‘It's a light-hearted escapist thing … hugely successful on Broadway in its day and sometimes said to have influenced the Marx Brothers' masterpiece Duck Soup. … Caroline Gawn's direction allows the piece's essential good nature to shine through and allows it to remain a period piece’
Daily Telegraph

‘It’s a fun evening … the quick-fire repartee and farcical twists still produce plenty of laughs. … The plot is so daft that it could almost be true. … There’s much more: a humming chorus of snoozing senators, a barbershop number for Supreme Court judges and an extended impeachment ensemble straight out of Gilbert and Sullivan.  It’s all conducted with suitable pizzazz by Mark Dorrell and hurled out by a seasoned cast of actors and singers, of whom Steven Beard’s camp Vice-President and Rob Edwards’s scheming Secretary of State are outstanding.’
The Times

‘Richard Suart’s French ambassador provides a skilful vaudeville turn.  William Dazeley deploys sufficient matinee-idol charm as the leading man and Bibi Heal’s Mary Turner is suitably demure, while Heather Shipp vamps to good effect as Miss Devereaux.  Nearly stealing the show, however, is Steven Beard as the shyly forgettable vice-president, Throttlebottom.’
The Guardian

‘Wyn Davies whips up the Orchestra of Opera North to a sparkling account of one of Gershwin’s most sophisticated scores.’ The Times

‘Opera North has had time to absorb the style. It shows in the more confident choreography of Caroline Gawn’s staging, wittily designed by Tim Hopkins and expertly conducted by Wyn Davies.’ Financial Times

‘William Dazeley is an authoritative ousted president, and Bibi Heal sings Mary with a delightful freshness. Jeni Bern makes a raucous party animal as Trixie; Steven Beard turns in a delightful cameo as Throttlebottom; and Richard Burkhard is a bright-voiced revolutionary Kruger.’ The Independent