Topsy-Turvy
As a scorching London summer threatens their latest opera's success, rival playwrights Gilbert and Sullivan must reconcile their clashing visions and embrace unexpected inspiration to create their most iconic masterpiece.
“Gilbert & Sullivan & So Much More”
Synopsis
For nearly a decade, Gilbert and Sullivan’s collaborations have delighted the English public. However, in 1884, during a London heat wave that affected theater attendance, their latest work, *Princess Ida*, received a lukewarm reception. In an effort to resolve their creative differences and drawing inspiration from Japanese culture, they went on to create the hit opera *The Mikado*, one of the duo's most successful works.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 93+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Robin SalesShot by Dick PopeDesigned by Eve Stewart
Box Office
1999 · Box office
📉 Underperformed — grossed 0.7× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$7.8M
US & Canada: $6.2M — 80% of worldwide · International: $1.6M (20%)
Opening weekend: $31K — 1% of its US run. It had legs — it kept earning long after opening weekend.
Peak 2 theaters
Also known as
- Topsy-Turvy - Auf den Kopf gestelltde
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Cast & Crew
93 unique people credited
Top billed cast
Jim Broadbent
as William Schwenck Gilbert
Allan Corduner
as Arthur Sullivan
Dexter Fletcher
as Louis
Timothy Spall
as Richard Temple (The Mikado)
Sukie Smith
as Clothilde
Lesley Manville
as Lucy Gilbert
Roger Heathcott
as Stage Doorkeeper
Ron Cook
as Richard D'Oyly Carte
Wendy Nottingham
as Helen Lenoir
Stefan Bednarczyk
as Frank Cellier
Kevin Mckidd
as Durward Lely (Nanki-Poo)
Geoffrey Hutchings
as Armourer
Supporting cast
75Shirley Henderson
as Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum)
Dorothy Atkinson
as Jessie Bond
Francis Lee
as Butt
Martin Savage
as George Grossmith
Eleanor David
as Fanny Ronalds
Sam Kelly
as Richard Barker
Andy Serkis
as John D'Auban
Charles Simon
as Gilbert's Father
Vincent Franklin
as Rutland Barrington
Cathy Sara
as Sybil Grey
Nicholas Woodeson
as Mr. Seymour
Jonathan Aris
as Wilhelm
Mark Benton
as Mr Price
Eve Pearce
as Gilbert's Mother
Lavinia Bertram
as Florence Gilbert
Theresa Watson
as Maude Gilbert
Kenneth Hadley
as Pidgeon
Louise Gold
as Rosinda Brandram
Kate Doherty
as Mrs Judd
Mia Soteriou
as Mrs. Russell
Akemi Otani
as Dancer
Togo Igawa
as First Kabuki Actor
Kanako Morishita
as Shamisen Player
Naoko Mori
as Miss 'Sixpence Please'
Eiji Kusuhara
as Second Kabuki Actor
Alison Steadman
as Madame Leon
Katrin Cartlidge
as Madame
Julia Rayner
as Mademoiselle Fromage
Angela Curran
as Miss Morton
Brid Brennan
as Mad Woman
Ashley Jensen
as Miss Tringham
Richard Coyle
as Mr. Hammond
Kacey Ainsworth
as Miss Fitzherbert
Debbie Chazen
as Miss Kingsley
Rosie Cavaliero
as Miss Monroe
Monica Dolan
as Miss Barnes
Steve Speirs
as Mr Kent
Mary Roscoe
as Miss Carlyle
Matt Bardock
as Mr Tripp
Paul Rider
as Mr Bentley
Kevin Walton
as Mr Evans
Gemma Page
as Miss Langton-James
Sarah Howe
as Miss Woods
Teresa Gallagher
as Miss Coleford
Anna Francolini
as Miss Biddles
Sophie Duval
as Miss Brown
Michelle Chadwick
as Miss Warren
Wayne Cater
as Mr Rhys
Simon Butteriss
as Mr Lewis
Lorraine Brunning
as Miss Jardine
Nicholas Boulton
as Mr Conyngham
Richard Attlee
as Mr Gordon
Ashley Artus
as Mr Marchmont
Paul Barnhill
as Mr Flagstone
John Warnaby
as Mr Sanders
Julie Jupp
as Miss Meadows
Heather Craney
as Miss Russell
Shaun Glanville
as Mr Harris
Julian Bleach
as Mr Plank
Millie Gregory
as Alice
Michael Simkins
as Frederick Bovell
Neil Humphries
as Boy Actor
Keeley Gainey
as Maidservant
Toksan Takahashi
as Calligrapher
Kimi Shaw
as Spinner
Nick Bartlett
as Stage Hand
Gary Dunnington
as Fred Baker
Amanda Crossley
as Emily
Matthew Mills
as Walter Simmonds
David Neville
as Dentist
Philippe Constantin
as Paris Waiter
Jenny Pickering
as Second Prostitute
Gary Yershon
as Pianist in Brothel
Adam Searles
as Shrimp
William Neenan
as Cook
Directors
1Writers
1Producers
1Other crew
4Parents Guide
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