The Eastbourne Gilbert & Sullivan Society is breathing fresh life into a comic opera staple this month, trading traditional staging for a bold, medieval Scottish setting. The society gave the public a “First Look” at The Mikado, Reimagined as The McAdo during a pop-up rehearsal at The Beacon on Sunday, showcasing a production that prioritises creative storytelling and cultural sensitivity.
This regional premiere moves the action of Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous work from Japan to the rugged Highlands. The decision to relocate the story stems from a desire to preserve the show’s legendary wit while moving away from the racial stereotypes often associated with its original 19th-century setting.
Director Cate Couch, who has championed G&S since her school days, believes that shifting the landscape allows the brilliance of the satire to shine through more clearly for a modern audience.
“The society became aware that in Austin, Texas, they had decided to get away from the Japanese idea of The Mikado; to lose the racial stereotypes and set it in Scotland,” says Cate. “It’s very easy to set if we take it back to the medieval period where beheadings still happened… it made it very easy for us to make that transition.”
The aesthetic swap replaces kimonos with vibrant, historically accurate medieval tartans. However, the society is quick to reassure long-time fans that the musical integrity of the piece remains the priority.
“It is exactly the same show bar a few words changing to make sense of Scotland rather than Japan. It’s still the same songs—you will know everything—we’ve just changed the landscape around it,” Cate explains. “If something is changed, then the actual heart of the story, the music, and the words especially, have a different relevance. They perhaps become a little bit more alive because you’re seeing them through a different lens.”
By focusing on the universal nature of Gilbert’s “wordy” comedy and Sullivan’s iconic score, The McAdo aims to prove that these works are most powerful when they evolve.
“Come; because they are so funny. They are wordy funny, they are musically funny, and the story grabs you from the start,” says Cate. “It’s a real joy.”
The society has invited the public to go behind the scenes with a full director interview and rehearsal footage, available at YouTube.com/@eastbournegands.
The Mikado Reimagined as The McAdo runs at the Royal Hippodrome, Eastbourne, from 22nd–24th May.
https://stagingsite.sussexlocal.net/event/the-mikado/
Tickets can be booked via the theatre box office (01323 802020) or online at www.royalhippodrome.com.
