GILBERT and Sullivan may have written The Mikado more than 100 years ago, but the cheerful satire on corruption and power remains as relevant as ever, while the sparkling musical score endures in popularity.

So it was perhaps no surprise to see Carl Rosa Opera’s recent performance of the piece on Thursday, October 23, attracted a large audience to the Theatre Royal Windsor.

And we were not disappointed. Once the curtain was up, the stage was flooded with vibrant colour, chiefly from the stunning sets and costumes which originally featured in Mike Leigh’s award-winning film, Topsy Turvy.

There was an equally strong principal line-up. Former Dr Who actor Sylvester McCoy, as The Mikado, lent a suitably eccentric strand to the role and kept the audience – and at times the rest of the cast – thoroughly amused with his ad lib jokes.

Fenton Gray as Ko-Ko, the Lord High Executioner of Titipu, also gave a strong performance throughout, as did Ivan Shape as Nanki-Poo.

But credit must also really go to the cast as a whole, whose members gave strong performances of some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most-loved numbers, including A Wand’ring Minstrel I, As Some Day It May Happen, Three Little Maids From School Are We and Behold the Lord High Executioner.

By the end, the audience was on its feet, giving the production the applause it truly deserved. An all-round treat.