ENO: HMS Pinafore – London Coliseum

Writer: Gilbert & Sullivan 

Director: Cal McCrystal 

Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore returns to the London Coliseum in a production that appears unsure of its audience. On the surface, everything glitters: a gleaming ship, bright costumes, and a buoyant, pantomime-like energy that suggests an all-ages crowd. But underneath the shine, the humour underpinning the work feels stranded in a different era. The result is a show caught between two impulses: family-friendly spectacle and a revival that cannot resist leaning on punchlines that no longer land.

The jokes are not especially offensive so much as exhausted. A lightly classist nudge here, a misogynistic wink there, and the familiar parade of fatphobic and ableist asides, all relics of an older comic tradition staged without meaningful interrogation. Their persistence is puzzling, particularly when surrounded by such otherwise polished theatrical craft. Humour has travelled a long way since 1878, and this revival seems unwilling to move with it. The English National Opera’s initiative to bring younger audiences through free under-21 tickets only highlights the dissonance. The references added to modernise the action feel half-hearted, mildly topical rather than genuinely contemporary, and never quite bridge the distance between the story’s Victorian snobbery and the sensibilities of a 2020s crowd.

The central premise also remains a sticking point. Class boundaries and romantic obstacles are staples of comic opera, but here the narrative depends so heavily on a rigid social hierarchy that just no longer exists in the same way, it struggles to hold on to any relevance. And the final twist, neat though it is, undercuts the message of the story and struggles to offer any genuine satisfaction. This leaves the production in a difficult position, disappointingly anchored to a story that resists rejuvenation.

And yet, within the shortcomings of the script and direction, there is considerable talent onstage. John Savournin’s Captain Corcoran proves consistently funny, with crisp diction, musical precision, and a knack for physical comedy. Henna Mun (Josephine) and Thomas Atkins (Ralph) deliver the evening’s most musically compelling moments, their voices soaring across the Coliseum with clarity and ease. Their scenes provide glimpses of a more emotionally grounded production that might have been. Bethan Langford brings sharp physical humour to Hebe, injecting welcome vitality whenever she appears. The guest appearance by Mel Giedroyc is another highlight, handled with comic assurance and an understanding of exactly how far to push a gag without derailing the scene.

The production, designed by takis, is lavishly mounted. The enormous revolving ship gives the action dynamism and scale. Costumes shimmer, the ensemble moves with precision, and the orchestra plays with warmth and full-bodied sweep. In visual and musical terms, the evening often impresses. But spectacle can only do so much when the dramaturgical question remains unanswered: who is this revival for? Too broad for satire, too dated for wit, too polished to dismiss entirely, HMS Pinafore sails handsomely yet aimlessly. The performers work hard, the music is sweet, but the humour never quite finds its sea legs.

Runs until 7 February 2026