The Yeomen of The Guard

While many stage musical societies started life with the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas, few today still present G&S. Unsurprising perhaps, with the wealth of more recent, entertaining and popular shows available. But G&S retains a place for the many who love musical theatre and treasure its history. Thank goodness, therefore, for groups like Christchurch G&S, who ensure that this important feature of stage music’s heritage can give pleasure to performers and audiences alike, not as museum-pieces but as lasting entertainment with a touch of theatre nostalgia.

For their Diamond Anniversary Christchurch G&S chose to present Yeomen of The Guard, having over their 60 years performed almost all the G&S catalogue.

The Show

Yeomen, the most ‘operatic’ of the G&S comic operas, isn’t without its lighter moments and memorable tunes. Having a more dramatic score, serious conclusion and less ‘topsy turvy’ storyline than the others, it remains popular among G&S devotees, and deservedly so.

From a society experienced in G&S, faithful interpretation and respectful presentation can be expected. On this visit, we weren’t disappointed. While the production stuck to the traditional characterisations, individual performers contributed their own talents to their characters.

The 16th century action in Yeomen takes place in the Tower of London. Central is the fate of nobleman Colonel Fairfax, sentenced to death on a trumped-up charge. To protect his estate, he insists on marrying before his execution and Elsie Maynard, one of a pair of travelling players, agrees (at a price, and with the promise of widowhood) to become the bride. Around this unusual situation, the story explores its effect on other members of the Tower’s community including, significantly, Jack Point, the other travelling entertainer.

Yeomen begins with an overture performed by an experienced 14-strong orchestra, well-directed in this production by MD & Conductor Adrian Dobson who worked effectively throughout the performance in coordinating the pit musicians with the vocalists on stage

The characters

After the well-played overture, during which audience attention was held visually by cameos of Tower villagers in everyday activities, the real action begins with Phoebe Meryll, alone, sighing of her hopes that love will come her way. In this role, Alix Ashurst was a delight, her singing, lively expressions and comedic characterisation providing a solid presence throughout the performance.

After this impressive opening, we are introduced to the Head Jailer, Wilfred Shadbolt, the one heavy comedy role in the opera, played here by Allister Jordan. An enjoyable surprise was Wilfred’s opening song When jealous torments rack my soul, which I’d never heard before. While cut from the original 1888 score, this is now sometimes included. On the strength of Allister’s performance here, its inclusion was welcome, relating well to Shadbolt’s character and grisly occupation. Another strong performance, and an enjoyably comedic pairing with Phoebe.

As Elsie Maynard, Alison Matthews-Savage convinces, initially as one of the crowd-pleasing entertainers, then confused when consenting to the unexpected but lucrative marriage, and later emotionally torn between her affection for colleague Jack and her love for Fairfax. Her pleasing soprano voice was particularly effective in the dramatic ‘Tis done! I am a bride!

Effectively the central character in the story is Elsie’s entertainment partner Jack Point, unable, despite his ‘jester’s confidence’, to express his love for Elsie until too late, when she has committed herself elsewhere. Richard Craggs brought the superficial frivolity of the ‘sad clown’ to life in this performance, showing versatile acting and movement skills, presenting the character’s fragile personality in a physically imposing frame. His emotional appearance at the close of the opera, while perhaps a little protracted, was movingly communicated. A strong portrayal of this, one of Gilbert’s more complicated characters.

Daniel Magnone sang the part of the condemned Fairfax with a clear tenor voice and played the role with subtle variations between brave prisoner, disguised escaper, and carefree lover callously cheating Jack Point in the lovely quartet When a wooer goes a wooing.

In other principal roles, Edward Atkin was particularly imposing and strong in the part of the Lieutenant of the Tower and Howard Pritchett demonstrated a resonant bass voice as Sergeant Meryll, suitably resigned to his fate when Dame Carruthers – robustly acted and sung by Kate King – undertakes to protect his reputation in return for his personal commitment.

Dame Carruthers’ niece Kate is a small role in the opera but featured pleasingly where Rachel Fitzpatrick’s high soprano gave a lovely vocal line to the quartet Strange Adventure, a musical highlight of the production.

A nice touch was Toby Ashurst’s Leonard Meryll, brother to Phoebe (played by Toby’s real-life mother). In his G&S debut, Toby showed his share of the family talent and can look forward to enjoying many theatrical experiences in the future.

Every G&S opera needs a strong supporting ensemble, particularly important in Yeomen, with its complex double-choruses. This company coped admirably with the musical demands with a well-drilled chorus led by the First Yeoman, vocally strong Clive Carlin and 2nd Yeoman Richard Tomlinson.

The Staging

The historic set was atmospherically effective and fitted the stage comfortably, the occasional stage-prop movement carried out unobtrusively by cast members. Congratulations to Stage Manager Gordon Kilpin and his team for effective set design and construction, and to Paul Boneham (Lighting) and Paul Frost (Sound) for sensitive effects enhancing the drama of the production. Costumes, from Lichfield Costume Hire, were appropriate, colourful and attractive.

The Direction

Generally, audiences at a G&S production know what to expect and, while prepared for some innovation (for example Jack Point remaining lifeless on stage while the rest of the cast acknowledge the audience applause), enjoy the familiarity of the well-known story, the much-loved music and the recognisable characters. The challenge for the Director, therefore, is to avoid over-predictability and give the show the freshness of a new production. In this, Director Cheryl Hammersley achieved this balance.

It was nice to have a chance for a good chat with the group’s Chair, Rachel, after the show. Thank you, Christchurch, for an enjoyable evening of G&S. My wife and I look forward to your next production.

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