Express G&S – Wilton’s Music Hall, London

Writer and Director: John Savournin

All aboard! The Express G&S is about to depart for the final leg of its journey from Wilton’s Music Hall station where this 70-minute show will terminate. Charles Court Opera revives John Sovournin and David Eaton’s musical spoof first staged in 2021 which attempts to incorporate as many Gilbert and Sullivan tunes as possible in a freshly conceived story frame, here a train-based murder mystery, which borrows a great deal from Agatha Christie as well. Even aficionados will find it impossible to guess all of the snatches and full tunes performed while newcomers to the work of Gilbert and Sullivan will still enjoy the journey.

Travelling on a luxury train, the famous accented detective Phillipe is drawn into the terrible mystery of the damaged cake trolley – or D’Oyly Carte. With the help of devastated trolley-waitress Bridget and train conductor Reg, the detective narrows down the suspect list aided by the presence of three vital clues at the scene but eventually calls in Inspector Bapp for some official police assistance.

Savournin and Eaton have done a fine job in creating a larger-than-life scenario in which to lever the music of Gilbert and Sullivan, and most jukebox musicals could learn a thing or two from the neat management of composition and its integration into the story. Eaton’s new lyrics fit extremely well into the songs rather than trying to squeeze the plot around the original words, and it helps to create consistency between the book and music with both equally serving the developing mystery and layered comedy.

Given the venue, there is an appropriate Music Hall meets panto humour in the creation of character and the consistently jovial tone which has an integrity of its own, laughing at situations and silly behaviours but still giving individuals some depth and seriousness of purpose that prevents the show from descending into farce. Musically, composer Savournin mixes individual solos, in which even the briefly seen suspects have their own decisive role to play, with duets and trios as well as one in-the-round piece that harmonises different motivations simultaneously.

Performed by Matthew Kellett (the detective), Catrine Kirkman (Bridget) and Matthew Siveter (Reg), the cast take on multiple roles throughout the show with a number of quick-fire changes. Kirkman in particular is adept at the heightened comic tones of Bridget, Chief Inspector Bapp and the old lady suspect who has a sad solo about ageing, while Siveter mixes his kindly conductor with a jolly Fagin-like jester and a pompous nobleman. It is all held together by Kellett whose French accent and curly moustache affectionately parody Christie’s famous equivalent.

Express G&S claims to cover every operetta by the composers and most will certainly recognise the pastiche of Three Little Maids from The Mikado and The Major General’s Song from The Pirates of Penzance but those are the easy ones. The eventual mystery conclusion is a tiny bit disappointing but there is a song about a sausage roll early on to make up for it. There are certainly far less entertaining 70-minute train journeys, so hop on board for this final leg of the Express G&S and let Charles Court Opera take you away.

Runs until 18 August 2023