Topsy-Turvy

Year:

2000

Duration:

154 min

Genres:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Music | Musical

IMDB rate:

7.4

Director:

Mike Leigh

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 23 nominations

Details

Country: UK

Release Date: 2000-01-14

Filming Locations: Hertfordshire, England, UK

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $32,718 (USA) (19 December 1999)

Gross: $6,201,757 (USA) (21 May 2000)

Cast

Actor

Character

Jonathan Aris

Topsy-Turvy

Ashley Jensen

Theresa Watson

Allan Corduner

Arthur Sullivan

Dexter Fletcher

Louis

Sukie Smith

Clothilde

Roger Heathcott

Stage Doorkeeper

Wendy Nottingham

Helen Lenoir

Stefan Bednarczyk

Frank Cellier

Geoffrey Hutchings

Armourer

Timothy Spall

Richard Temple

Francis Lee

Butt

William Neenan

Cook

Adam Searle

Shrimp

Martin Savage

George Grossmith

Jim Broadbent

William Schwenck Gilbert

Lesley Manville

Lucy Gilbert (Kitty)

Kate Doherty

Mrs. Judd

Kenneth Hadley

Pidgeon

Keeley Gainey

Maidservant

Ron Cook

Richard D'Oyly Carte

Eleanor David

Fanny Ronalds

Gary Yershon

Pianist in Brothel

Katrin Cartlidge

Madame

Julia Rayner

Mademoiselle Fromage

Jenny Pickering

Second Prostitute

Kevin McKidd

Durward Lely

Sam Kelly

Richard Barker

Charles Simon

Gilbert's Father

Philippe Constantin

Paris Waiter

David Neville

Dentist

Matthew Mills

Walter Simmonds

Shirley Henderson

Leonora Braham

Nicholas Woodeson

Mr. Seymour

Nick Bartlett

Stage Hands

Gary Dunnington

Stage Hands

Dorothy Atkinson

Jessie Bond

Amanda Crossley

Emily

Kimi Shaw

Spinner

Toksan Takahashi

Calligrapher

Akemi Otani

Dancer

Kanako Morishita

Shamisen Player

Lavinia Bertram

Florence Gilbert

Togo Igawa

First Kabuki Actor

Eiji Kusuhara

Second Kabuki Actor

Naoko Mori

Miss 'Sixpence Please'

Eve Pearce

Gilbert's Mother

Neil Humphries

Boy Actor

Vincent Franklin

Rutland Barrington

Michael Simkins

Frederick Bovill

Alison Steadman

Madame Leon

Cathy Sara

Sybil Grey

Angela Curran

Miss Morton

Millie Gregory

Alice

Andy Serkis

John D'Auban

Mia Soteriou

Mrs. Russell

Louise Gold

Rosina Brandram

Shaun Glanville

Mr. Harris

Julian Bleach

Mr. Plank

Neil Salvage

Mr. Hurley

Matt Bardock

Mr. Tripp

Brid Brennan

Mad Woman (as Bríd Brennan)

Mark Benton

Mr. Price

Heather Craney

Miss Russell

Julie Jupp

Miss Meadows

John Warnaby

Mr. Sanders

Kacey Ainsworth

Miss Fitzherbert

Ashley Artus

Mr. Marchmont

Richard Attlee

Mr. Gordon

Paul Barnhill

Mr. Flagstone

Nicholas Boulton

Mr. Conyngham

Lorraine Brunning

Miss Jardine

Simon Butteriss

Mr. Lewis

Wayne Cater

Mr. Rhys

Rosie Cavaliero

Miss Moore

Michelle Chadwick

Miss Warren

Debbie Chazen

Miss Kingsley

Richard Coyle

Mr. Hammond

Monica Dolan

Miss Barnes

Sophie Duval

Miss Brown

Anna Francolini

Miss Biddles

Teresa Gallagher

Miss Coleford

Sarah Howe

Miss Woods

Gemma Page

Miss Langton-James

Paul Rider

Mr. Bentley

Mary Roscoe

Miss Carlyle

Steve Speirs

Mr. Kent (as Steven Speirs)

Nicola Wainwright

Miss Betts

Angie Wallis

Miss Wilkinson

Kevin Walton

Mr. Evans

Tatiana Lavrentieva

Recital Guest (uncredited)

Lance Patrick

James (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Most modern recordings and performances of the Mikado's solo, "A More Humane Mikado" feature a bloodthirsty laugh between the verses. This touch was added by Darrel Fancourt, a D'Oyly Carte performer from 1920-1953, and has been copied ever since - which is why the laugh is not performed by Richard Temple (Timothy Spall).

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W.S. Gilbert's quip about a prostitute dying of consumption in a garret refers to Verdi's opera "La Traviata."

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Similarly, in the scene where Leonora Braham and Jessie Bond sing a short excerpt in their dressing room (ending in "he was a little boy") during an interlude of "The Sorceror", the song is from the Gilbert & Sullivan opera "Patience" ("Long years ago..."), sung by the characters Patience and Angela, which Leonora Braham and Jessie Bond had performed in the initial 1880 Opera Comique production.

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Goofs

When Gilbert enters the night's take for Princess Ida in his ledger, the date can be seen to be listed as Monday, 10 June, 1884. That date actually occurred on a Tuesday in that year.

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Length of Sullivan's cigarette and ash during their lengthy discussion

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The Japanese exhibition that Gilbert and Lucy attend did not open until after Gilbert had started work on "The Mikado". Nor did Gilbert purchase a Japanese sword from said exhibition.

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Quotes

Gilbert: You have my sympathies, Lely. But unfortunately your avocation as an actor compels you on occasion to endure the most ignominious indignities, as Grossmith will doubtless testify.

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George Grossmith: [of the Japanese fan] I'm sure I've seen this on a vase somewhere.

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Mr. Seymour, Production Manager: [reading from the script, over-acting] Oh, but it's too late! I'm a dead man, and I'm off for my honeymoon.

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Faq

Q

Was George Grossmith really a morphine addict?

A

Grossmith was well known for having bad nerves and even suffered from insomnia, but the foundation of the idea of his having used drugs to get through performances dates back to a 1935 biography of Gilbert & Sullivan, the specific passage of which was largely gossip among the theater circle compacted into an anecdote. While others point to mention of punctured arms at Grossmith's 1912 autopsy inquest, no hard evidence was ever found.

Q

What was wrong with Jessie Bond's leg?

A

She developed an abscess in a leg a few years prior that never fully healed, and it actually caused her problems throughout her stage career. Surprisingly, Sullivan's diary stated that he and Gilbert visited her during her periods of infirmity, which showed that both (and probably the Savoy management) were aware of her condition.

Q

Was Gilbert really that distant and cold with his wife?

A

Actually, many of the surviving letters that Gilbert wrote to his wife would seem to indicate otherwise, and it is a known fact that they were a very social couple, entertaining guests at dinner parties and attending many London events together.

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