Iolanthe was the 7th collaboration of WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, celebrated creators of late 19th-century comic operas. This Charles Court Opera production was curtailed after a few previews in March 2020, but it finally returns to London.
The venue is Wilton’s Music Hall. The musicians are the Charles Court Chamber Orchestra. The cast is compact but accomplished in this tale of fairies, mortals, and a satirical snook at British politics. Recent events bring changes, with Trump and Clacton on the menu.
Iolanthe, fallen fairy who married a mortal, seems to have decidedly pansexual sisters, with both Lord and Lady members of the Upper House in their sights. Resolute Strephon (a fairy to the waist, and mortal below) is the product of Iolanthe’s forbidden alliance.
This is a vibrant and funny production, with the trademark charm of this ensemble. Regulars Matthew Kellett and astonishing contralto Meriel Cunningham lead the company as Lord Chancellor and the Fairy Queen with great reactions, timing, and vocals.
Eleanor O’Driscoll is a hoot as Iolanthe, but also manages to make her “My lord, a suppliant at your feet I kneel” plea for the happiness of her son sweetly affecting. For a woman who has spent 25 years in the depths of the Thames, she is very cool and composed.
Matthew Palmer performs both a determined Strephon and a doddery Willis (librarian to the House), drawing on his work in opera for children. He’s a clever comedian and singer. His interplay with Lila Evans as love interest Phyllis is captivating.
Then there are David Menezes and Catrine Kirkman as the peers, unctuously posh and inept – Kirkman’s Mountararat is deliberately Thatcherite. Together with Kellett, they form a core comic trio.
Finally, Sarah Prestwidge and Martha Jones are both fairies and chorus to the Peers, with their twitters and flutters offering core support to proceedings.
Iolanthe in miniature this may be, without the benefit of a large chorus or full orchestration, but Charles Court Opera continues to showcase its versatility with varied repertoire.
David Eaton conducts the chamber musicians with great style, with director John Savournin allowing the action to flow with style. The stepped stage at Wilton’s is great for hiding, peering, and movement (choreography by Merry Holden).
This Iolanthe is well-produced, beautifully sung, and bitingly satirical. This opera may be well over a hundred years old, but it can still have contemporary resonance.
If you are a Gilbert & Sullivan fan, as I am, you are sure to enjoy this production. If you are new to their world of patter, parody, and playfulness, you may well leave impressed. Bravo!
Four stars.
Iolanthe by Charles Court Opera continues at Wilton’s Music Hall until 28 Feb 2026 – details here.
Photo credit: Craig Fuller