Nice sound recording, but her singing of this song is barely adequate. If the point is that the original actress playing Yum Yum was an alcoholic and a drug addict, then she brings it off sadly. But my God, the delivery is shrill rather than sweet...
@goback3spaces I don't know anything about the original actress/singer,or what she sounded like, but I think the shrillness works. It may be a touch grating, but it sounds authentic, of its time. We don't have any sound recordings from the 1880s, but if the singing styles of the decades that closely followed are anything to go by, shrill and birdlike was fashionable, even if now it doesn't hold the same appeal.
@CecilyHeron That's an interesting observation. You may be right. I also know nothing about the original actress, but the movie let us know again and again that this poor woman was headed for an early grave. I imagine it's based on fact, because why would the filmmakers invent such a thing? As for the song, I've got a recording done by the Company of Savoyards and it's incomprehensibly beautiful on that record. This version compares unfavorably, even though it might be historically accurate.
@goback3spaces Yes, poor lady, she seems very fragile, even in her vanity. I think although the film is based on fact, many liberties are taken in terms of what the real people were like, e.g. I don't think we know that Gilbert visited brothels, but I may be wrong. And I think the relationship of Sullivan and his wife was not as cold as it appears in the movie.
@goback3spaces RE the singing, I read once that Mike Leigh, the director, was insistent on there being no miming in the film, that the actors used their real voices. I think this choice caused some divided opinion, because the actors are not singers. I remember noticing immediately that the actors weren't miming, and that made it so much more real. I guess Leigh took a calculated risk! I will try to find that version you mention of the song.
@CecilyHeron Hope you find it. It dates back quite a few years. One thing I think is clever about this sequence is that they have the actress reciting Yum Yum's pre-song dialogue offstage to herself (while drinking), then onstage she launches into the song. Nice layering of artistic modes there.
@CecilyHeron Well, I'm sorry you didn't find it, but I'm sure there are others just as good. I don't even know who the singer is who plays Yum Yum. (It's on cassette.) Life is a constant search for excellence. I guess that's why we watch HAMLET over and over again with different actors playing the title role. We spend our lives collecting these experiences.
When I caught just the last few minutes of the film on TV awhile back, the acting AND the singing performance impressed me, but I SO did not catch on to the fact that it was Shirley Henderson! I shouldn't be surprised that she sings so well. Her speaking voice is tiny and girlish (although she has portrayed some tough little women!). She shares that quality with Kristin Chenoweth, another woman whose powerful singing voice amazes anyone who has only heard her speak. Thanks for posting the video!
@GuinnBerger I was also impressed with the camera work..That long slow tracking shot that starts with a close-up of her face and pulls back in an arch up to the balcony all adds to the effectiveness of this final sequence...But the whole film was an absolute delight!
For me, Shirley Henderson's ferocious performance of this fierce song, maybe G and S's most profound, is not only the the highlight of this great film, but one of the best ever because of her superb acting. Her Yum Yum is a powerful force. Thank you for posting.
These two scenes illustrate the contrast between the flawed artists that inhabit ALL artistic creations. Some may quibble about singing details, but its the sum of the artistry, that matters. And Shirley Henderson delivers a stunning performance.
What is remarkable about this sequence is the skilful use a slow pan away from Ms. Henderson's beautiful and vulnerable face to reveal the set, the stage, a capable conductor, a wondrous orchestra and an elegantly attired and rap British audience.
Her character is a widow with a young child, a tough road to haul in any era, but especially so in Victorian England.
She has a developed a drinking problem as a coping mechanism and it's beginning to interfere with her work.
A marvelous film that juxtaposes the mirth and brightness of the Mikado with the everyday problems of those who create and perform it. Each character despite their all too human flaws are lovable.
This scene is the very last of the movie and (to me) exempl
Yes, I am indeed beautiful. Sometimes I sit and wonder in my artless Japanese way why it is that I am so much more attractive than anybody else in the whole world? LOL!
She has a quality to her voice that resembles some of the singers in early musical movies...like West Side Story, My Fair Lady (I know that was the same woman twice), even Oklahoma....
yumyummoany: I agree, the moment when the sword falls from the wall and Broadbent as Gilbert 'gets' the idea for THE MIKADO is brilliant. You can see it all in his face and eyes. Wonderful acting.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
An unlikeable shouted performance in an otherwise beautifully costumed and sumptuously set recreation of Gilbert and Sullivan's creative peak. Ms. Henderson = actress yes, diva no.
The talking is creepy, the singing lovely. In front of the mirror she's reciting lines from the play, as if rehearsing them, but then we cut to the stage, where she's singing. Pretty bizarre effect, overall.
@Grey159 It is a musical drama about how Gilbert and Sullivan came to make the Mikado. I think it was made about 2000 by Mike Leigh I enjoyed it. It must be on you tube somewhere.It is Shirly Henderson,if you like her watch Shakespeare re told... The Taming of the Shrew, she is terrific in it.
I was given the DVD of 'Topsy Turvy' as a gift and I have watched it many times. So many special bits and so many great actors. One of my fave bits - apart from this one - is when Jim Broadbent plays with the sword that has fallen off of the wall. The idea for 'Mikado' comes to him as we hear the music, very distantly. He lifts his eyes and looks into the camera and smiles - wonderful.
I saw this film recently and it's brilliant. This final scene with Shirley Henderson makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Thanks for uploading.
Wow! & she actually sings!.. Cant believe this Excellent clip has not been viewed & rated more times. Shirley Henderson is Brilliant here in her `warts n` all` portrayal of Leonora. Her soliloquy at the start + her dainty (`japanese-way`) steps during; gets her the plaudits (just) over Valerie Masterson`s rendition, which is also outstanding!... Shirley Henderson.. Yum Yum!!
This is one of the reasons I bought ""Topsy Turvy""... that film is filled with wonderful renditions!
doceigen 3 weeks ago
I really enjoyed this film when it came out. I believe that this interpretation was very close to how it would have been sung when first performed.
caronovellezealandes 1 month ago
Bravo Shirley and all the talents involved! thanks again for posting.
beforeourveryeyes 1 month ago
wonderful... my favorite G & S aria...MM is fabulous
kksax 2 months ago in playlist Favorite videos
If I may say, this is where this wonderful film reaches sublime perfection.
donde2k 2 months ago
Wow. This is fantastic.
iamshunpike 3 months ago 2
Nice sound recording, but her singing of this song is barely adequate. If the point is that the original actress playing Yum Yum was an alcoholic and a drug addict, then she brings it off sadly. But my God, the delivery is shrill rather than sweet...
goback3spaces 3 months ago
@goback3spaces I don't know anything about the original actress/singer,or what she sounded like, but I think the shrillness works. It may be a touch grating, but it sounds authentic, of its time. We don't have any sound recordings from the 1880s, but if the singing styles of the decades that closely followed are anything to go by, shrill and birdlike was fashionable, even if now it doesn't hold the same appeal.
CecilyHeron 2 months ago
@CecilyHeron That's an interesting observation. You may be right. I also know nothing about the original actress, but the movie let us know again and again that this poor woman was headed for an early grave. I imagine it's based on fact, because why would the filmmakers invent such a thing? As for the song, I've got a recording done by the Company of Savoyards and it's incomprehensibly beautiful on that record. This version compares unfavorably, even though it might be historically accurate.
goback3spaces 2 months ago
@goback3spaces Yes, poor lady, she seems very fragile, even in her vanity. I think although the film is based on fact, many liberties are taken in terms of what the real people were like, e.g. I don't think we know that Gilbert visited brothels, but I may be wrong. And I think the relationship of Sullivan and his wife was not as cold as it appears in the movie.
CecilyHeron 2 months ago
@CecilyHeron Sorry, got Gilbert and Sullivan's names mixed up there.
CecilyHeron 2 months ago
@goback3spaces RE the singing, I read once that Mike Leigh, the director, was insistent on there being no miming in the film, that the actors used their real voices. I think this choice caused some divided opinion, because the actors are not singers. I remember noticing immediately that the actors weren't miming, and that made it so much more real. I guess Leigh took a calculated risk! I will try to find that version you mention of the song.
CecilyHeron 2 months ago
@CecilyHeron Hope you find it. It dates back quite a few years. One thing I think is clever about this sequence is that they have the actress reciting Yum Yum's pre-song dialogue offstage to herself (while drinking), then onstage she launches into the song. Nice layering of artistic modes there.
goback3spaces 2 months ago
@goback3spaces I never did find the recording you mentioned, shame, I'd hoped to listen to that.
CecilyHeron 2 months ago
@CecilyHeron Well, I'm sorry you didn't find it, but I'm sure there are others just as good. I don't even know who the singer is who plays Yum Yum. (It's on cassette.) Life is a constant search for excellence. I guess that's why we watch HAMLET over and over again with different actors playing the title role. We spend our lives collecting these experiences.
goback3spaces 2 months ago
@goback3spaces Very well said! Merry Christmas to you!
CecilyHeron 2 months ago
@CecilyHeron And to you.
goback3spaces 2 months ago
I LOVE this movie- Thank you for posting!
DAVIDAPPLE 4 months ago
When I caught just the last few minutes of the film on TV awhile back, the acting AND the singing performance impressed me, but I SO did not catch on to the fact that it was Shirley Henderson! I shouldn't be surprised that she sings so well. Her speaking voice is tiny and girlish (although she has portrayed some tough little women!). She shares that quality with Kristin Chenoweth, another woman whose powerful singing voice amazes anyone who has only heard her speak. Thanks for posting the video!
GuinnBerger 4 months ago 3
@GuinnBerger I was also impressed with the camera work..That long slow tracking shot that starts with a close-up of her face and pulls back in an arch up to the balcony all adds to the effectiveness of this final sequence...But the whole film was an absolute delight!
wheimer2 4 months ago 4
For me, Shirley Henderson's ferocious performance of this fierce song, maybe G and S's most profound, is not only the the highlight of this great film, but one of the best ever because of her superb acting. Her Yum Yum is a powerful force. Thank you for posting.
beforeourveryeyes 5 months ago 6
For the love of moms of 4 kids, pick me! I love every vid of yours I've ever seen!!! xoxoxo
ikeandlinz 6 months ago
Yum Yum ROCKS !!!!!!
MrPaulb1001 6 months ago 2
Omg! I didn't know she sang!
EidahageFeroe 6 months ago 3
Shirley Henderson...Yum-Yum !!
FoxApeHumblebeeC02 7 months ago 2
What a treat!
thines01a 7 months ago 2
These two scenes illustrate the contrast between the flawed artists that inhabit ALL artistic creations. Some may quibble about singing details, but its the sum of the artistry, that matters. And Shirley Henderson delivers a stunning performance.
What is remarkable about this sequence is the skilful use a slow pan away from Ms. Henderson's beautiful and vulnerable face to reveal the set, the stage, a capable conductor, a wondrous orchestra and an elegantly attired and rap British audience.
oboist01 7 months ago 6
When we did this show we would call this Yum Yum's Megalomania song.
"I mean to rule the earth as he the sky"
I enjoy this performance!
umleroi 7 months ago
shirley!!!!! I love her soooo much!!
bobbylizziebeebop 8 months ago
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llirl123 9 months ago
i just want to hug her, she so awesome I love, love, love her voice!!! I could pick anywhere!! :D
zoeeileve 10 months ago
Beautiful
cicero1453 11 months ago
Why does it say "Song by: Carl Davis, Dorothy Atkinson, Martin Savage & Shirley Henderson"? It's Gilbert & Sullivan.
Ididnotwanttojoin 11 months ago
Beautiful song, sung brilliantly & in one take too.
MrPaulb1001 1 year ago
THis song is intense.
periola 1 year ago
magnificent
vulpecula999 1 year ago
@grey159
Her character is a widow with a young child, a tough road to haul in any era, but especially so in Victorian England.
She has a developed a drinking problem as a coping mechanism and it's beginning to interfere with her work.
A marvelous film that juxtaposes the mirth and brightness of the Mikado with the everyday problems of those who create and perform it. Each character despite their all too human flaws are lovable.
This scene is the very last of the movie and (to me) exempl
FakkoPrime 1 year ago 6
Lovely.
Progresshiv 1 year ago
Shirley henderson = brilliant
hales51 1 year ago
Is this actually Shirley Henderson singing or is it dubbed over?
Grey159 1 year ago
@Grey159 yes, that is indeed Ms. Henderson singing.
TonicMike 1 year ago
Yes, I am indeed beautiful. Sometimes I sit and wonder in my artless Japanese way why it is that I am so much more attractive than anybody else in the whole world? LOL!
She gives me goosebumps.....in a good way!
pmwebb 1 year ago 3
@pmwebb it's beautifully delivered. Grossly underrated actress.
zaftra 1 year ago
She has a quality to her voice that resembles some of the singers in early musical movies...like West Side Story, My Fair Lady (I know that was the same woman twice), even Oklahoma....
MrNoelJMIS 1 year ago
yumyummoany: I agree, the moment when the sword falls from the wall and Broadbent as Gilbert 'gets' the idea for THE MIKADO is brilliant. You can see it all in his face and eyes. Wonderful acting.
nebuly100 1 year ago 2
And what a talented actress she is . And not a bad singing voice either, Look at BBC's Taming of the Shrew.
bebop58 1 year ago
We can always listen to Val Masterson doing this as a singer does it, but this is almost a perfect rendition.
clevblue 1 year ago
An Actor can make the most of a song, and what voice they are blessed with. Great performance.
clevblue 1 year ago
" I am indeed beautiful" - I luv this film beyond words can describe.
nefersguy 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
An unlikeable shouted performance in an otherwise beautifully costumed and sumptuously set recreation of Gilbert and Sullivan's creative peak. Ms. Henderson = actress yes, diva no.
cuddlyable3 1 year ago
The talking is creepy, the singing lovely. In front of the mirror she's reciting lines from the play, as if rehearsing them, but then we cut to the stage, where she's singing. Pretty bizarre effect, overall.
goback3spaces 1 year ago
you never get tired of brilliance
Palewriter 2 years ago
She has this odd resemblence to the girl who played Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter.
OperaGIRL777 2 years ago
Not odd at all: it's precisely her who played Moaning Myrtle's role!
goopho 2 years ago 15
No way!!!!
OperaGIRL777 2 years ago
@goopho I thought she sounded familiar!!
shugoshugocharachan 8 months ago
@shugoshugocharachan Indeed! :-)
goopho 8 months ago
This is so moving and in the context of the character in the film playing this part is deeply touching and tragic.
barneswriter 2 years ago 2
Respond to this video... As I haven't seen the film yet, can you explain about her character? I know Mikado very well, just not Topsy Turvy.
Grey159 1 year ago
@Grey159 It is a musical drama about how Gilbert and Sullivan came to make the Mikado. I think it was made about 2000 by Mike Leigh I enjoyed it. It must be on you tube somewhere.It is Shirly Henderson,if you like her watch Shakespeare re told... The Taming of the Shrew, she is terrific in it.
hales51 1 year ago
This is wonderfully delivered. Who cares about the technical singing.
elmossoful 2 years ago 30
This comment has received too many negative votes show
The film is excellent but this particular aria is not well sung. She shouts.
cuddlyable3 2 years ago
Brava, Ms. Henderson! Thanks for the post.
rcedison 2 years ago
A great ensemble perfomance in this film.
I love Dorothy Atkinson as Jessie Bond, but there again, I just love Dorothy Atkinson.
Ahhhh
avril2 2 years ago
I was given the DVD of 'Topsy Turvy' as a gift and I have watched it many times. So many special bits and so many great actors. One of my fave bits - apart from this one - is when Jim Broadbent plays with the sword that has fallen off of the wall. The idea for 'Mikado' comes to him as we hear the music, very distantly. He lifts his eyes and looks into the camera and smiles - wonderful.
Not seen it? Give it a go.
yumyummoany 2 years ago
Totally agree with you. It's a wonderful film with a great cast. I never get tired of watching it
elephantbarbiegirl 2 years ago 2
I saw this film recently and it's brilliant. This final scene with Shirley Henderson makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Thanks for uploading.
PaulDeLaWare 2 years ago 3
thanx much for uploading. can anyone please post the whole movie?
gallieman 2 years ago
A wonderful film, a wonderful scene, a wonderful performance, it is just so haunting, the voice, the camera work, just perfect
landrover153 2 years ago 2
If someone sings this on Britains got talent it would be massive , lol.
hablerz 2 years ago
none of the "contestants" on that crap show could sing this
vulpecula999 2 years ago 2
Haha , your right and lets hope they dont try to.
hablerz 2 years ago 2
Wow! & she actually sings!.. Cant believe this Excellent clip has not been viewed & rated more times. Shirley Henderson is Brilliant here in her `warts n` all` portrayal of Leonora. Her soliloquy at the start + her dainty (`japanese-way`) steps during; gets her the plaudits (just) over Valerie Masterson`s rendition, which is also outstanding!... Shirley Henderson.. Yum Yum!!
FoxApeHumblebeeC02 2 years ago
The stage direction and the camera panning out gives the scene such a haunting quality that just takes your breath away. Absolutely amazing.
charlotteamalie 2 years ago 2
"Moaning Myrtle" is amazing in this performance as is the great Timothy Spall in the movie. Thanks for the piece.
pmwebb 2 years ago
It's a lovely song and she has a good voice except when she pushes a top note.
cuddlyable3 2 years ago
this is an absolute jewel. perfection indeed.
sharilyn3 3 years ago
almost as perfect as my body
fleischpudding 2 years ago
Such a beautiful clip from an amazing amazing film. Thank you!!
ladymondegreen 3 years ago
Perfection. A wonderful film and a wonderful interpretation by Shirley Henderson.
barneswriter 3 years ago
a wonderful voice, nice clip!
METROPPOLISE 3 years ago