The Yeoman of the Guard, the eleventh collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan, stands out for several reasons: it doesn’t open with a female chorus, as most of their other works do; it refrains from lampooning contemporary society; and it is notably more serious and less frivolous than many other Savoy Operas. Instead of relying on Gilbert’s usual magical devices, which Sullivan dismissively called ‘topsy-turvydom,’ this opera is grounded in genuine human interaction and a twisting plot.
Sadly, the British summer being what it is, and the acoustics of the venue being less than resonant, there were a few auditory issues, but they didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the show, which zips along nicely in the hands of director John Savournin and conductor David Eaton, who helm this new production—a collaboration between Opera Holland Park and Charles Court Opera—in the tent outside Holland House.
The story, likely inspired by the play Don Cesar de Bezan, had already served as the basis for Wallace’s Maritana, one of the trio of operas known as ‘The English Ring.’ In typical Gilbertian fashion, the narrative is expanded and improved.
The action takes place at the Tower of London—indeed, The Tower of London was the original title, then The Tower Warder, and briefly The Beefeaters, before Sullivan eventually suggested The Yeoman of The Guard—in Elizabethan England. And here’s one rather confusing element that I admit took my attention away from the story for several minutes: during the overture, people in Victorian dress bring a desk, chair, and various items to the front of the stage and mime a scene with a man dressed similarly in Victorian garb. Then everything is removed, and the scene starts with Phoebe (Samantha Price) spinning. Given that various characters who next appear are in uniform, it took me most of the first half to realize that the Victorians were meant to be Gilbert and his staff, and that the show hadn’t been re-set a couple of hundred years later.
The handsome Colonel Fairfax (William Morgan) has been imprisoned for treason and is to face beheading, but by a series of events manages to escape and claim his bride. Other people get what they deserve, and poor Jack Point (a wonderful Matthew Kellett channelling comedian Mark Steel in dialogue, but oddly not in song) ends up with less than nothing.
I won’t delve into the entire plot, but there are standout performances from Kellett, John Savournin as an unusually slim Shadbolt, the wonderfully clear Amy J. Payne as Dame Carruthers, and Darren Jeffery as Sergeant Meryll.
The City of London Sinfonia sounds sparkling in a new orchestral reduction by Richard Balcombe, which provides a far more than adequate accompaniment to what is probably the closest Gilbert and Sullivan ever got to Grand Opera working together.
As I mentioned, the auditorium is a tent—a very posh and well-appointed tent, but still a tent—in front of Holland House, and I suspect on a quiet, balmy summer evening, it is idyllic.
However, Thursday evening saw London hit by the tail end of a tropical storm, which wasn’t ideal and may well have been the cause of a few lapses in timing. Overall, though, this is a very enjoyable new production, and—my caveat about the Victorians excepted—let’s hope it finds a place in the repertoire.
Director: John Savournin
Musical Director: David Eaton
Book and Lyrics: W S Gilbert
Music: Arthur Sullivan
Cast: William Morgan, Matthew Kellett, Darren Jennery, Llio Evans, Samantha Price, Stephen Gould, Amy J Payne, John Savournin, Jack Roberts, Natasha Agarwal and full supporting cast and chorus
Dates: 7th to 10th August 2024
Running time: three hours including 1 x 30 minute interval
Date Seen: Thursday 8th August 2024
Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz