Bembridge Village Hall – September 2023.

Audiences were transported to the nineteenth century and a theatre group endeavouring to put on a production, for which the costumes had not all arrived, when they entered Bembridge Village Hall in September for the GASP production of Iolanthe, and from there journeyed on into the realm of the Fairy Queen for an evening of suitably silly hijinks with fairies, noblemen and shepherds, underwritten by a series of love stories – parental, romantic, and unrequited alike.

GASP burst onto the Island theatre scene last year with their production of Pirates of Penzance, and it was clear from the size of the cast that the appetite for performing G&S goes beyond a ‘one-off’, which is good news for G&S aficionados and newcomers alike.

An enthusiastic ensemble of fairies and nobles, supported by the sitting chorus, brought the story to life, with fairies Celia, Leila and Fleta leading the fairy band, played by Anita Davies, Angie Burton and Abbi Leverton, three extremely safe pairs of hands and warm presences on stage, not just when delivering sung solo lines and dialogue but also within the wider ensemble.

The fairies tripped hither and thither under the guidance of the Fairy Queen, played by the ever-wonderful Libby Pike, who alongside giving an assured vocal performance yet again demonstrated her ability to raise a laugh with a single well-timed look.

The fairies’ opposite numbers were a host of noblemen and politicians – how wonderful to have such a wealth of male voices – who seemed to get hammier with every number they appeared in, culminating in the Lord Chancellor and Lords Tolloller and Mountararat skipping about the stage in a trio, and every noble finding themselves a fairy partner.

John Abraham wore the mantle of the Lord Chancellor exceptionally well, a perfect pick for the part, oscillating between hammy and villainous and delivering a particularly memorable rendition of ‘When I went to the bar’.

Lords Tolloller (Paul Stevens) and Mountararat (Graham Light) were similarly engaging and entertaining, and Mike Palette’s turn as the comical Sentry was spot on, with all three of these actors displaying sound comic timing.

As Strephon, Andy Kay was delightful, delivering even his sillier lines with a sincerity most becoming of the smitten shepherd. It was a true pleasure to listen to him sing, and I sincerely hope that we will see and hear much more of him in the future.

Lucy Hinkley’s glorious voice, soaring right into the heart of every note, made her the perfect Phyllis. Her duets with Strephon were perfectly balanced, and the quartet ‘Tho’ p’rapsI may incur your blame’ with Lord Tolloller, Lord Mountararat and the Sentry was one of the highlights of the show.

Hanna Emily Nixon, as the titular Iolanthe, made an impact from her first entrance, but her finest moment was without question her performance of ‘My Lord, a suppliant at your feet’, which beautifully walked the line between the necessary melodrama of a G&S operetta and the heartfelt emotion required of the character of Iolanthe.

The presence of a live orchestra always enhances any form of music-based production, and this was no exception. Under the baton of Steve Burton, this small but perfectly formed orchestra gave the music another dimension.

Congratulations to Director Andrew Jenner, MD Steve Burton, Choreographer Debbie Small, Stage Manager John Hammond, and their production team (too numerous to mention individually!) for another successful Gilbert & Sullivan offering, setting the stage and no doubt securing the audience for next year’s production of ‘The Mikado’.