- 90-year-old Emily Snell is the oldest cast member in double bill of Gilbert and Sullivan
- Jersey troupe is performing Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore at Opera House
- Mrs Snell says that she still enjoys ‘buzz’ of being on stage
- Read our review of the shows, which run until Saturday
MOST people would think of taking life a little easy by the time they reached 90, but not great grandmother of ten Mrs Emily Snell.
This week she has been stealing the show in Trial by Jury, one of the Jersey Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s double bill productions which, along with HMS Pinafore, opened at the Jersey Opera House on Tuesday night.
‘I tried to milk it,’ said Mrs Snell, who has performed in almost every show with the society since she joined in 1990.
The pensioner, whose performing days started when she was eight years old and used to sing in the Island’s Methodist churches, was also a member of the 50/50 Club which put on a number of shows during the Occupation.
And during her long association with the society there is one incident which she particularly remembers – the last time the company performed HMS Pinafore in 1996.
‘The reason I remember is that I was in a basement dressing room and I had got to the bra and pantaloons stage when someone decided they were going to have a test fire drill. So I grabbed my dress and nothing much else and went out in the street like that, and the rest of the cast members, who had rather more clothes on, were laughing. That was the last performance before the Opera House closed for refurbishment, and I’ve been in every performance since then,’ she said.
And Mrs Snell, a former nurse from St Helier, says she will continue to tread the boards as long as there are roles to play. ‘I think some of the members start thinking of giving up at 60, but for me that was just the beginning.
‘Being on the stage has always given me a buzz and if they can find a little part for me I’ll do it.’
Michael Blackie, a long standing member of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society who plays Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore, paid tribute to Mrs Snell’s long association with the group. ‘I don’t think any of us can remember how many performances Emily has been in. She was also on the society’s committee until last year when she decided she’d give up – she’s extraordinary,’ said Mr Blackie who explained how a special role was created just for Mrs Snell.
‘Gilbert did not actually write in a part for the Judge’s Mother, but Emily is a stalwart of the society, and of much else, and was 90 last month. She still appears in our productions where, in recognition of her indomitability, a role is usually created for her.
‘We wanted Emily to be in the production so John Shield (who plays the Judge) came up with idea that she could be his mother and add some humorous interludes,’ said Mr Blackie. One such interlude brought the house down as the ‘mother’ surreptitiously tottered across the stage to steal the Judge’s bottle of gin.’
A traditional HMS Pinafore and updated Trial by Jury delight the Opera House crowd, writes Gill Kay
A CONTEMPORARY touch was brought to the Jersey Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s double offering of Trial by Jury and HMS Pinafore, which opened at the Jersey Opera House on Tuesday.
In the hands of director Jane Wakeham this treatment was successful with, in the first half, the society’s production of Trial by Jury featuring the cast in modern dress and plenty of nice comedic touches, which were brought out fully by capable actors. It was a refreshing take on the 19th-century light opera script and went down well with the audience.
The more traditional HMS Pinafore was equally well received and again some of the modern visual gags, novel interpretation and Jersey references went down particularly well. All the lead singers were on fine form and the chorus was particularly strong.
The singers were ably supported by a 20-strong orchestra under musical director Annette Blanchet and while the singing quality was of the high standard expected of the society, the sound balance sometimes let the performers down, with the words being indistinguishable on occasion. However, it’s a must-see for Gilbert and Sullivan lovers.
The show is sponsored by Moore Stephens and continues nightly at 7.45 pm until
Saturday, including a matinée at 2.30 pm.
