Hilarity on the High Seas


ALISTAIR DONKIN HOPS OVER THE POND (VIRTUALLY) TO DIRECT H.M.S. PINAFORE


After being COVID-delayed for 18 months, Queens University presented Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, also known as Te Lass that Loved a Sailor, in November at the Sandra Levine Teatre in the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement. Queens performed Alistair Donkin’s production of the show, while he monitored rehearsals via Zoom. Donkin, perhaps the world’s leading authority on Gilbert and Sullivan, took some time to chat with us to share how he found his way to Queens and what he did before getting into musical theater.


QM Queens Magazine AD Alistair Donkin


QM


You’ve made a specialty of Gilbert and Sullivan. What should people know about those two?


AD


They should know they are still popular in your culture. The chap who wrote Hamilton (Lin Manuel-Miranda), his career started in university playing the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, which features fabulous music by Sir Arthur Sullivan and biting satire from Gilbert. I heard a recording years ago—an interview with Rodgers and Hammerstein—and they said, if it hadn’t been for the format Gilbert and Sullivan created, they wouldn’t have created their wonderful musicals.


QM AD QM AD


How did you get involved with Queens University? It’s all Justin’s fault. Justin?


Justin Smith—the musical director. He’s head of choral activities at Queens [Justin Smith, Ph.D., assistant professor, music]. I met him in Houston when I was directing another Gilbert and Sullivan musical. He was given a post at Marylhurst University in Portland, Oregon, and asked me to direct a production for him. And I did. And it happened to be H.M.S. Pinafore.


QM Had you heard of Queens University prior to Justin? AD


No, but I had performed in Charlotte—at Spirit Square. Gorgeous venue. I was on a concert tour in America with six other performers about thirty years ago.


EVERYONE CAN PLAY FOR PEACE


Pianos for Peace, in partnership with Queens University of Charlotte and Qatar-USA Year of Culture, launched its annual outdoor festival and community arts program with a public unveiling of painted pianos on September 21, the International Day of Peace. The nonprofit organization provides meaningful arts programs to underserved communities and organizations in need across metro Atlanta. Four colorful pianos—one at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, one at Camp North End, and two on the Queens


campus—were available for anyone to play and enjoy through October 4. “These beautifully painted pianos are an important way to make the arts accessible to all,” said composer and pianist Malek Jandali ’97, the founder and CEO of Pianos for Peace and composer-in-residence at Queens. “It also serves as a way to build bridges of peace, unity and understanding between communities, countries and cultures at a time it seems we never needed it more.” After the outdoor festival, the pianos were donated to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and area nursing homes,


where Queens students, local artists and volunteers are invited to engage with the recipients in musical programs. To learn more visit www.PianosForPeace.org.


—Keith Pierce 8 MAGAZINE QM AD QM AD Are you a teacher in your non-acting/directing life?


I’m actually a trained lawyer. I was a solicitor. I trained for five years and then practiced for five years specializing in cases of child abuse and zoning decisions for planning. Because of the stress involved with child abuse cases, I did more and more amateur productions in my region. I [eventually] did three shows in a five-week period in three different towns, playing a lead in each. And it got to the point of either the day job had to go or the hobby had to go. I auditioned for D’Oyly Carte, and they said, “Please come join us.”


Are you the only former solicitor among the acting?


No! Gilbert, who wrote these brilliant musicals, was a barrister. He was an absolutely genius wordsmith. —Page Leggett


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