Filled with whimsy, magic and humour, Durham Opera Ensemble brings to life the Victorian play Iolanthe in a way that feels refreshingly modern and yet retains a feeling of childish nostalgia. First performed in 1882 by Sir Arthur Sullivan and W.S Gilbert, Iolanthe depicts the dramatic (and comedic) coming together of mortal and fairy, man and woman, ‘lord’ and arcadian shepherd. Law and order changes in both the fairy and mortal realm as we watch Iolanthe’s (Kiera Barrett) son, Strephon (Joseph Wilson), the product of a fairy-mortal love affair, fall in love with the beautiful Phyllis (Mathilda Ketterer), a ward of the state and whose guardian both disapproves of Strephon’s lowly social position and longs for Phyllis himself. The status of the law is constantly questioned and contested. Nothing remains stable, and yet for good reason – this operetta encourages a more fluid and capability approach – why remain set in old ways for no real purpose, if solely for tradition?
The history of Iolanthe’s opening shows is an interesting one, with it being the first theatre production in the world to purely use electricity to light the stage. It became almost a spectacle – with lights being built into the costumes and layered into the hair of the fairies, adding further excitement for an audience where light was novelty. Director Sarah Johnston and the staging crew do a wonderful job of paying homage to this, with the play beginning with a graphic sequence and flashing moments of light before the curtain drew up. The adding of fairy lights to some of the fairy costumes added to the sense of magic created by the lights that dangled among the drooping foliage and flowers.
The play remains aware of its constructed nature, and the artificiality of song and dance, an aspect which creates constant humour. From the beginning, the fairy’s note how they ‘must dance […] and sing’, with this tension between the inherent characteristics of how fairies should or should not behave highlighting the constructed nature of the theatre and in this case, the form of the operetta. The disjointed and purposely mis-timed dance routines of the human members of the House of Lords depict this farcical comedy, especially as their movements become progressively more skilled as they become increasingly involved in the fairy realm and fairy individual’s lives. Increasingly, this female sphere of the fairy world takes precedence over the male parliamentary world, as they lose their political power to the whim of the fairies. Yet, though they may lose typical male authority, they gain a more appealling stage presence. The world of reality is increasingly lost to that of magic and the theatre.
For me, the orchestra and impressive vocal skill of the actors and actresses remain the highlight of the production. Yet, the comedic acting is not far off, and the cast’s impressive musical and comedy talents ensure a feeling of childlike delight. Indeed, even the mushroom ‘house’ props ensure laughter, with the doors and windows cut into it allowing actors to pop in and out with ease. The play’s Fairy Queen, performed by Maia Harris Lindop, in particular, is commendable. Lindop plays the Fairy Queen with a changeable nature, shifting from a powerhouse of authority to seeming as if a schoolgirl with a crush. What perhaps makes this play, is that she can be both – in fact Iolanthe seems to be about not changing yourself, but rather changing the magical realm (or mortal world) around you.
The childish whimsy of the play also does not take away from the perhaps more ‘adult’ enjoyment and humour of the play. Johnston cleverly plays around with the script, adapting the very close friendship between Lord Tolloller (Ash Marshall) and Lord Mountararat (Matthew Dodd) into something more – it appears that their supposed infatuation with Phyllis was nothing more than a third party to act out their suppressed desires. Perhaps it is this entry into the realm of the fairy which allows for an outlet for less repressed sexuality, for though the fairy laws may attempt to supress and control romantic relationships, the fairy women are open about their desires for the mortal men. These limitations cannot be allowed to remain.
Overall, Durham Opera Ensemble production of Iolanthe is engaging, humorous and yet retains an element of social critique which complicates the fairy plot and makes it all the more interesting. Combined with a truly impressive orchestra and wonderful casting, this is a play which Johnston should certainly be proud of. With the company touring Iolanthe to the International Gilbert and Sullivan festival, I wish them the best of luck. This is certainly not a production to miss.