Victorian comic opera is a challenging business. It requires excellent musicians, performers who can both sing well and act convincingly, and, most importantly of all, a forgiving audience who are willing to be entertained. If you sit down to watch almost-grown men and women dance inexpert hornpipes on an obviously hand-painted stage whilst hoping for something you can take seriously, you will be sadly disappointed. If, however, you are expecting the inevitable silliness of operetta, or you thoroughly enjoy pantomimes, there is no reason why the Cambridge University Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s production shouldn’t be a good evening’s amusement.

The plotline is so simple it is hardly worth detailing – a poor sailor is in love with his captain’s daughter, whom an Admiral wants to marry. Parallel romances and an unlikely plot twist draw together the ridiculous and improbable events.  But was it done well? No one could fault the orchestra. They brought the once-famous and still extremely catchy tunes that define HMS Pinafore to sparkling life. Unfortunately some of the singing could have been stronger, but the production’s weakest point was definitely the perceptible lack of enthusiasm, the hint of something close even to reserve, on the part of some of the cast. This stilted the first half somewhat, and threatened to let the whole thing slide to the level of a schoolchildren’s play.

However, the leading actors who committed themselves wholeheartedly to their ridiculous roles saved the show. The brilliantly camp Admiral (Ed Roberts) and the Captain’s (Aled Walker) hilarious facial expressions, combined with some great physical comedy, meant there were overall more genuine laughs than laughs of embarrassment. There are also a couple of key moments of very English satire. One song mocks the Admiral’s astonishing rise to his position without having once set foot on a ship. Another sings the praises of the plot’s main beau, Ralph Rackstraw (Chris Nash), by reminding us all how “in spite of all temptations/To belong to other nations/He remains an Englishman!” The second half of the show picked up the flagging energy levels and there was a reasonable feel-good buzz by the time the audience were gathering their coats.

Gilbert and Sullivan is what it is, and to a modern audience that can often be laboured, cliché and excessively Victorian. If you are willing to take it on its own terms, you’ll probably have a good laugh. And for those wondering what Victorian operetta is all about, you could do worse than getting your first taste of it here.