I have performed in two amateur productions of Pinafore, and seen several others. To be honest none of them were particularly good, but all of them beat this rubbish.<br /><br />The music sounds like it is played on a cheap, child's keyboard. The singing is often woeful, out of time and sometimes off key. Extra songs ( and characters!) from other Gilbert and Sullivan shows are used to pad it out and replace numbers where the cast probably couldn't manage the original.<br /><br />It is obvious that this was a vehicle for certain individuals. Several of the cast spend a great deal of time trying to upstage each other. If I never see Jon English again it will be too soon.<br /><br />It is all to noticeable that the applause and laughter is reserved for the insertion of smutty "ad-libs" and rewrites, fart jokes and split trouser gags. Reasonable actors and singers could have made this a good show without resulting to this debasement.<br /><br />I have no problem with updated and upbeat versions, but it has to be done better than this - and could have been! Altogether pathetic.