G&S legend Richard Suart still very much delivers the goods as a character singer, with some rougher edges all proving part of the charm.

Opera Wire (August 2023)

Heather Shipp provides a courtly depth to her role as Rose’s spinster aunt, astutely offsetting both the wild-eyed performance of Heather Lowe as Mad Margaret and the droll performance of Richard Suart’s Old Adam Goodheart.

The Reviews Hub (August 2023)

There’s expert playing, too, from Richard Suart as Robin’s trusty retainer Old Adam Goodheart, while Heather Shipp relies on the bountiful generosity of the lower depths of her mezzo-soprano to bring sweep and panache to Dame Hannah.

The Stage (August 2023)

Heather Shipp as the feisty Dame Hannah and Richard Suart as the rambling Old Adam both seize their chances

The Times (August 2023)

As ever, Glyndebourne’s thoughtful casting extends to the smallest parts, with a wonderfully characterised Benoît from Richard Suart, understated in his drunken comedy.

BachTrack (June 2022)

Richard Suart made a characteristically vivid turn as Benoît.

Opera Wire (June 2022)

Richard Suart, with the evening’s best Italian, gave significance to the tiny part of Benoît.

The Guardian (June 2022)

Patter song grandee Richard Suart provided the horseplay as the Duke

BachTrack (October 2021)

Patter merchant Richard Suart updates the Duke of Plaza-Toro’s lyrics in traditional fashion with references to Extinction Rebellion and loft insulation, Cummings and goings, ‘prenez un grip’ and ‘donnez-moi un break’.

The Opera Critic (October 2021)

Yvonne Howard, who likely requires a license to operate her dress, maintains a smoothness in momentum, gliding across the stage with aid from her Duke – Richard Stuart. The pair are majestic to watch, in a similar way to a rather well-orchestrated cat and mouse.

Corr Blimey (November 2021)

There’s vintage G&S bluster from veteran D’Oyly Carter Richard Suart as the spluttering Duke of Plaza-Toro, and Yvonne Howard as his Duchess, splendidly regal, but dressed in so vast a panniered dress one assumes its extensive wingspan conceals wheels to facilitate accompanying its wearer.

Vox Carnyx (November 2021)

...the dishevelled gardener Antonio (a spot-on Richard Suart) clambers through the window near the end of Act II.

The Times (June 2019)

Old hands Jonathan Best and Richard Suart deliver closely observed character studies as Bartolo and Antonio respectively...

The Stage (June 2019)

What a joy, too, to have that dramatic stalwart Richard Suart as the elderly but beady-eyed Antonio - a gardener very much the equal of his superiors.

Opera Today (June 2019)

Having that great singing actor Richard Suart as Antonio is luxury casting indeed, and he must have inspired his younger colleagues with his professionalism and humour.

MusicOMH (June 2019)

Other parts are excellent with the great Richard Suart playing Antonio, the gardener, as he should be played: a disgruntled but insistent servant.

The Reviews Hub (June 2019)

Richard Suart’s drunken gardener Antonio was reliably funny...

Opera Magazine (August 2019)

Richard Suart (Ko-Ko)...both of them exemplars in diction‚ comic timing and ability to work an audience. It’s called style and they have it in spades...

Opera Magazine (July 2016)

Veteran Ko-Ko Richard Suart was a fountain of amusement‚ his “Little List” mischievously reflecting the recent Scottish Election (Holyrood would indeed be an empty place) as well as tax dodgers and a certain car manufacturer who fixes diesel emissions

BachTrack (May 2016)

KoKo himself‚ Richard Stuart‚ is a master of voice and humour and put in a thoroughly enjoyable performance.

Daily Record (May 2016)

By a long way‚ the figure on stage with the greatest experience of Gilbert and Sullivan was Richard Suart as Ko-Ko and that experience showed. He used plenty of rubato to play around with his lines which added interesting character to the singing. The Little List was magnificently rewritten and was laugh-out-loud funny.

Opera Britannia (May 2016)

It is‚ however‚ Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko‚ the bizarrely appointed Lord High Commissioner‚ who steers the show through its comic paces. A part that is clearly under his skin‚ memorable moments have got to be his hilarious lyrics in the politically up-to-date ‘little list’ number and his all singing‚ all wing-flapping bird accomplice in the famous Tit Willow song.

The List (May 2016)

The lynchpin is the highly experienced Richard Suart as Ko-Ko‚ whose Del-boy accent and hapless scheming are a constant source of amusement. And he doesn’t miss the opportunity to throw in contemporary references to his “I’ve got a Little List” song.

The Scotsman (May 2016)

Richard Suart has played the role of Ko-Ko‚ the Lord High Executioner‚ in this production since 1989 and his "They’d none of them be missed" song is always a comical high point. He rewrites the lyrics for his "little list" each year to make them topical with the current batch of those deserving punishment‚ even including Sepp Blatter and a cheeky reference to David Cameron’s alleged porcine adventures as a student…All the principal performers received huge acclaim at the final curtain on the first night‚ but the biggest explosion of applause came when Jonathan Miller appeared on the stage. It was good to see him still enjoying The Mikado after 29 years and to see the audience appreciating his achievement so much

Daily Express (December 2015)

Holding the cast together was Richard Suart’s well-practised Ko-Ko‚ full of quickfire patter and seedy innuendo. The Lord High Executioner’s “little list” of potential victims for beheading‚ traditionally updated on each revival‚ included Jeremy Clarkson‚ Donald Trump‚ Playboy and selfie-sticks as targets‚ along with David Cameron’s alleged encounter with… “Diana Rigg”. Nudge‚ nudge

BachTrack (November 2015)

Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko again showed why his characterisation‚ more disciplined than I remember it‚ is a Coliseum institution. His “little list” is full of sharp touches – victims this time include Jeremy Clarkson‚ Nicola Sturgeon‚ David Cameron and Sepp Blatter. And it is no small achievement to get a 2015 audience to laugh at jokes about decapitation

Guardian (November 2015)

Ko-Ko’s updated ‘Little List’ elicited the usual guffaws with references to VW emissions‚ Sepp Blatter and Cameron’s dead pig...In their respective roles of Ko-Ko‚ Katisha and the Mikado Richard Suart‚ Yvonne Howard and Robert Lloyd gave exemplary performances that lifted the evening to an exalted level

MusicOMH (November 2015)

The company was heard to absolute best effect‚ led by the wonderful Ko-Ko of Richard Suart‚ a veteran of Miller’s production. It is hard to imagine a Ko-Ko with better comic timing or a more natural propensity to play his jokes to his audience. He delivered his ‘little list’ with clear enunciation and obvious relish‚ the names topically updated as usual to include this time the likes of Nicola Sturgeon‚ Sepp Blatter‚ Jeremy Corbyn‚ and Russian athletes on steroids. The audience ate up every word‚ particularly the exaggerated German accent that accompanied Mr. Suart’s naming of the company Volkswagen...Mr. Suart’s ingratiating flirting with the sterner Ms. Howard was very funny‚ his melancholy refrain of ‘Willow‚ tit-willow’ moving and hilarious in equal measure

Opera Britannia (November 2015)

Baritone Richard Suart has been a stalwart of the cast over the years‚ and his Ko-Ko has achieved‚ deservedly‚ near-legendary status‚ not least for his ‘little list’ (which this time includes swipes at the likes of Jeremy Clarkson and Sepp Blatter). His delivery is as fresh as the production: time seems to erode neither. In fact Suart’s assumption of the Lord High Executioner Ko-Ko has the comfort of a well-worn pair of slippers‚ yet remains killingly hilarious

Seen & Heard International (November 2015)

Richard Suart‚ a veteran in the role of Lord High Executioner‚ returns with another topical little list of “They’d none of ’em be missed.” Among those deserving the executioner’s chop this year are Jeremy Clarkson‚ Russian athletes on steroids‚ Nicola Sturgeon‚ people with selfie sticks‚ and the Lib-Dems‚ “but alas they don’t exist”

Sunday Express (November 2015)

Returning to the role that he has made his own since the late 1980s‚ Richard Suart is once again a magnificent Ko-Ko‚ the Japanese village of Titipu’s tailor-cum-Lord High Executioner whose farcical entanglements form the basis of The Mikado’s plot. A perennial highlight of this production — and one of the possible reasons behind its remarkable longevity — is the infamous ’Little List’; compiled by Suart afresh each year‚ it points out those from modern society who‚ should they succumb to a terminal case of capital punishment‚ would “not be missed”. The latest collection runs the gamut from the obvious (all the main political parties) to the notorious (Jeremy Clarkson‚ Volkswagen and a certain pig) to the personal (an Italian opera house that apparently still owes Suart a five-figure sum)

The Londonist (November 2015)

Richard Suart returns with his classic Ko-Ko‚ which he remodels at every revival. As always‚ his ‘little list’ of those who would be better underground includes some topical names: this time‚ all the major party leaders are there‚ as is Sepp Blatter. He gives a brilliant comic performance

The Stage (November 2015)

And there are always new updates to Ko-Ko’s little list of those “who won’t be missed”. This time the veteran Ko-Ko‚ Richard Suart‚ squeezes in ingeniously rhymed references to Volkswagen (“dodgy dieselists”)‚ Sepp Blatter‚ Donald Trump‚ Russian athletes (“those steroids might be missed”) and our prime minister’s famous penchant for pork while at university

The Times (November 2015)

But it’s Ko-Ko whom audiences flock to see‚ and Richard Suart never disappoints. He’s been Max-Walling his way through this show ever since the second revival‚ yet his energy remains as sharp as his timing. The voice is in fine shape‚ diction less so‚ but he works the audience like an old-school trouper‚ especially in his topical ‘little list’. That will change during the run‚ of course‚ but the opener was a gem. Cameron’s pig went down nicely

What’s On Stage (November 2015)

...led by British baritone Richard Suart‚ a renowned Gilbert and Sullivan specialist‚ whose wonderful portrayal of Punch formed the important centre-piece of this dark-humoured operatic farce in every respect

Aliskritiken.de (May 2014)

Punch is played by the phenomenal Richard Suart as a white-painted man who naturally brings evil upon all the characters and yet remains sympathetic

Berliner Zeitung (May 2014)

The very big stroke of luck was to cast native singer Richard Suart in the title role. Visually reminiscent of a clown‚ a puny‚ wiry little man with a bald head and bulbous nose‚ he was covered from head to toe in white body make-up. He managed to provoke and disgust‚ yet still we felt compassionate towards him. His agility and impressive manoeuvrability as well as a ruthless disregard to vanity made his performance riveting‚ and he used his expressive baritone voice to magnificent effect

Der OpernFreund.de (May 2014)

Die Premiere gelingt jedoch durchweg‚ auch dank Richard Suart’s großartiger stimmlicher wie darstellerischer Präsenz... Richard Suart singt und spielt diesen bösen Bruder von Strawinskys "Petruschka" bis in die feinsten Abtönungen der Anzüglichkeit und der Aggressivität hinein mit großartiger stimmlicher wie darstellerischer Präsenz /// But this premiere succeeds on all levels‚ particularly thanks to Richard Suart’s great vocal and dramatic presence...Richard Suart sings and acts this evil brother of Stravinsky’s "Petruschka" down to the finest nuances of innuendo and aggressiveness with great vocal and dramatic presence

DeutschlandFunk.de (May 2014)

The coup of the production is the casting of the childish Punch as an elderly‚ near naked man who nevertheless acts convincingly as the young Punch - well beyond the remit of the premiere that is suggested by this avant-garde piece. Richard Suart has sung the role of The Doctor. Now he performs the lullaby‚ serenades and nonsense couplets of the title role‚ screaming‚ talking and singing with astounding success

Neue Musikzeitung.de (May 2014)

The ensemble is led by Richard Suart‚ one of the most sought-after British character singers of his generation‚ at home not only in lighter music but also in contemporary opera. He acts with great presence‚ fascinating body language and expressive mimicry. And how versatile he is‚ from rolling around the stage to moments of absolute repose in Derek Gimpel’s demanding production

Opernnetz.de (May 2014)

...the humour of this production kept it remarkably fresh...patter stalwart Richard Suart got to grips with “The moon and I”‚ his absurdly tiny chapel was filled literally to the rafters by his daughters squeezing into and over the pews

BachTrack (May 2013)

The indefatigable Richard Suart is still at the top of his game in the Major-General’s patter...

Financial Times (May 2013)

Scottish Opera and the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company have set sail with a sure-fire summer hit with their delightful new production of The Pirates of Penzance. A real crowd pleaser‚ this production deserves the success that it will undoubtedly have...Musically this was also a confident performance with strong leads and some phenomenal choral singing...Richard Suart had the Modern Major General’s patter off pat to be sure but was much more entertaining whilst his daughters were squeezing themselves into a tight chapel all around him at the start of Act II

Opera Britannia (May 2013)

Long-standing D’Oyly Carte member Richard Stuart as Major-General Stanley also impressed with his zippy patter particularly in the tongue-twisting Modern Major General‚ probably one of the most ingenious examples of Gilbert’s use of language

The Telegraph (May 2013)

Only Suart as the doyen of all G&S character part players‚ is licensed for disciplined extremes

The Arts Desk (May 2013)

About ten minutes into the first half I realised the big stupid smile on my face was here to stay. Opera isn’t often laugh a minute‚ but this is comic opera from the very best proponents of the form...I can’t fault the cast‚ of which Pirate King Steven Page and Richard Suart as the Major General were both excellent

The Big Issue (May 2013)

...it is a delight to hear the insane patter of Richard Suart as Major-General Stanley drip in such perfect aristocratic English drawl

The Herald (May 2013)

...a raft of solo performances that go well beyond G&S stereotypes‚ not least because they sing magnificently...Richard Suart brings a refreshing individuality to the Major General...a great night’s entertainment

The Scotsman (May 2013)

The production has always featured regular performers as well as newcomers‚ and both Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko and Richard Angas’ Mikado have been associated with it for over 25 years. Suart smarms and writhes and is very funny as he struggles to extricate himself from traps laid by his own wiles. His ’little list’‚ beautifully delivered as always‚ changes each night‚ one suspects; George Osborune was among its targets on this occasion (we’d just had the autumn budget statement)‚ as was the Church of England’s failure to appoint women bishops...An outstanding revival of a great show

Opera Magazine (February 2013)

Richards Angas and Suart repeat their familiar roles as respectively the Mikado and Ko-Ko (Suart nearly as long-running as the production)‚ slotting back into the parts like well-loved and comfortable carpet slippers. Suart’s ’little list’ is as contemporary as ever‚ updated to include references to the Leveson enquiry (“I’ve got him on my list‚ in case I’m on his list) as well as Starbucks and its reluctance to pay UK taxes. Suart‚ the master list-maker‚ took a deliberately slow pace to ensure that every word was clear...After many revivals‚ this production glistens like new (Jonathan Miller was in attendance on this occasion) and is a welcome alternative to the Christmas pantomime

Classical Source (December 2012)

As Ko-Ko‚ the cheap tailor promoted to the rank of Lord High Executioner‚ Richard Suart‚ celebrating his twenty-fifth anniversary in the role‚ is in his element‚ whether he is acting the tennis playing twit‚ billiard shark buffoon‚ or wretched white suited suitor. His hilarious ‘list song’‚ which it is a tradition always to update with topical references‚ squeezes in mentions of Olympic beach volleyball‚ Philippa Middleton’s new book‚ the Leveson Inquiry‚ Nadine Dorries and even General Synod

Exeunt Magazine (December 2012)

Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko has been the centrepiece of this production for a staggering 25 years. Finely honed‚ while fitted out with all manner of baroque eccentricities‚ his craven tailor-turned lord high executioner is a masterpiece of theatrical comedy. Once again‚ his little list of notable individuals without whom society would be significantly better off‚ skewers a host of newsroom celebrities with gleefully dyspeptic malice

The Guardian (December 2012)

Richard Suart giving a brilliant performance of Ko-Ko in his 25thanniversary of the role. This vintage production continues to sparkle with bounce and fizz‚ and is so extraordinarily up to date that Ko-Ko’s little list of Society offenders not only includes the latest scandals‚ but even mentions George Osborne’s autumn statement‚ which he only gave on the day of this performance. Clearly one should keep going to further nights of The Mikado to catch all the clever innuendos that Richard Suart puts into his role as Ko-Ko. I loved the allusion to the Leveson Inquiry‚ “I’ve put him on my list‚ in case I’m on his list”; the bit about corporate tax dodgers; and “the Speaker’s wife who’s such a berk and believes in Trial by Twitter”. Bravo! Satire is alive and well at the London Coliseum. The main characters bring perfection to their performances‚ spicing the wit of the words by body language and presentation‚ yet it all appears entirely natural and unrehearsed. This glorious piece of Gilbert and Sullivan is worth revisiting for the clever innuendos alone‚ even if you have seen it many times before

Mark Ronan (December 2012)

Richard Suart is a superb Ko-Ko. Twenty-six years ago the role was created by Eric Idle but Suart has been playing it for the past twenty-five years. He continues with some of Idle’s idiosyncrasies but the body language is pure Ko-Ko (rather than Idle or Suart). Suart’s list of people who will not be missed (in ’As Some Day It May Happen’) is hilarious; it includes George Entwistle‚ Nadine Dorries‚ bankers‚ Starbucks‚ prime ministers‚ etc. Singing the song with slight amplification worked brilliantly. Ko-ko’s Willow Song was funny but also deeply moving while in expressing Ko-Ko’s contrasting emotions on conclusion (in ’The flowers that bloom in the spring’) Suart demonstrated a mastery of vocal technique...This is an operatic cast to die for. Not to be missed for opera lovers

Musical Criticism (December 2012)

Richard Suart is very much in the mould of Martyn Green‚ Peter Pratt and John Reed in that he is an extremely able physical comedian with sufficient edge to his voice to convey every humorous nuance in the patter songs. It is hard to imagine what Eric Idle did with this role before Mr Suart stepped in and made it his own. His seemingly boundless comic energy is quite extraordinary‚ especially when one realises he has inhabited the role in this production for 25 years. I was reminded of the redoubtable Max Wall who was not only an inspirational physical comedian‚ but also fêted as a serious actor in Waiting for Godot and Ubu roi. Everyone waited with bated breath for Mr Suart’s ‘little list’ which didn’t disappoint. But I was more impressed by Mr Suart’s ability to expose Ko-Ko as a social climber by allowing his accent to slip under duress and his measuring the Mikado’s inside leg as a sort of displacement activity‚ a reversion to his middle class roots when he feared for his life. One might wonder if Mr Suart will be typecast for ever more as Ko-Ko‚ such is his command of the role. In fact he has been cast in recent years in new work by Stewart Copeland and by the latest recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Music‚ Michel van der Aa‚ so is well able to redeploy his considerable acting and singing skills outside the cosy world of G & S

Opera Britannia (December 2012)

Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko was a thing of marvels‚ full of quirks and ticks that the artist has clearly developed but which never seem quite routine. His Ko-Ko is clearly a monster‚ and we love it. Suart knows just quite how to put over the music‚ with a fine balance between word and music‚ sometimes singing on a bare thread

Planet Hugill (December 2012)

The cast was expertly chosen‚ each member fitting their part like a glove. Richard Suart seemed to have a ball of a time as Ko-Ko...In short‚ everything about this Mikado breathes style. ENO at its very best. Go and see it

Seen & Heard International (December 2012)

Veteran performers Yvonne Howard and Richard Angas (in a terrible fat suit) gave us masterful performances as Katisha and the Mikado‚ and the unsurpassable Richard Suart‚ with his Leslie Phillips depiction of Ko-Ko‚ the Lord Executioner‚ delighted us with his up to the minute satirical version of the famous List Song. It is of course G&S tradition to add a little current day satirical wit in this song but Suart has surpassed himself in this version: jibes against an MP who is no longer in the jungle‚ Pippa Middleton’s new book‚ the departure of George Entwistle and a hilarious pun about Starbucks were on the list as he had the audience roaring with laughter. It is worth going to see this fabulous production for this rendition alone. Suart is a true master of his craft and he made me rather jealous because I thought I was the Satirical Queen in this city

Spear’s wms (December 2012)

...Suart’s definitive Ko-Ko...

The Independent (December 2012)

The current production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado is about as good as it gets. What creator Jonathan Miller has joined together‚ let no man (or woman) put asunder. Pinch yourself‚ folks: after a disappointing summer schedule‚ the English National Opera is back on track and firing on all cylinders. Miller’s magical adaptation may be 26 years old but it is hard to find any signs that this is dated. On the contrary‚ the best elements are still just as joyful. As the pantomime villain Koko‚ Richard Suart inhabits the character like a second skin. And so he should: he has performed this role since 1986 and has written a book about it...Why is The Mikado still so popular after all this time? Here’s one reason: Koko’s song “I’ve Got A Little List” is regularly updated to feature infamous figures of the moment. This time around ex-BBC Director General George Entwistle is labelled “greedy”‚ “trial by twitter” is lambasted‚ the Church of England laity are called “religious misogynists” and celebrity author Pippa Middleton? Well‚ “her back cover is worth a look”

The Londonist (December 2012)

Jonathan Miller’s resolutely non-Japanese flapper-era production of The Mikado is now 25 years old‚ but feels as fresh and sparkling as ever - and the current English National Opera cast is one of its strongest ever. The linchpin‚ as he has been for many years‚ is Richard Suart’s brilliantly comic Ko-Ko‚ his hotly anticipated topical “little list” of candidates for the chop this time including Pippa Middleton and Lord Leveson - “I’ve got him on my list‚ in case I’m on his list!”

The Stage (December 2012)

Richard Suart’s 25th anniversary in the part. To say that he commands the stage would be an understatement...There were some genuinely hilarious moments in his ‘little list’

What's on stage (December 2012)

Auch Richard eroberte das Publikum auf Anhieb und machte aus dem textlich geradezu meschuggenen ’Nightmare Song’ und aus der Geisterszene umjubelte Kabinettstucke. Dieser Sanger ist auch mimisch perfekt‚ also quasi der geborene Alleinunterhalter // Richard Suart won the audience over from the start‚ convincingly mad in the ’Nightmare Song’ and bringing comedy masterstrokes to the Ghost scene. This singer is also a perfect mimic and therefore a born solo entertainer

Frankischer Tag (January 2012)

Mit der großen Sopranistin Dame Felicity Lott und dem Bariton Richard Suart waren die Rollen glänzend besetzt. Beide zeigten sich von ganz charmanter und sympathischer Seite‚ ließen hie und da ein wenig Koketterie und Komödiantentum aufblitzen‚ wagten ein paar Tanzschritte und spielten dabei auch stimmlich ihre Stärken aus: Richard Suart trifft prächtig den Volkston in der Musik. Augenzwinkernd seine text- und temporeiche‚ sehr anschauliche Traumschilderung. Bombastisch und beschwingt ging das Konzert zu Ende. Stehender Applaus zum Jahresausklang!

Schweinfurter Tagblatt (December 2011)

Richard Suart was perfectly cast as the disturbed but charming Edgar

Opera Magazine (June 2011)

...first-class acting from Richard Suart as Edgar‚ whose rich Baritone and creepy presence thrills as only the best murder-mystery villains can

All In London (April 2011)

Richard Suart‚ presented as a near relation of Max Wall‚ did not disappoint as he went deliriously over-the-top as narrator and protagonist

Classical Source (April 2011)

Richard Suart’s Edgar - plummy as pudding and arch as Constantine - speak-sings through the narrative. It’s like some Hammer-sponsored collaboration between Abdullah Ibrahim and Viv Stanshall

Evening Standard (April 2011)

...Richard Suart is brilliant as the murderous‚ half-crazed Edgar

Financial Times (April 2011)

In the Copeland‚ conducted by Robert Ziegler‚ Richard Suart was versatile and hideous as the narrator

The Guardian (April 2011)

Richard Suart’s white faced‚ shock-headed‚ protagonist Edgar...Suart’s sharp and insinuating enunciation occasionally took the vocal line into sung notes and phrases but mostly Copeland perpetuated the stentorian tone of melodrama underscoring it with a febrile piano and percussion led combo whose louche jazz inflections accentuated the sleaziness whilst slightly wrong-footing us musically

Independent (April 2011)

Baritone Richard Suart half-sings‚ half-talks his way through Copeland’s rhythmic‚ repetitious score‚ leaping in and out of Soutra Gilmour’s dark‚ dank set to both narrate and appear in his own tale

OfficialLondonTheatre.co.uk (April 2011)

Richard Suart plays a blinder as Edgar (as here named‚ Poe’s character is anonymous) going to and then over the edge

Opera Critic (April 2011)

...the cast‚ led by Richard Suart’s insidiously suave Edgar‚ emoted in an over-the-top‚ semi-spoken style

Telegraph (April 2011)

Richard Suart gleefully plays the mad murderer‚ discarding his straightjacket to narrate his dismembering of a fellow lodger as a quick-fire recitation‚ like a deranged Rex Harrison

The Times (April 2011)

Richard Suart has been Ko-Ko for all the ENO’s Mikados – except for theinitial Eric Idle performances – and he’s turned the part into a veritable tour de force‚ ending up kissing the Mikado’s shoes when faced with his own beheading

Camden New Journal (March 2011)

...it is Richard Suart as Ko-Ko‚ the Lord High Executioner who really holds the whole show together.

Suart has been playing this role for 20 years and has truly made it his own. He even writes his own lyrics each time for the song in which the executioner gives some of the names of the people on his little list for punishment. It has become usual to introduce an element of topicality into that song‚ but Suart’s inclusion of Wayne Rooney‚ the head of Ryanair‚ Silvio Berlusconi‚ the invitees to the Royal Wedding and‚ best of all‚ the Speaker of the House of Commons (who can barely reach his seat) and his wife (wearing nothing but a sheet) made for a quite magnificent List. His acting too incorporated bits of Groucho Marx‚ Arthur Daley‚ Leslie Phillips and Frankie Howerd to brilliant effect

The Express (March 2011)

No artist is more closely associated with Miller’s staging than Richard Suart‚ whose Ko-Ko remains a masterpiece of comic invention: a crazed‚ abject creation vainly attempting to control proceedings even as they spiral ever more preposterously beyond his reach. His updated Little List takes swipes at several contemporary figures‚ from Berlusconi to coalitionists‚ and even the blamelessly ubiquitous Stephen Fry

The Guardian (March 2011)

Richard Suart is as mischievous‚ mordant‚ and mocking as ever. His updating of the little list proved a highlight‚ hitting the spot precisely because even easy targets were sent up with wit and generosity

Musical Criticism (March 2011)

Standing out for sheer energy amongst the principals was Richard Suart as Ko-Ko‚ the Lord High Executioner. Excellent diction in both his dialogue and arias made his character instantly accessible‚ but even more impressive was his comic timing‚ which he has down to a fine art. His rendition of ‘I’ve got a little list’‚ rewritten to cover topical issues‚ was delivered with great energy and panache‚ leaving the audience just enough time to process the humour before emerging with a new joke. In the original run of this production‚ the role was taken by Eric Idle‚ and whilst Suart has drawn some aspects from his interpretation‚ he injects another level of humour which is all his own

MusicOMH (March 2011)

The Mikado is very much an ensemble piece and fortunately ENO fielded a very strong team of singers who (essentially for G&S) also had a real flair for acting – in particular Richard Suart’s brilliantly funny Ko-Ko; a role he has sung in countless revivals of this production over the past 20 years and which he has quite deservedly made his own. Suart’s physical acting and witty delivery of Gilbert’s text was absolutely spot on; striking just the right balance between over-the-top Monty Python style eccentricity and farce – in fact‚ as Lord High Executioners go‚ I’ve never seen better. Possessing a pleasant light baritone‚ his diction was exemplary throughout and the leisurely tempo of the “Little List” ensured that none of the new jokes were lost on the enthusiastic audience. Suart himself composed this latest list (the most amusing one I’ve heard to date) which predictably included Middle Eastern dictators as well as other “society offenders” who “never would be missed” such as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary‚ Wayne Rooney‚ the “Coalitionists” and of course Silvio Berlusconi

Opera Britannia (March 2011)

Richard Suart repeated his familiar Ko-Ko‚ with new verses to his little list including references to Vince Cable (’his wires are in a twist’)‚ the Royal Wedding and Berlusconian bunga bunga. It’s a very adept performance‚ which emphasises the character’s craven cynicism and opportunism‚ but not a show-stopping one

Telegraph (March 2011)

As Ko-Ko‚ Lord High Executioner and chief clown‚ the wonderful Richard Suart mugs and scenery-chews his way through yet another revival. His ever-changing list of society offenders is hilarious; but how could it not be‚ in these crazy times? First-night targets ranged from Wayne Rooney to Elton John‚ taking in Ryanair‚ Jacqui Smith and the Arab uprisings along the way. Who knows who’ll be for the chop at the next performance? (Watch out‚ Ashley Cole...)

What's On Stage (March 2011)

On hand to provide continuity for this ENO stalwart are “Mikado” veterans Richards Suart and Angas as Ko-Ko and the Mikado. Suart’s Koko ranges from Groucho Marx‚ through Max Wall to Monty Python‚ with a huge range of tics‚ impersonations and accents. His ‘little list’ summarily deals with an impressive array of contemporary horrors – the Bercows‚ Middle-Eastern real-life lord high executioners‚ Jacqui Smith‚ bunga-bunga Berlusconi‚ Elton John and his instant family are all fingered – and he works the audience with manic glee

Classical Source (February 2011)

The old hand Richard Suart is marvellous as the snivelling Ko-Ko‚ whether he is acting the tennis playing twit‚ billiard shark buffoon or wretched white suited suitor

Londonist.com (February 2011)

Eric Idle and Bill Oddie might seem hard acts to follow‚ but Richard Suart has been the face of Ko-Ko‚ Titipu’s Lord High Executioner‚ for more than 20 years in Jonathan Miller’s The Mikado for ENO. Despite - or because of - having given more than 150 performances of the role in various productions‚ Suart’s comedy is so naturally bound into the character. Camp but not hammy‚ physical but not slapstick‚ he is the dynamo that drives the cast and his dialogue soars into the auditorium‚ combining the dry irony of Ronnie Corbett with the effortless suaveness of Leslie Phillips; with side-curls constantly flailing‚ his energy is boundless. His latest ‘little list’ of those who ‘won’t be missed’ includes swipes at Wayne Rooney‚ Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary and Silvio Berlusconi (in a rhyme deftly pairing ‘hunger’ with ‘bunga bunga’)

The Stage (February 2011)

Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko is a creature honed over many years‚ and pitched just on the right side of hysteria. Doing violence to his vowels with the gusto of a drunken Boris Johnson‚ his convulsions of body and tongue are outdone solely by the satire of his self-penned Little List. The present incarnation features among its unlucky stars Wayne Rooney‚ Berlusconi (a rhyme of “hunger” and “bunga bunga” drew cheers)‚ “those hacking journalists”‚ and of course the newly ubiquitous “coalitionists”

The Arts Desk (February 2011)

...an unsavoury collection of comedy characters ler by Richard Suart as Ko-Ko‚ the Lord High Executioner. He’s been perfecting his interpretation for 25 years‚ man and boy‚ and his little list is something not to be missed. This time it inluded the Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary‚ phone hacking journalists and Berlusconi’s ’hunger for lots of bunga bunga’. Suart’s patter is immaculate...

Opera Magazine (May 2011)

Richard Suart makes a convincingly irascible Don Jerome

Opera Critic (November 2010)

Singing‚ speaking and acting are all of a high standard with Richard Suart a choleric Don Jerome as wrong-headed and peppery as his antiquated blunderbuss

What's On Stage (November 2010)

The problem is that few of them handle the dialogue effectively. An exception is Richard Suart‚ who can rely on his long experience of Gilbert and Sullivan for his turn as the curmudgeonly Don Jerome...

The Guardian (October 2010)

English Touring Opera’s production certainly had no lack of energy‚ and the company made a shrewd move in engaging the services of Richard Suart and Nuala Willis as Don Jerome and the Duenna‚ two old-timers with a rich line in comic acting. Suart’s lively and highly physical performance fizzed from beginning to end...

Musical America (October 2010)

If the plot sees the younger generation triumph‚ on stage it is the older performers who come out on top...Richard Suart is‚ if anything‚ even funnier as the splenetic‚ blustering father...well-known for his Gilbert and Sullivan patter roles‚ several of the cast have experience with D’Oyly Carte and it’s striking how often The Duenna anticipates Gilbert and Sullivan in its rhythms and mood

The Stage (October 2010)

...there are jolly performances from Richard Suart and Adrian Thompson as the old men

The Telegraph (October 2010)

It was the cast’s more venerable members who dominated‚ to delicious effect. Richard Suart‚ in a pleasing composite of his Gilbert and Sullivan and Handel personas‚ was dangerously close to obliterating all in his comic path. A staggering‚ leaping‚ bewigged fantasy of an avaricious father‚ all gleeful self-congratulations and red-faced rants – “If a daughter you’ll have she’s the plague of your life”

The Arts Desk (October 2010)

...an impressive line up of singers‚ the potential for a memorable evening seemed high. And it didn’t take long for the potential to become reality....narrated with Gilbert & Sullivan panache by baritone Richard Suart (who also sang the roles of Pangloss and Martin)...Suart‚ superbly handling his difficult assignment of narration‚ acting and singing‚ kept the wildly twisting story arc alive

International Review of Music (September 2010)

Richard Suart‚ a Gilbert and Sullivan man from England‚ was the sharp-witted narrator and Pangloss‚ advocate of cockeyed optimism...Suart’s narration engaged...his Gilbert and Sullivan expertise‚ along with dry humor‚ served him very well

Los Angeles Times (September 2010)

...narrator Richard Suart on hand to suavely explain the convoluted plot and to portray the philosopher of Optimism Dr. Pangloss

The Vancouver Sun (September 2010)

Fortunately‚ this "Candide" had a vital center in British actor/singer Richard Suart‚ who served in a triple role - as narrator of the bizarre‚ swerving storyline; the mindlessly optimistic Dr. Pangloss; and his antithesis‚ Martin. Bernstein was a Gilbert and Sullivan fan‚ and incorporated much of their quick-witted style into his music for Pangloss and Martin - Suart‚ who happens to be an old hand at G&S‚ brought it out marvelously with his ironic‚ crystal-clear British diction

Variety (September 2010)

Richard Suart as sad Mr Walter (who eventually identifies his one life-affirming memory) was particularly impressive

Classical Source (May 2010)

A fine performance from the singers and the impeccable Asko/Schönberg ensemble

Independent on Sunday (May 2010)

Among the visitors it was Richard Suart’s Mr Walter who really compelled one’s attention‚ delivering a beautifully understated performance as the man contemplating‚ and ultimately managing to celebrate‚ his unextraordinary "so-so life"

The Arts Desk (May 2010)

...drawing on his Gilbert and Sullivan background‚ Richard Suart’s ’Cleopatra’ was undoubtedly the best I have heard

Julianslade.com (November 2009)

The cast is a good mix of musical theatre troupers and light opera names‚ with G&S patter specialist Richard Suart adding a touch of real class

What's on Stage (November 2009)

...enjoyable larger-than-life comic cameo from Richard Suart

Classical Source (November 2009)

Simon Butteriss and Richard Suart convey the fun of their comic roles without descending into embarrassing exhibitions of stilted and forced overplaying. There is enough music in each voice to enable them to sing rather than declaim

International Record Review (November 2009)

Recording of the Month...comedy in this opera is carried by two G&S patter-men‚ Simon Butteriss (the servant‚ Gregory) and Richard Suart (village barber‚ Ben)...Ben‚ who after an introduction reminiscent of John Wellington Wells (The Sorcerer)‚ launches into a patter song ‘A Person of Parts’ that is amusing and well sung

Musicweb International (November 2009)

...first truly complete recording of what is arguably his masterpiece...impeccably cast...and the indispensable Richard Suart (Benjamin Partridge)

Opera Now (November 2009)

...a hand-picked cast who include veterans Richard Stuart and Donald Maxwell...the excellent diction of the singers makes texts unnecessary

Liverpool Daily Post (August 2009)

Mr Walter (a touching Richard Suart)

Opera (January 2010)

De andere zingende personages blijven aan de oppervlakte‚ al weten vooral bariton Richard Suart (ontroerend onderkoeld als de oude heer Walter)...veel drama in hun rol te leggen // The other characters generally stay on the surface in the storyline‚ although... Richard Suart (very moving as the old Mr. Walter) brings a lot of depth to his role

NRC Handelsblad (October 2009)

The semi-staged production is appropriately frilly and silly‚ ludicrous and lovely. It boasts one fabulous performance‚ by baritone Richard Suart as the Lord Chancellor...The live wire is Suart‚ a British master of the G&S craft‚ whose flair and diction match Albert Finney and whose outlandishness brings Burt Lahr to mind‚ or John Cleese. As the Lord Chancellor‚ a lecher and pompous birdbrain of legalisms‚ Suart inhabits the full ridiculousness of the material. He is also the only cast member to put across the telegraph-fast syllabification of Gilbert’s lyrics — "Love‚ unrequited‚ robs me of rest" is virtually a Victorian rap — with enough clarity to keep the words from becoming a blur

Mercury News (June 2009)

...the British baritone Richard Suart‚ whose long experience in this field enlivened his performance as the Lord Chancellor. Comic reflexes‚ linguistic agility and just enough tonal luster - these were his stock-in-trade‚ and he made the most of them

San Francisco Chronicle (June 2009)

Highlights include Richard Suart’s bumbling General Snookfield

The Stage (February 2009)

William Dazeley‚ Bibi Heal‚ Richard Suart and Steven Beard head a sparkling cast

Financial Times (February 2009)

the scene-stealers are Steven Beard’s vice-president and Richard Suart’s French ambassador

Financial Times (October 2008)

Richard Suart’s French ambassador provides a skilful vaudeville turn

The Guardian (October 2008)

Strong performances from...Richard Suart as the impeccable French Ambassador

The Stage (October 2008)

up pops the French Ambassador (Richard Suart‚ wafting clouds of outrageous franglais)

The Times (October 2008)

Monkton is forgotten now‚ but shouldn’t be‚ as this captivating CD featuring 22 of his best numbers proves. All are most charmingly put across by the baritone Richard Suart‚ a master of sly comedy...whose suave man-of-the-world charm is ageless.

Mail on Sunday (April 2008)

It is hard for modern‚ classically trained singers to hit off the vaudevillian timing‚ playing with the rhythmns; nevertheless both Bott and Suart demonstrate a natural aptitude for the material

Gramaphone Magazine (June 2008)

Richard Suart comes close to walking off with the performance as a brilliantly funny Baron Zeta.

Financial Times (May 2008)

Notable‚ too‚ were the Baron of the always impeccable Richard Suart...

Country Life (May 2008)

Richard Suart‚ as Baron Zeta the Pontevedrian Ambassador in Paris‚ is very funny.

Musical Criticism (April 2008)

He gives a disciplined performance that explores every conceivable strategy for depicting Ko-Ko’s infinite capacity for skin-saving self-humiliation. His "little list"‚ incidentally‚ includes MP David Conway‚ Nigella Lawson and ENO’s calamitous Kismet‚ though it will probably have changed by the next performance.

Guardian Unlimited (February 2008)

Richard Suart’s brilliant Ko-Ko. Got up like Charlie Chaplin‚ his characterisation is a masterly display of all the worst British character flaws‚ from arrogance to obsequiousness. He has made the role his own‚ and unlike the people on his little list‚ newly re-written for this revival‚ Suart really would be missed.

Mail on Sunday (February 2008)

Richard Suart is an old hand at the role of Ko-Ko and once more brought considerable charisma and insight to the character‚ causing ripples of laughter for his re-writing of the ’Little List’ song.

Musical Criticism (February 2008)

Richard Suart does some crisp patter as Major-General Stanley.

Daily Telegraph (December 2004)

Major-General Stanley has all Richard Suart’s familiar "matter of patter".

Evening Standard (December 2004)

The cast needs every G&S pro it can lay its hands on‚ and it has one in Richard Suart’s exemplary Major-General Stanley.

Financial Times (December 2004)

...and Richard Suart’s "modern" Major-General Stanley showed everybody up. He alone gave the old dialogue a lift; he alone filled the stage.

The Independent (December 2004)

...above all‚ Richard Suart‚ the perfect purveyor of patter as the Major-General himself.

Mail on Sunday (December 2004)

As the Major General‚ Mr Richard Suart was his usual camp self‚ shamelessly stealing the show from the other principals.

The Observer (December 2004)

Richard Suart is an accomplished Major-General.

Sunday Times (December 2004)

Richard Suart is a characterful Major-General.

The Times (December 2004)

Suart turns in one of his best performances as Ko-Ko. G&S is his stock-in-trade‚ we know‚ but the energy and comic precision of what he does comes so naturally that you are simply not aware of its skill. He’s a sharp mime and a sharp mimic (everything from Gordon Brown to Olivier’s Richard III)…

Independent (April 2004)

As for Richard Suart’s Ko-Ko‚ what’s left to be said? He must be the most manically inventive G&S exponent of our era. Indeed‚ his impersonation of Olivier playing Richard III is worth the price of admission by itself. But it was when he added "George W. Bush’s poodle‚ whose name is Tony Blair" to Ko-Ko’s wishful list of those "who won’t be missed" that he brought the house down.

The Times (April 2004)

Richard Suart‚ in his company debut‚ was funny as a comic‚ whimpering Ko-Ko.

Associated Press (September 2001)

In the star part of Ko-Ko‚ guest artist Richard Suart landed his comic moments with style and wit.

LGNY (September 2001)

...an unusually able comic as Ko-Ko.

New York Daily News (September 2001)

The list was artfully delivered by Richard Suart in the role of Ko-Ko. Suart has made the role something of a specialty‚ and he frequently stole the spotlight from the surrounding leads.

Newsday (September 2001)

The great scene stealers were the Ko-Ko of Richard Suart (his politically incorrect updating of his ’Little List’ was a hoot).

The Westsider (September 2001)

...a glorious cameo performance from Richard Suart.

Oxford Times (June 2000)

...expert comic...

The Times (June 2000)

Richard Suart‚ a natural successor to the great John Reed‚ patters astoundingly and is gleefully funny as Major General Stanley.

The Guardian (December 1998)

Richard Suart is a splendidly batty Major General‚ complete with kilt and pith helmet

The Times (December 1998)

It has become a marvellously ornate interpretation‚ but most remarkable is the genuine modesty and economy with which Suart performs.

The Evening Standard (December 1996)

Star of the show is undoubtedly Richard Suart as Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner.

The Express (December 1996)

And Richard Suart (the Lord Chancellor) has become the sine qua non of G&S in this country. Beware inferior substitutes.

The Independent on Sunday (April 1995)

The star of the show was inevitably Richard Suart’s well-oiled and disingenuous Lord Chancellor

The Independent (April 1995)

Richard Suart (Jack Point) gave distinguished performances - expertly sung‚ interestingly characterised.

The Observer (November 1995)

Richard Suart as the ill-fated jester Jack Point scored a big hit and earned the loudest applause as he took his bow last of all.

South Wales Guardian (April 1995)