Spot-on G&S - no surprises then...
Another Wilton’s, another Charles Court Opera G&S – this time a Patience revival.
A satire on Swinburne and Aestheticism is not quite as up to the moment as some G&S parodies can be made, but equally pretention and form over substance is still a good story, as is the evanescence of popular culture in a material world.
And the wonderful paradox that if true love is unselfish, then you can never consummate that true love with the actual object of your desires, as that is an act of selfishness in so far as you are rewarded for your love.
This is a quite honest (in the sense of true to G&S) production, if with single set and ‘imagined’ costumes – whether you think Goth matches a modernist take on Aesthetic dress is arguable – but just remind me what that was, again?
Patience is morphed from a milkmaid to a Barmaid, which gives us our set, but why not?
The important thing about any production like this is – is it well sung, is it well acted? The answer to which is yes and yes, even with a surprise appearance of John Savournin (the artistic director) as Lady Saphir, whose intended actress had gone suddenly sick. (He acted and spoke, but the part was sung off-stage). Indeed his acting was at times so aesthetically lascivious that Matthew Siveter (as Grosvenor) started to choke with unscripted laughter.
He, Matthew Kellet as the rival poet Bunthorne, Catriona Hewitson as Patience and especially Catrine Kirkman as Lady Jane sung on point and, especially Kirkman acted up a (comic) treat. But there were no weaknesses. The single piano accompaniment of David Eaton was all additional that was needed.
Catch this production is you can, if not at Wilton’s then elsewhere.