Topsy Turvy

Topsy-Turvy casts the spotlight upon the creative partnership of W.S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, responsible for such classic comic operas as The Pirates of Penzance. After ten consecutive smash hits, Gilbert and Sullivan have a flop on their hands and begin to question the very process that has afforded them a decade of success. Sullivan (Allan Corduner) thinks Gilbert's story lines have become formulaic and a creative deadlock is reached. But when Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) visits a Japanese cultural exhibition he is struck with inspiration and the pair re-unite to create The Mikado, a huge hit. Throughout Topsy-Turvy are woven insights into the lives not only of the complex Gilbert, childlessly married to a devoted wife, and the bon-viveur, brothel-visiting Sullivan and his American mistress, but also the working actors, actresses, chorus, musicians and costumiers of The Savoy Theatre, and of D'Oyly Carte and his team. Colourful, fully-staged extracts from the shows are interspersed throughout the film, which explodes with Sullivan's infectious music.