Gilbert & Sullivan
As I mentioned last week, after two relatively solemn outings for Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, I wanted this novel to be funny. Or at least, light-hearted, since an overtly comic novel might be beyond my particular skill set.
Personally, I find the Russell stories funny, whenever I’ve had reason to re-read them, although they have never (yet!) been nominated for any of the comic awards. However, I’ll admit that my own sense of humor is a bit twisted, and in any event, comedy is not easy to write—rather, bad comedy is easy; easy comedy is hard.
I wished to aim at light-hearted. To exalt the ridiculous. To welcome silliness. To polish my sense of farce.
To embrace my inner Gilbert & Sullivan.
The G&S kind of humor isn’t for everyone. It wasn’t even particularly for Sullivan himself, who chafed at being forced to hitch his musical gifts to a cart of Gilbert’s ridiculous plots. (Indeed, this ongoing and increasingly bitter rivalry is one of the most twistedly amusing things about the partnership.) The 1999 film Topsy-Turvy could have used editing down, but it shows the relationship in all its complexity.
Topsy-Turvy isn’t about pirates, or even about Pirates of Penzance, although I swear that one year, Dana Stabenow, Val McDermid and I
are going to perform this song from the Mikado at BoucherCon—if you watch to the end of the excerpt, tell me you can’t just see us warbling it.
But I decided that what we needed were not Japanese ladies (Japan being a book yet to come, and probably without G&S) but pirates. (Mark my words: Pirates are the new vampires.) And so Pirate King was born, with many tips of the hat to Gilbert and Sullivan, and even a Major General.
Why do we like the opera? “Because it’s got a bunch of pirates in it—with a lot of swords!”—
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIYpowYo3Uw&feature=related
Finally, if you want to know just how glorious it is to be a Pirate King, that Australian Cap’n Jackish pirate explains:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2j90qg_5_w
And that is just how solemn this novel will be.
I think one of my favorite G&S tribute/spoofs came from a Aaron Sorkin series that only lasted one season, Studio 60 (on the Sunset Strip). 2 producers have been asked to take over and rejuvenate a failing late night comedy show, a la SNL. Both of the newly tapped producers have baggage, as do all the cast members, and they’re trying to invent a conceit by which they can apologize for some recent major gaffes. What they end up doing is a send-up of I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General, and it’s a spectacular hoot.
Aaah – G+S. I commend Hinge and Bracket to the American audience. They were a pair of female impersonators – Patrick Fyffe (Dame Hlda Bracket) and George Logan (Dr Evadne Hinge) – that became a big hit in the Uk from the mid-1970s through to the turn of the 1990s – on stage, on radio and TV. They performed light operatic songs (including G+S) – Dr Hinge on piano – interspersed with humerous reminiscences and catty backchat. With the death of Fyffe in 2002, the partnership dissolved. Consult Wikipedia and YouTube and enjoy. Trust me, I’m a journalist!
Laurie,
If you could have it ready for Cleveland in 2012, I am sure I would be grateful. Is that doable?
Have what ready? The song itself is on the web site, linked in the blog post. Enjoy!
Laurie,
Have you read Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood. Now that will channel your inner Gilbert & Sullivan and funny to boot.
Yes, I love Kerry Greenwood.