Topsy-Turvy (1999)

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh (written by)

Release Date:

14 January 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Music | Musical

Tagline:

The egos. The battles. The words. The music. The women. The scandals.

Plot:

After Gilbert and Sullivan's latest play is critically panned, the frustrated team threatens to disband until it is inspired to write the masterpiece "The Mikado."

Plot Keywords:

Gilbert And Sullivan | Exhibition | Japanese | Gilbert And Sullivan's Princess Ida | Kimono

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

Allan Corduner	...	Sir Arthur Sullivan
Dexter Fletcher	...	Louis
Sukie Smith	...	Clothilde
Roger Heathcott	...	Banton
Wendy Nottingham	...	Helen Lenoir
Stefan Bednarczyk	...	Frank Cellier
Geoffrey Hutchings	...	Armourer
Timothy Spall	...	Richard Temple (The Mikado)
Francis Lee	...	Butt
William Neenan	...	Cook
Adam Searle	...	Shrimp
Martin Savage	...	George Grossmith (Ko-Ko)
Jim Broadbent	...	W. S. Gilbert
Lesley Manville	...	Lucy Gilbert
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 (Nanki-Poo)
Sam Kelly	...	Richard Barker
Charles Simon	...	Gilbert's Father
Philippe Constantin	...	Paris Waiter
David Neville	...	Dentist
Matthew Mills	...	Walter Simmonds
Shirley Henderson	...	Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum)
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Mr. Seymour, Production Manager
Nick Bartlett	...	Stage Hand
Gary Dunnington	...	Stage Hand
Dorothy Atkinson	...	Jessie Bond (Pitti-Sing)
Amanda Crossley	...	Emily, Jessie's Maid
Kimi Shaw	...	Spinner
Toksan Takahashi	...	Calligrapher
Akemi Otani	...	Dancer
Kanako Morishita	...	Samisen Player
Theresa Watson	...	Maude Gilbert
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 (Pooh-Bah)
Michael Simkins	...	Frederick Bovill
Alison Steadman	...	Madame Leon
Cathy Sara	...	Sybil Grey (Peep-Bo)
Angela Curran	...	Miss Morton
Millie Gregory	...	Alice
Jonathan Aris	...	Wilhelm
Andy Serkis	...	John D'Auban
Mia Soteriou	...	Mrs. Russell
Louise Gold	...	Rosina Brandram (Katisha)
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 Dorothea 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
Ashley Jensen	...	Miss Tringham
Gemma Page	...	Miss Langton-James
Paul Rider	...	Mr. Bentley
Mary Roscoe	...	Miss Carlyle
Steve Speirs	...	Mr. Kent
Nicola Wainwright	...	Miss Betts
Angie Wallis	...	Miss Wilkinson
Kevin Walton	...	Mr. Evans
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tatiana Lavrentieva	...	Recital Guest (uncredited)
Lance Patrick	...	James (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Leigh

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mike Leigh		written by

Produced by
Simon Channing Williams	....	producer
Georgina Lowe	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Dick Pope

Film Editing by
Robin Sales

Casting by
Nina Gold

Production Design by
Eve Stewart

Art Direction by
Helen Scott

Set Decoration by
John Bush
Eve Stewart

Costume Design by
Lindy Hemming

Makeup Department
Christine Blundell	....	hair designer
Christine Blundell	....	makeup designer
Kirstin Chalmers	....	makeup artist
Dianne Jamieson	....	makeup artist
Tony Martin	....	hair stylist
Nicola Matthews	....	junior makeup artist
Trefor Proud	....	makeup artist
Tracey Lee	....	hair and make up assistant (uncredited)
Sarah Love	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Leda Shawyer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Sarah Weatherburn	....	facial hair maker (uncredited)

Production Management
Deborah Reade	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Heckstall-Smith	....	first assistant director
Dan John	....	additional third assistant director (as Daniel John)
Josh Robertson	....	second assistant director
Paula Spinks	....	third assistant director
Hannah Titley	....	third assistant director
George Walker	....	additional second assistant director
Echo Ward	....	fourth assistant director

Art Department
Eddie Baker	....	stand-by props
Jim Booth	....	dressing props
Anthony Burton	....	additional carpenter
Richard Cameron	....	additional carpenter
Andrea Coathupe	....	set dresser
Charles Cottrell	....	additional painter
Diane Dancklefsen	....	stand-by art director
Steve Deane	....	carpenter
Andrew Forrest	....	art department assistant
Gary Fox	....	stand-by props
Terence Gamble	....	additional painter
Andrew Grant	....	additional carpenter
Liz Griffiths	....	production buyer
Dean Hayward	....	additional carpenter
David Hill	....	additional carpenter
Derek Honeybun	....	painter
Charles Leatherland	....	draughtsman
Lisa Lloyd	....	set dresser
Wayne Marsh	....	additional scenic carpenter
Leon McCarthy	....	stand-by carpenter
Adam McCreight	....	prop assistant
Tanya Miller	....	action graphics
Richard Mills	....	property storeman
Barry Moll	....	construction manager
Eugenie Neilson	....	assistant scenic artist
Steve Oakes	....	assistant production buyer
Justin Overhill	....	scenic artist
Stephen Pearton	....	additional scenic carpenter
Dave Perschky	....	carpenter
Tom Read	....	property master
Loraine Schneider	....	scenic artist
Mike Standish	....	production buyer
Ian Taylor	....	additional carpenter (as Ian C. Taylor)
Remo Tozzi	....	prop assistant
Phil Wheeler	....	additional painter
Joe Willmott	....	carpenter (as Joseph Willmott)
Sarah Wright	....	prop assistant

Sound Department
Roy Baker	....	foley walker
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Orin Beaton	....	boom operator
Ed Colyer	....	foley mixer
Tim Fraser	....	sound recordist
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley walker
Loveday Harding	....	boom operator
Peter Joly	....	supervising sound editor
Danny Longhurst	....	additional sound editor
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Rose	....	assistant sound editor
Alison Ross	....	sound assistant
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
William Towers	....	additional boom operator
Richard Undrell	....	sound assistant
Paul Wrightson	....	foley editor
Mike Prestwood Smith	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Bateman	....	generator operator
Lucy Bristow	....	focus puller
Lucy Bristow	....	second camera operator
David Bryant	....	second focus puller
Dick Buckley	....	electrician (as Richard Buckley)
Frank Cox	....	electrician
Martin Duncan	....	gaffer
Alan Graham	....	electrician
Andrew Jeffery	....	digital main titles: Magic Camera
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Kenny Monger	....	best boy electric (as Kenneth Monger)
Andy Ormesher	....	stand-by rigger
Daniel Pettipher	....	digital main titles: Magic Camera (as Dan Pettifer)
Dick Pope	....	camera operator
Dan Shoring	....	second focus puller
Colin Strachan	....	grip
Iain Struthers	....	clapper loader

Casting Department
Lynn Glaser	....	casting assistant (uncredited)
Sasha Robertson	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Victoria Clarke	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Lee Clayton	....	costume cutter
Lee Clayton	....	tailor
Jane Clive	....	textile assistant
Andrea Cripps	....	costume assistant
David Crossman	....	wardrobe supervisor
Jacqueline Durran	....	second assistant costume designer
Charlotte Finlay	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Magot Forster	....	dressmaker and cutter
Dan Grace	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Nicola Latham	....	dressmaker and sewer
Helen Mattocks	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Laura May	....	costume assistant
Neil Murphy	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Michael O'Connor	....	assistant costume designer
Adam Roach	....	costume assistant
Timothy Shanahan	....	costume breakdown (as Tim Shanahan)
Claire Thornton	....	dressmaker and sewer
Emma Walker	....	textile assistant
Jason Gill	....	daily costume assistant (uncredited)
Jenny Hawkins	....	daily wardrobe assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Angela Bailey	....	trainee: FT2
Lisa Clifford-Owen	....	trainee editor: FT2
Lalit Goyal	....	lightworks assistant
Celia Haining	....	additional second assistant editor
Mark Neale	....	second assistant editor
Clive Noakes	....	color timer
Jonathan Sales	....	first assistant editor
Victoria Stevens	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Richard Addison	....	musician
Andrew Baker	....	musician
Ian Balmain	....	musician
Clive Bell	....	additional musician
Roger Benedict	....	musician
Chris Bevan	....	musician
Timothy Brown	....	musician
Hilary Browning	....	musician
Nicholas Bucknall	....	musician
Colin Chambers	....	musician
Anthony Chidell	....	musician
Denise Connell	....	music editor
Michael Connell	....	supervising music editor
Mark David	....	musician
Michael Davis	....	orchestra leader
Clive Dobbins	....	musician
Jonathan Evans-Jones	....	musician
Julian Farrell	....	musician
Joseph Frohlich	....	orchestra leader
David Fuest	....	musician
Martin Gatt	....	musician
David Gordon	....	musician
David Greenlees	....	musician
Michael Hext	....	musician
Joji Hirota	....	additional musician
Iain King	....	musician
Timothy Kipling	....	musician
Richard Layton	....	musician
Pan Hon Lee	....	musician
Tom Martin	....	musician
William O'Sullivan	....	musician
Stephen Orton	....	musician
Anthony Pike	....	musician
Matthew Scrivener	....	musician
Andrew Shulman	....	musician
Andrew Smith	....	musician
David Theodore	....	musician
John Timperley	....	music engineer
Richard Wainwright	....	musician
Timothy Walden	....	musician
James Warburton	....	musician
David White	....	musician
David Whitson	....	musician
Paul Willey	....	orchestra leader
Stephen Williams	....	musician
Paul Wing	....	music fixer
Gary Yershon	....	musical director

Transportation Department
Charlie Collins	....	unit driver
David Rosenbaum	....	unit driver
Brian Scott	....	unit driver
Bill Wright	....	unit driver

Other crew
Richard Ackland	....	trainee: FT2
Chris Allies	....	title designer
Angela Bailey	....	trainee: FT2
Rosie Chambers	....	researcher
Sophie Cornet	....	trainee: FT2 (as Sophie Cornett)
Graham Easton	....	completion bond: Film Finance Services
Katina Ellery	....	additional researcher
Scott Horan	....	assistant location manager
Ben Howard	....	floor runner
Francesca Jaynes	....	choreographer
Alexandra Kosevic	....	production secretary (as Alex Kosevic)
Harriet Lawrence	....	assistant location manager
Neil Lee	....	location manager
David Lewisohn	....	solicitor: Westaway & Co.
Jo Littlejohn	....	trainee: FT2
Paula McBreen	....	production coordinator
Justin Miller	....	assistant accountant
Julia Rayner	....	additional choreographer: brothel scene
Deborah Reade	....	assistant to producer
Jonathan Rutter	....	publicity: McDonald & Rutter
Roger Sampson	....	insurance: AON/Albert G. Ruben
Brian Shemmings	....	advisor: health and safety
Andrea Slater	....	assistant floor runner
Paula Spinks	....	assistant continuity
Chris Stoaling	....	trainee: FT2
Heather Storr	....	script supervisor
Will Tyler	....	production accountant
Michael D. Walsh	....	production runner (as Michael Walsh)
Mark Westaway	....	solicitor: Westaway & Co.

Thanks
Anthony Burgess	....	thanks
John Cannon	....	thanks
Kevin Chapple	....	thanks
Andrew Cobbing	....	thanks
Penny Corfield	....	thanks
Shani D'Cruze	....	thanks
David Eden	....	thanks
John Gardner	....	thanks
Andrew Goodman	....	thanks
Judith Hatton	....	thanks
David Russell Hulme	....	thanks
Brian Jones	....	thanks
George J. Low	....	thanks
Peter Mulloy	....	thanks
Philip Plumb	....	thanks
Terence Rees	....	thanks
Marc Shepherd	....	thanks
Jesse Shereff	....	thanks
Jane W. Stedman	....	thanks
Melvyn Tarran	....	thanks
Selwyn Tillett	....	thanks
Stephen J. Turnbull	....	thanks (as Stephen Turnbull)
Michael Walters	....	thanks
Toshio Watanabe	....	thanks
David Wilmore	....	thanks
Fredric Woodbridge Wilson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Goldwyn Films
• Newmarket Capital Group (presents) (as Newmarket Capital Group)
• The Greenlight Fund (presents)
• Thin Man Films (presents)

Distributors

• Primer Plano Film Group (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Communications
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Atalanta Filmes (Portugal)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Europa Filmes (2001) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2001) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2009) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• G2 Films (non-USA sales)
• October Films
• Pathé (France)
• Pathé (UK)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2000) (Finland) (all media)
• Tobis Filmkunst (Germany)
• USA Films
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2005) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2004) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• 2020 Casting  background casting (uncredited)
• AFM Lighting  lighting
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  insurance
• Angel Studios  music studio
• Arts Council of England  supported by the National Lottery through
• British Library, The  thanks
• D'Oyly Carte Opera Company  thanks
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  sound dub
• Fawcett Library  thanks
• Film Finances Services  completion bond
• G.E. Lighting  period light bulbs
• Gilbert & Sullivan Society  thanks
• Goldcrest Post Production London  post-production
• Harvard Theatre Collection, The  thanks
• Institut Français, London  thanks
• Jim Laws Lighting  period lighting specialist
• Lays International  location vehicles
• Location Facilities  location vehicles
• Magic Camera Company, The  digital main titles
• Mander & Mitchenson Collection  thanks
• McDonald and Rutter  publicity
• Mobile Mouthful  catering
• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• Museum of London  thanks
• Newmarket Capital Group  production financing provided by
• Richmond Theatre  thanks
• Royal Academy of Music  thanks
• Royal College of Music  thanks
• Salon Productions  editing equipment
• Sands Films  costumes
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Savoy Theatre  thanks
• Sir Arthur Sullivan Society  thanks
• Studios CTS  music studio
• Theatre Museum, Covent Garden  thanks
• Victoria and Albert Museum  thanks
• W.S. Gilbert Society  thanks
• Westaway & Co.  solicitors

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of risque nudity

Runtime:

160 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | French | German | Italian | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:R | Canada:PG (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:L | Sweden:11 (video rating) | Peru:14 | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Goldwyn Films

Trivia:

Gilbert suggests that Ibsen's works are "suitably dull". The irony is that Ibsen's most famous play, "A Doll's House" was considered so risqué it was banned in many countries.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Florence is playing the piano in the bedroom, the notes she plays are too high for the position on the keyboard.

Quotes:

Gilbert:I was unable to present you with the libretto until you returned from your Grand Tour of Europe.
Sullivan:That is neither here nor there.
Gilbert:No, Sullivan, indeed. I was here and you were there!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.1" (2011)

Soundtrack:

This Helmet, I Suppose

Victorian England refracted through Gilbert & Sullivan

I was introduced to Gilbert & Sullivan in my very early teens under the auspices of the parents of one of my friends. They took us to Falmouth on Cape Cod to a place called Highfield, the summer home of the Oberlin College Players. They specialized in G&S and other light operettas.

I learned to appreciate G&S, but I never became a fanatical devotee, even with the historical context patiently explained to me by my friend's mom. (It was similar with Shakespeare. The language could be a barrier rather than a gateway.)

The audience in the theater where I saw Topsy-Turvy was filled with devotees. You could hear their delight as they viewed the actual performances of Gilbert & Sullivan's work in the film. The director, Mike Leigh, through skillful editing and camera work, does an excellent job of photographing a stage presentation, certainly one of the best I've ever seen on film. He uses closeups, and though the actors are using an exaggerated, theatrical style, somehow the G&S material has never been clearer to me; and I've seen at least a dozen G&S performances, including two D'Oyle Carte productions (Pirates and The Mikado), the present-day descendant company of the Savoy Theater depicted in the film. People who have never seen G&S before will appreciate their work here.

Most of all, the film is very much about the highly contrasting personalities of William S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan, the former emotionally restrained, the latter a hedonist. Leigh allows us to get to know them quite well and a host of other characters too, though G&S are first among equals in this excellent, ensemble cast. Among the supporting players, I found Shirley Henderson to be increasingly interesting as the film progressed, and I felt rewarded when she was the central character in the last two scenes of the film.

The period settings, manners, and speech are very accurate and detailed. As presented here, the Victorian era seems physically stifling, with people leading their lives in the close quarters of dressing rooms, offices, restaurants, living rooms, and bedrooms. Even more stifling is the emotional inhibition masked by correctly blustery forthrightness. Toward the end of the film, there's a revealing and poignant scene between Gilbert and his wife which makes this all very clear, and what also becomes clear is how important theatrical presentations were to people then as a means of expressing themselves in a culture which sanctioned few quarters to do so. It's one of the best examples of Mike Leigh's direction.

The G&S operettas were, of course, a commentary on Victorian times. In the film, you can see why they were so wildly popular. In that period, I think so many people were so restrained and distant from their own feelings that even the, to us, mannered and wordy G&S operettas were a breath of fresh air in Victorian England. The few occasions when Leigh breaks out of consistently claustrophobic medium shots and closeups are when he gives us a wide view of the full, theatrical stage.

Topsy-Turvy is about how Gilbert and Sullivan refracted Victorian England through a proscenium arch. Mike Leigh refracts it again through the camera lens in a way that allows us to see ourselves in our times by looking at G&S and their operettas in theirs. This is a long film (over two and one half hours), and given the subject matter, not to everyone's interest, though it's far more than the specifics of the period and the material. I found it to be my favorite film of the year thus far, and I highly recommend it.