For nearly a decade, Gilbert and Sullivan’s collaborations have delighted the English people. But in 1884, as a London heat wave cuts into the theater trade, their latest work, "Princess Ida", receives lukewarm press. In an effort to reconcile their creative differences and drawing inspiration from Japanese culture, they went on to create the hit opera "The Mikado", one of the duo's greatest successes.

Jim Broadbent
as W. S. Gilbert

Allan Corduner
as Sir Arthur Sullivan

Timothy Spall
as Richard Temple (The Mikado)

Lesley Manville
as Lucy Gilbert

Ron Cook
as Richard D'Oyly Carte

Wendy Nottingham
as Helen Lenoir

Kevin McKidd
as Durward Lely (Nanki-Poo)

Shirley Henderson
as Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum)

Dorothy Atkinson
as Jessie Bond

Martin Savage
as George Grossmith
Peter McGinn
I particularly like most of Mike Leigh’s movies, so it is surprising that I took so long to get around to watching Topsy Turvy. A few of his films are on my list of favorite films out there, but sadly this effort did not threaten to crack that list. Not that I didn’t enjoy it overall. It was enterta...