New Yaaawk humour — is there anything like it? Sassy, irreverent and quick. And of that genre, ‘The Producers’ is the gold standard. Its writer and composer Mel Brooks is a legend in Hollywood and beyond, but even he outdid himself when he put pen to music paper and came up with this musical — on stage or film, the wildly popular show has never failed to entertain its audience. And one generation after another, it continues to be well-loved.The audience will have high expectations of this show, whose plot line involves a scheme by the irrepressible Max Bialystock and his reluctant accomplice Leo Bloom to swindle New York’s rich elderly ladies out of their money by raising far too much to mount a Broadway production, and then having it flop so they do not have to pay the ladies their share of the profits, as there are none — while keeping all the extra they’ve raised for themselves.The duo feels certain they have a winner with the script for Springtime for Hitler, a musical which seeks to put Second World War German leader Adolf Hitler in a good light. Could anything be in worse taste? Max and Leo are convinced they cannot fail in producing a complete flop.‘The Producers’, however, has never been a flop, and so for The Gilbert & Sullivan Society, who are known for their highly professional productions, it was undoubtedly a daunting task to mount this show.But, from walking into the auditorium, catching sight of the set was immediately reassuring. The beautifully crafted scenery depicting the theatre in which Max Bialystock’s productions, including Springtime for Hitler, were to take place, set the stage, with its classic art deco lines imposing the sense of time, place and ambience. Throughout the show, the sets were all extremely good, from Max Bialystock’s infamous office (complete with casting couch), to a glittering New York skyline to a leafy park. The set changes were extremely quick and efficient — the fast pace is an important element of this production, and the set changes are a critical part in creating that.The lighting was also notably good. How often can it be said that the lighting department gets to provide some humorous moments? Here, Andy Vere’s lighting design was able to very successfully depict a light bulb going off in Max Bialystock’s head. And the music also depicted humour and pace, enhancing the action at every turn as well. The costumes were a feast for eyes, from the glittering evening dresses and furs in the opening night scenes, to the army of elderly ladies all dressed in identical pink frocks, to the amazing costumes required for the character Roger Debris, the famous but very bad director of Springtime for Hitler, and his extremely colourful court of assistants and assorted others.These elements provided a strong framework for the action. The cast was a strong one with such local legends as Gavin Wilson who is brilliantly camp as Roger, and Phillip Jones in the challenging role of Leo, who veers from extreme nerdyness to near collapse from numerous panic attacks, and yet must retain his boyish charm as Ulla’s love interest. Lizzy Hadler, who plays Ulla, also manages the huge challenges of her role extremely well, which demand that she be a goddess-like siren, yet at the same time deliver some of the funniest lines in the show in deadpan style. And all this in a Swedish accent.Dan Guerrard is a superb sidekick for Gavin Wilson’s Roger Debris, playing Carmen Ghia, Roger’s besotted personal assistant. Again, this is an extremely camp role that requires he bounce off Roger’s outrageous persona without being swamped by Gavin Wilson’s powerful characterisation — extremely challenging as Gavin Wilson fills any stage he is on and ‘The Producers’ is no exception. Dan Guerrard, however, accomplishes the task easily, and those scenes are all the better for him being in them.Has there ever been a Franz Liebkind such as the Franz portrayed by Alan Brooks? I have never seen a better one. He drew a caricature of a post-war German patriot that was so overblown that he merely had to appear on the stage for gales of laughter to erupt from the audience. From his Lederhosen to his wildly exaggerated goose-step, he was hilarious.And of course, Max. Irrepressible, bad, but somehow always appealing and empathetic, Max. Alexander Damon Rosati provided his characterisation of the hero of the piece with all that, and much more besides. From ruing his successful days as a Broadway producer to his high octane enthusiasm for the devious plan to swindle millions from lonely elderly ladies to his feelings of abandonment when he ends up in jail and Leo and Ulla escape to Rio, he provides this superficial character with remarkable depth — an accomplishment indeed.The supporting cast was nothing short of extraordinary. They sang, the danced, and they acted. Some found themselves in an abundance of small roles, but each one very specific in terms of the requirements of the character, requiring significant costume changes, including hair, and often very quickly, throughout the show.‘The Producers’ was a superb performance that was sheer enjoyment, and left the audience with a smile on their face and a ‘spring’ in their step.‘The Producers’ is a production of The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Bermuda at City Hall Theatre and runs through October 13.