Patience

Thank you for inviting me to your production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience, which I enjoyed. As always, I was made to feel very welcome by your front of house team, thank you. Patience or Bunthorne’s Bride is the sixth Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. It satirizes the "aesthetic craze" of the 1870's and '80s, when the output of poets, composers, and painters was prolific. The libretto is full of puns, wordplay and social commentary, and the characters are colourful and entertaining.  Every member of the cast brought their character to life, making them memorable and endearing. 

The director had worked with the cast to develop some lovely characters and natural relationships between them. The principals were strong and looked comfortable in their roles and under Lee’s direction had developed the comedy within the script. They were well supported by the ensemble of Rapturous Maidens and Dragoon Guards and there was a good contrast between the foppish poets, the more rugged Dragoons and the sighing Maidens. The blocking worked well, and the director had made good use of the stage, ensuring that the entrances and exits in the small wing space were managed smoothly. I was pleased to see that the actors maintained their characters until they were off stage and out of sight of the audience.

The score featured catchy music, with waltzes, marches, and lyrical ballads which under the MD’s direction, all the cast sang well with some lovely harmonies. The choreography was well designed and entertaining with simple steps which worked effectively. It was light of foot and suited the style of the operetta. The set had been well designed and together with the set pieces, properties and well sourced costumes gave an appropriate and colourful setting for this operetta. 

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