The Yeomen of the Guard is the odd one out in the Savoy canon; it was the nearest Sullivan came to writing grand opera (something he later achieved without Gilbert, with limited success) and the only tragedy. The Oxford University G&S Society’s artistic director Sally Outen has opted for a traditional approach, with an emphasis on the opera’s dark, brutal nature. The result is a pleasingly sympathetic and uncomplicated production, which, despite the ever-present sense of foreboding, still allows Gilbert’s irrepressible humour to burst through.
The most memorable performance comes from Zosia Kuczyñska, who sings strongly and beautifully as Phoebe Meryll, and captures the fun, mischievous side of the character to perfection. I also liked Robert Hazle’s finger-twisting, nail-biting Wilfred Shadbolt, and he wrings every ounce of humour from the shambling, self-deluded Jailer. Some of the best moments of the night came from the interplay between these two, particularly the ‘wooing’ scene, in which Phoebe uses all her charms on her loathsome admirer so that she can steal the keys to Fairfax’s cell.
David Jones is fleet of both foot and tongue as Jack Point, delivering the patter songs with admirable ease, while Alexandra Coghlan sings sweetly, though not strongly, as Elsie Maynard. But, with my pedant’s hat on, I must take issue with the phrasing of their opening duet. The correct phrasing in the verses is ‘…Who fled from the mocking throng, O!/It’s a song of a merryman…’ etc – NOT ‘…Who fled from the mocking throng/O, it’s a song of a merryman…’. The punctuation in the libretto makes it clear how this should be sung, yet this incorrect phrasing is repeated throughout. Why?
Among the rest of the cast, Katherine Fairhurst’s strongly-sung Dame Carruthers stands out, and there are pleasing performances from Thomas Wade as Fairfax, Michael Peyton-Jones as the Lieutenant and Stephen Smith as Sergeant Meryll. The chorus sings and acts throughout with great energy and conviction. What lets the production down, unfortunately, is the orchestra. I can forgive a few fluffed notes, but on the opening night the overture was riddled with them, and it was taken at a rather pedestrian tempo. There also needed to be greater cohesion between orchestra and singers, who parted company on several occasions.
But there is much to enjoy in this production – it is beautifully costumed, full of fun and the company’s enthusiasm is unquestionable.
The most memorable performance comes from Zosia Kuczyñska, who sings strongly and beautifully as Phoebe Meryll, and captures the fun, mischievous side of the character to perfection. I also liked Robert Hazle’s finger-twisting, nail-biting Wilfred Shadbolt, and he wrings every ounce of humour from the shambling, self-deluded Jailer. Some of the best moments of the night came from the interplay between these two, particularly the ‘wooing’ scene, in which Phoebe uses all her charms on her loathsome admirer so that she can steal the keys to Fairfax’s cell.
David Jones is fleet of both foot and tongue as Jack Point, delivering the patter songs with admirable ease, while Alexandra Coghlan sings sweetly, though not strongly, as Elsie Maynard. But, with my pedant’s hat on, I must take issue with the phrasing of their opening duet. The correct phrasing in the verses is ‘…Who fled from the mocking throng, O!/It’s a song of a merryman…’ etc – NOT ‘…Who fled from the mocking throng/O, it’s a song of a merryman…’. The punctuation in the libretto makes it clear how this should be sung, yet this incorrect phrasing is repeated throughout. Why?
Among the rest of the cast, Katherine Fairhurst’s strongly-sung Dame Carruthers stands out, and there are pleasing performances from Thomas Wade as Fairfax, Michael Peyton-Jones as the Lieutenant and Stephen Smith as Sergeant Meryll. The chorus sings and acts throughout with great energy and conviction. What lets the production down, unfortunately, is the orchestra. I can forgive a few fluffed notes, but on the opening night the overture was riddled with them, and it was taken at a rather pedestrian tempo. There also needed to be greater cohesion between orchestra and singers, who parted company on several occasions.
But there is much to enjoy in this production – it is beautifully costumed, full of fun and the company’s enthusiasm is unquestionable.
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