor who comes closest to G&S is Hugh Osborne as Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner.