October 2024
The Mikado
by Gilbert & Sullivan
The Mikado
Act 1
The curtain opens to reveal the picturesque Japanese town of Titipu where the local nobles are engaged in their usual pastime of singing all about themselves.
Our hero Nanki-Poo, the runaway son of the Mikado disguised as a wandering minstrel, enters and asks where he might find Yum-Yum, a maiden whom he saw and fell in love with last year. He backs up his deception by performing several numbers from his catalogue of wandering minstrel songs accompanied by the enthusiastic throng.
Nanki-Poo has returned to Titipu having heard that Yum-Yum's guardian, the cheap tailor Ko-Ko, has been condemned to death for flirting. However, the nobleman Pish-Tush explains that not only is Ko-Ko still betrothed to Yum-Yum, but that he has now been promoted to the rank of Lord High Executioner. The haughty Pooh-Bah, who has assumed all other ranks and titles in Titipu, advises Nanki-Poo against pursuing his romantic ambitions.
Ko-Ko makes a grand entrance as Lord High Executioner and takes us through a little list of possible candidates to be his first client. His thoughts turn to his forthcoming wedding with Yum-Yum. Ko-Ko and Pooh-Bah are discussing the financing of the marriage when the schoolgirls arrive.
Yum-Yum, and Ko-Ko's two other wards Peep-Bo and Pitti-Sing steal the limelight with their famous trio "Three Little Maids". They are delighted to be reacquainted with Nanki-Poo but Ko-Ko is not so pleased and dismisses him. Pooh-Bah and the girls discuss the correct etiquette to use when in the company of highly distinguished nobles.
Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo are left alone. Nanki-Poo reveals that he is none other than the son of his Majesty the Mikado and that he has narrowly escaped marriage to the elderly Katisha. The lovers reaffirm their passion and lament the seemingly hopeless situation.
A letter arrives from the Mikado stating that an execution must be carried out in Titipu within one month. Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah and Pish-Tush struggle to agree who the victim might be.
Nanki-Poo cannot live without Yum-Yum so he decides to end it all. Ko-Ko persuades him that instead of committing suicide, he should be the one who will be publicly executed. He agrees but in return Ko-Ko must allow Nanki-Poo to be married to Yum-Yum until his execution takes place in one month.
The nobles and ladies have heard that someone is for the chop and are keen to find out who it might be. Ko-Ko explains the new arrangements and everyone starts to celebrate the forthcoming marriage. Katisha suddenly bursts in to claim that she is the one who should be marrying Nanki-Poo. She is about to reveal Nanki-Poo's true identity but Yum-Yum gets everyone to make a din to drown Katisha out. Katisha threatens vengeance as the act comes to a tumultuous close.
Act 2
Pitti-Sing, Peep-Bo and the other young ladies are discovered preparing Yum-Yum for her wedding. Yum-Yum is left alone and she wonders why she is so much more attractive than anyone else in the whole world before she pauses to gain inspiration from the sun and the moon. The three girls bemoan the fact that the marriage will only last a month. Nanki-Poo joins them and tries to cheer them up. Yum-Yum, Pitti-Sing, Nanki-Poo and Pish-Tush try to remain optimistic by singing a madrigal.
Ko-Ko interrupts Yum-Yum and Nanki-Poo and explains that he has discovered that by the Mikado’s law, when a married man is beheaded his wife is buried alive. Yum-Yum is unsurprisingly distressed by this news and the three weigh up their options in a trio.
Nanki-Poo decides that suicide is the better choice after all. Pooh-Bah announces that the Mikado is about to arrive. Ko-Ko panics, assuming that the Mikado wants to check that an execution has taken place. Pooh-Bah encourages Ko-Ko to execute Nanki-Poo straightaway. Ko-Ko can't bring himself to do it so he bribes Pooh-Bah to help him persuade the Mikado that an execution has already taken place. Ko-Ko abandons his claim on Yum-Yum and tells Nanki-Poo to marry Yum-Yum and go away and never come back again.
The Imperial procession enters and the Mikado details his methods for obtaining the most amusement from criminals' punishments. Ko-Ko tells him that he has performed an execution and he presents the death certificate. The Mikado asks him to describe the scene. Pitti-Sing and Pooh-Bah join Ko-Ko in a rather over-elaborate account of the imagined execution.
The Mikado explains that the actual reason for his visit is to find his son who had bolted from the imperial court. Katisha is horrified to read on the death certificate that the name of the victim is Nanki-Poo. Pitti-Sing, Pooh-Bah and Ko-Ko try to make excuses but they are doomed to a lingering death for executing the heir apparent. They all consider what unjust and cruel tricks fate can play.
Nanki-Poo persuades Ko-Ko that the only thing for him to do is to marry Katisha. He reluctantly agrees to the plan.
Katisha is lamenting her abandoned state when Ko-Ko interrupts her and woos her with a song about a little tomtit. Katisha is won over.
The Mikado discovers that Nanki-Poo is still alive but Ko-Ko explains that when the Mikado says something is to be done then it practically is done. The Mikado finds this reasoning satisfactory; executions are avoided and all celebrate!