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HMS Pinafore Essay

How does Cal McCrystal show the theme of comedy and social class through

set and costume?

Introduction:

I am going to be discussing the academics surrounding the production of HMS

Pinafore (by the English National Opera) that we watched. Gilbert and Sullivans

musical was first presented in 1878 and was widely loved by the public even to this

day. Through watching this production, I noticed Cal McCrystal (Director) based his

intention on the comedy side of the show “We all badly need a jolly good laugh and I

promise that HMS Pinafore will be just that” (McCrystal, 2021), adding in lots of

crude jokes both physically and verbally. His intentions were clear as to make the

audience laugh, as well as showing the theme of social class through the costume.

Many would use the word ‘slapstick’ to describe the theme of this musical.

The set in this show was particularly interesting, and using Esslins’ terms it shows

dietic signs by using parts that indicates a whole. The way they created the boat

using the set was mostly interesting to me as obviously they couldn’t have put a

whole boat on the stage, during the opening scene we get the first glimpse of the

boat, they have basically ‘cut a boat in half’ and what we see would be what the very

front of a boat would look like.

ENO, HMS
Pinafore
2021.

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Critical Performer Performance Analysis
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As seen in the picture above, the ENO have created the front of the boat by showing

the doors that would lead inside the boat. Also, showing the stairs that would lead to

the deck with the helm and the sails, with the ropes (lines) connecting to the top of

the stage implying how they would control the ship. Extending on this, the stage is

not big enough to actually show a full-sized HMS Pinafore, so they have built it to the

extent that the stage can go to whilst it still fully represents a ship. All of these in

Esslins’ terms are dietic signs (specifically index) as they clearly show a boat without

needing to build a whole boat on set. “The dignity of man lies in his ability to face

reality in all its meaninglessness.”, (Esslin, 1961). A critical interpretation of this

quote is that from looking at the image above a boat is clearly shown, but as Esslin

quoted, reality has no meaning in the world of theatre, it’s the meaning that your

imagination sees what becomes your own version of reality when watching a show.

Although nothing is actually real in the show, your imagination can take you to the

point of believing it all is real.

ENO, HMS
Pinafore,
2021.

Hope Cobbing
P2778934
Critical Performer Performance Analysis
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This set in particular amplifies the comedy in their acting, by using the other cast

members to keep interrupting. The conversation that Mrs Cripps and the Captain are

having in this scene is quite a serious one as Mrs Cripps is trying to warn the

Captain that a change is going to happen. While this song is going on an unnamed

character (who is believed to be added for comedic affect) keeps running in to draw

the audience’s attention to him, whilst the Captain keeps getting distracted by the

random interruptions, causing the audience to burst out into laughter. This clearly

shows McCrystal’s intentions of a slapstick comedy as the acting is all over the top

and almost cartoonish.

The costume in this show directly relates to fashion in the 1800s. “Costumes

by takis riff on traditional G&S Victoriana, with rouge-cheeked sailors and an alluring

Dolly mixture of bouncing crinoline for Sir Joseph’s cousins and sisters and aunts.”

(Grant-Said, 2021). The show very clearly took inspiration off of the Victorian Era,

however still added their own modern twist to the costumes.

The ladies are all wearing quite grand dresses as seen in the picture below.

ENO, HMS
Pinafore,
2021.

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Critical Performer Performance Analysis
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The costume designers (Takis) decided to go traditional by adding a Bustle to the

ladies’ dresses, however went against tradition by using really bright colours, this

truly worked with the theme of comedy as traditionally ladies would not be wearing

bright colours and would in fact be wearing quite bland colours.

The theme of social class would be apparent when all the sailors would come in,

they all appear in uniform which immediately shows they are under some kind of

enforcement to wear the same thing which shows them as more of a lower class,

whereas it is evident that the ladies are all wearing completely different colours and

styles to show they are more of an upper class. “a direct visual and aural sign of a

fictional or otherwise reproduced reality” (Esslin (1987):43), the costumes in this

show are certainly reproduced reality from the Victorian era. The visual sign is

essentially what you can see in a show, and what you can evaluate about the show

as your looking at the stage, set or costumes. This then eventually relates back to

the evaluation of social class within costume. Anyone watching the show would be

able to see the divide in social class purely by seeing that the ladies are all wearing

grand dresses with multiple different colours and the sailors are all wearing a set

basic uniform of blue and white stripes. In the modern day you wouldn’t be generally

seeing anyone in those types of grand dresses so it would be clear to an audience

member that they were of an upper class. McCrystal has very clearly shown the

theme of social class in the costumes and the designers ‘Takis’ have done a very

visible job of this.

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Critical Performer Performance Analysis
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Overall, McCrystal has undoubtedly put on an amazing adaptation of HMS Pinafore

and evidently shown his intentions of comedy as well as the theme of social class

within the show. Using the comedy and costumes made the show both enjoyable

and engaging by giving the audience something to evaluate and laugh at, therefore

making it an easy watch. McCrystal’s aim to make the audience laugh was highly

achieved through the use of dietic signs, which directly related to Esslin’s writing of

Theatre of the Absurd. As well as the costume designers using the Victorian style of

bustles on the ladies’ dresses which shows what the social class would’ve been in

that time. McCrystal has definitely put on a show that will be watched for

generations!

Hope Cobbing
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Critical Performer Performance Analysis
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Reference List
(In alphabetical order of surname)

Esslin, M. (1961). The Theatre of the Absurd. Harmondsworth, Middlesex.

Penguin. (Retrieved 27th of October 2023)

Esslin, M. (1987). The Field of Drama. London. Methuen. 43-50. (Retrieved 27th
of October 2023)

Grant-Said, A. (2021). ENO Response: HMS Pinafore reviews.

<https://www.eno.org/news/eno-response-hms-pinafore-reviews/> (Retrieved
2nd November 2023)

McCrystal, C. (2021). Cal McCrystal directs ENO’s first ever production of HMS
Pinafore. <https://musicaltheatrereview.com/cal-mccrystal-directs-enos-first-
ever-production-of-hms-pinafore/> (Retrieved 27th of October 2023)

Seymour, C. (2021). Vibrant visuals and fancy footwork.

<https://operatoday.com/2021/10/vibrant-visuals-and-fancy-footwork-cal-
mccrystals-hms-pinafore-at-english-national-opera/> (Retrieved 8th of October
2023.)

Sky Arts 1. HMS Pinafore Opera with ENO, 06:00 26/03/2023, Sky Arts 1, 120
mins.<https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/3BF3FF25?
bcast=138603303> (Retrieved 27 Oct 2023) 1:15:18.

Hope Cobbing
P2778934
Critical Performer Performance Analysis