Iolanthe – Chichester Festival Theatre
Writers: W.S. Gilbert & A. Sullivan
Director & Designer: Peter Mulloy
Reviewer: Talisker MacLeod
The Public Reviews Rating: 
From the opening moments, this is a play of infectious delight and charm. Peter Mulloy’s production of Iolanthe is exceptionally well done in terms of staging, casting, choreography (courtesy of David Furnell), even down to the little idiosyncratic detail of the little dance steps made famous by the D’Oyly Carte. Chichester Festival Theatre does not lend itself easily to an orchestra, and this was handled exceptionally well by putting them (conducted by Martin Handley) centre rear stage, among the scenery, hidden in the first act by a giant cobweb and in the second by the Houses of Pariiament. The staging and scenery were beautifully executed – detailed but not too complex for a small theatre; and the costumes were faithfully reproduced in the style intended from the original performance. The attention to detail throughout this production – down to the tiny fairy wings on a Grenadier Guards uniform – as well as the clear enjoyment of the performers, is what makes it, and sets it firmly apart from the herd.
The conflict of fairies, mortals, love, law, and politics is a brilliant comedy with what would have originally been a biting edge of satire. Amusingly enough, the political musings of Private Willis (David Stephenson) struck a chord, judging by the laughter of the audience. Indeed the conviction of the peers that the House of Lords is an institution “not susceptible to improvement at all” seems quite relevant. But then, for the Earls of Mountararat and Tolloller (Bruce Graham and Barry Clark, both previously of D’Oyly Carte company) when threatened with reforms “that’s what comes of having women in politics!”
Indeed the whole play is highly reminiscent of Aristophanic comedy: the posturing and pomposity of the various peers is perfectly offset by the flightiness of the fairies, and yet one is in no doubt of who really has the last word. After all, when the Fairy Queen (brilliantly played by Sylvia Clark) threatens to make the peers sit in Parliament through the grouse and salmon season in punishment for their rudeness, the lords are cowering in abject horror – until they discover that “in for a penny, in for a pound, it’s love that makes the world go round”. The romantic comedy between Phyllis (Victoria Joyce) and Strephon (Daniel Hoadley) is perfectly captured, and the high Victorian romanticism is parodied in fine style, much as Wilde would later do. The Lord Chancellor (Richard Suart) is so delightfully pompous with a deep streak of romanticism, and he tackled the rather difficult “love unrequited robs me of my rest” reasonably well; it would be my one criticism that at times Stuart and some of the younger actors lacked the clarity of diction so necessary to Gilbert and Sullivan if one is to hear clearly enough to catch the jokes. However Stuart as Lord Chancellor does an excellent comic parody, especially when one bears in mind that this slightly doddering old fool turns out to be the beloved husband of the eternally sprightly Iolanthe, whom the fairies, recalling with such grief and affection, beg their queen to recall. The choruses of fairies and of peers were utterly delightful, and their joy and enjoyment were definitely catching. “Bow, bow, ye lower middle classes” was a paean to Gilbert’s hatred of the Establishment, and was executed most memorably with much frivolity and entertaining choreography by the various peers.
If you have never seen a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, this is an excellent start – you would be hard put to better it. If you are a long time lover of the genre, this is a perfect trip down memory lane
Runs until 18th February 2012
Tags: Barry Clark, Bruce Graham, chichester, Chichester Festival Theatre, D'oyly Carte, Daniel Hoadley, David Furnell, David Stephenson, Gilbert and Sullivan, Iolanthe, Peter Mulloy, Richard Suart, Sylvia Clark, Victoria Joyce
