Mike Leigh

Topsy-Turvy

Topsy-Turvy

The world of Gilbert and Sullivan comes to vivid life in director Mike Leigh’s extraordinary dramatization of the staging of the duo’s legendary 1885 comic opera The Mikado. Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner brilliantly inhabit the roles of the world-famous Victorian librettist and composer, who, along with their troupe of temperamental actors, must battle personal and professional demons while mounting this major production. A lushly produced epic about the harsh realities of creative expression, featuring bravura performances and Oscar-winning costume design and makeup, Topsy-Turvy is an unexpected period delight from one of contemporary cinema’s great artists.

Film Info

  • United Kingdom
  • 1999
  • 160 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.78:1
  • English
  • Spine #558

Director-Approved Special Edition Features

  • Director-approved digital transfer, supervised by cinematographer Dick Pope, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Audio commentary featuring director Mike Leigh
  • New video conversation between Leigh and musical director, Gary Yershon
  • Leigh’s 1992 short film A Sense of History, written by and starring actor Jim Broadbent
  • Deleted scenes
  • Featurette from 1999 including interviews with Leigh and cast members
  • Theatrical trailer and TV spots
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by film critic Amy Taubin

    New cover by Yuko Shimizu

Purchase Options

Director-Approved Special Edition Features

  • Director-approved digital transfer, supervised by cinematographer Dick Pope, with DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • Audio commentary featuring director Mike Leigh
  • New video conversation between Leigh and musical director, Gary Yershon
  • Leigh’s 1992 short film A Sense of History, written by and starring actor Jim Broadbent
  • Deleted scenes
  • Featurette from 1999 including interviews with Leigh and cast members
  • Theatrical trailer and TV spots
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by film critic Amy Taubin

    New cover by Yuko Shimizu
Topsy-Turvy
Cast
Jim Broadbent
William Schwenck Gilbert
Allan Corduner
Arthur Sullivan
Timothy Spall
Richard Temple
Lesley Manville
Lucy Gilbert (Kitty)
Ron Cook
Richard D’Oyly Carte
Wendy Nottingham
Helen Lenoir
Kevin McKidd
Durward Lely
Shirley Henderson
Leonora Braham
Dorothy Atkinson
Jessie Bond
Martin Savage
George Grossmith
Eleanor David
Fanny Ronalds
Credits
Director
Mike Leigh
Written by
Mike Leigh
Producer
Simon-Channing Williams
Cinematography
Dick Pope
Editing
Robin Sales
Music
Carl Davis, from the works of Gilbert & Sullivan
Production designer
Eve Stewart
Costume designer
Lindy Hemming
Makeup and hair designer
Christine Blundell
Sound recordist
Tim Fraser
Musical director
Gary Yershon
Research
Rosie Chambers
Associate producer
Georgina Lowe
Casting
Nina Gold

Current

Topsy-Turvy: Great Performances
Topsy-Turvy: Great Performances
Topsy-Turvy is both an anomaly among the films of Mike Leigh and, contrary as it may seem, a Rosetta stone. On the one hand, it is Leigh’s only costume picture and only biopic—a far cry from the bittersweet, realistic films of contemporary wor…

By Amy Taubin

Yuko Shimizu’s Fresh Look for an Iconic Beast

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Pleasure in the Process: A Rehearsal Scene in Topsy-Turvy

One Scene

Pleasure in the Process: A Rehearsal Scene in Topsy-Turvy

The director of Midsommar finds the joy of collaboration and creation in Mike Leigh’s period epic.

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A Sit-Down with Mike Leigh
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