We return to Part V in our Theatre in Film series, a weekly segment of Performer Stuff’s blog where we discuss a film that features a life in theatre. Part V of Theatre in Film celebrates movies from 1995 to 1999 that feature social, moral, and ethical issues within the theatre. This week, we feature Topsy Turvy from 1999, a film that examines Gilbert and Sullivan’s adventure into the creation of their celebrated opera, The Mikado.

Topsy Turvy (1999)

Director: Mike Leigh
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, and Shirley Henderson

What happens:

In 1885, Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Sullivan (Allan Courduner) are writing partners for the Savoy Theatre. Their opera, Princess Ida, is flailing at the Savoy Theatre and is cancelled in favor of a revival of their previous opera, The Sorcerer. The owner of the Savoy, Richard D’Oyly Carte (Ron Cook), is desperate for a new show from the artistic team, and commissions Gilbert to write a script so that Sullivan can begin work on the music. The script, however, employs old and tired plot devices that Gilbert has used repeatedly, an aspect of the script that Sullivan despises.

On a visit to a Japanese art and culture exhibition, GIlbert purchases a Japanese katana and then hangs it on his study wall. When he’s revising his script in the middle of the night, the katana falls from the wall onto his head, and he gains inspiration to write a libretto set in exotic Japan. He presents this to Sullivan, and the two work together to write and compose The Mikado.

Why it matters:

Topsy Turvy is on Empire’s 2008 list of the 500 greatest movies of all time, and it received Academy Awards for Best Costume Design and Makeup in 2000. These accolades are bestowed upon this film for good reason, not solely for its visual representation of Victorian England, but for its acute attention to the smaller aspects of Victorian life, particularly that of the uncertainties of the theatre.

In high school and college, we experience the suspense of not knowing if we’ll be cast in a show, but professional actors, no longer in school, who depend upon roles for financial support, are in a constant state of uncertainty: they seek out season auditions and shows that require an actor of their type, they must carefully schedule their calendars to fit in rehearsals and performances and trainings, and work is never guaranteed, let alone payment for some performances that are paid via profit sharing (although profit sharing is a viable payment system for some professional productions).

These uncertainties are seen throughout Topsy Turvy, beginning with the failure of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Princess Ida. None of the actors are prepared for its cancellation, and when Gilbert reads the review in the paper, he is also unprepared for the lukewarm, albeit negative comments the critic has to say about the production. The actors are even called into Carte’s office to discuss their future positions with the acting company, some fearing for their job security. The uncertainty Gilbert feels when he submits his script to Sullivan for perusal is something all playwrights feel, too, when they submit their work for review or submit it into a festival or contest. In addition, Mr. Temple (Timothy Spall) has his solo taken away from him unexpectedly because Gilbert doesn’t like his own writing. (Thankfully, the cast petitions Gilbert to restore Temple’s solo, and the number is placed back into the show the day of.)

If Topsy Turvy can teach us anything about theatre, it’s that relationships, professional and personal, and roles are fleeting, uncertain, and we can only prepare for what to do after they’re gone by realistically examining our current station: look for auditions, get new headshots, update your resume, submit your play, take a dance class — all in the name of preparation.

This film is the fifth featured in Part V of “Theatre in Film”. See below for the others in Part V.

• An Awfully Big Adventure (1995)
• Theatre in Film Halloween Special – Stage Fright (2014)
• Waiting for Guffman (1996)
• Shakespeare in Love (1998)
• Cradle Will Rock (1999)

Want to start with Part I? Begin with 42nd Street (1933).
Miss Part II? Check out The Band Wagon (1953).
Need a refresh for Part III? Start with our feature on All That Jazz (1979).
How about a recap from Part IV? Jump into A Chorus of Disapproval (1989).