Topsy-Turvy

Topsy-Turvy is a 1999 British musical period drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh, starring Jim Broadbent as W. S. Gilbert and Allan Corduner as Sir Arthur Sullivan, along with Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville and Ron Cook. The story concerns the 15-month period in 1884 and 1885 leading up to the premiere of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado. The work explores the creative conflict between playwright and composer, and depicts their decision to continue their partnership, which led to their creation of several more Savoy operas.

Film · TMDB

6.6

For nearly a decade, Gilbert and Sullivan’s collaborations have delighted the English people. But in 1884, as a London heat wave cuts into the theater trade, their latest work, "Princess Ida", receives lukewarm press. In an effort to reconcile their creative differences and drawing inspiration from Japanese culture, they went on to create the hit opera "The Mikado", one of the duo's greatest successes.

Released: 1999-12-15160 minDir: Mike LeighDrama, Music, Comedy, History

Cast

Jim Broadbent as W. S. Gilbert
Allan Corduner as Sir Arthur Sullivan
Timothy Spall as Richard Temple (The Mikado)
Lesley Manville as Lucy Gilbert
Ron Cook as Richard D'Oyly Carte
Wendy Nottingham as Helen Lenoir

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Ratings

IMDb

Article

14 sections

Contents

Plot
Cast
Depiction of Victorian society
Production
Release
Box office
Critical reception
Awards and honours
Home media; similar works
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

The film received very favourable reviews, film festival awards and two Academy Awards for design. While it is considered an artistic success as an in-depth illustration of British life in the theatre during the Victorian era, the film did not recover its production costs. Leigh cast actors who did their own singing in the film, and the singing performances were faulted by some critics, while others lauded Leigh's strategy.