If you thought the mixing of imaginary and real worlds in the recent smash hit Barbie Movie was new, think again – Gilbert and Sullivan were doing it in 1882. Iolanthe, like Barbie, moves between the real world and her own, causing lots of hilarious nonsense while making some pointed observations about our society – and in Iolanthe’s case, proving some things haven’t changed in the last 150-odd years.

Fairyland, like Barbieworld, has its own customs and laws, one of which is punishment of death for any fairy who marries a mortal. 25 years ago Iolanthe did just that, but unable to bring herself to enact the death penalty, the Fairy Queen banished her. After years of living at the bottom of a stream in the real world, Iolanthe is pardoned and returns to Fairyland. But she needs to stay in contact with her son Strephon, and introduces him to her fairy sisters.

Strephon’s top half is fairy, while his legs are human (just the start of the nonsensical fun) – a secret he has not shared with his beloved Phyllis, with whom he plans to elope in defiance of her guardian, the Lord Chancellor, who disapproves of the match. The Lord Chancellor meanwhile, while rather fancying Phyllis himself, plans to marry her off to one of his rich, titled, old and, well, ugly colleagues in the House of Lords. He cannot understand why Phyllis would rather marry a young, strong, handsome shepherd than a wealthy Peer of the Realm…..

However, Phyllis changes her mind when she sees Strephon familiarly chatting to a young lady – he tries in vain to convince her, and the peers, that ‘the lady is my mother’ – but of course the fairy Iolanthe never ages, so she looks younger than her own son. Tricky. Strephon calls on his fairy aunts for help, and the fairy and human worlds will never be quite the same again….

Will Phyllis believe Strephon or will she marry Lord Tolloller? Or Lord Mountararat? Or even the Lord Chancellor? Will the Fairy Queen be able to impose the laws of Fairyland on the human world? Will Strephon stay a shepherd or will he become a Member of Parliament? Will the Peers ever have the intelligence to work out what’s going on? Where is Iolanthe’s lost husband? Will she wish she’d stayed at the bottom of the stream? Will Shaun the Sheep ever learn more than two baas? Oh, and just where have the fairies’ proper costumes gone?

All will be revealed in GASP’s hilarious new production of Iolanthe at Bembridge Village Hall on September 21^st 22^nd and 23^rd at 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee on 24^th. Tickets are available now online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/gasp or call 07543 673117. GASP’s production of Pirates of Penzance last year sold out, including extra tickets released for the final dress rehearsal, and we are expecting a similar demand for seats to see Iolanthe – so please get booking now and don’t miss out!