Patience
WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan
Directed by John Savournin
Charles Court Opera Company
Wilton’s Music Hall
Star rating: 5
I grew up with big scale G&S featuring big choruses and full orchestras. I still sometimes see these operas done that way courtesy of say, ENO or one of the few amateur companies still devoted to this wonderful material. But every time I see Charles Court Opera Company in action I realise that I have actually come to prefer chamber versions, I love the clarity of sound that a good cast of nine can produce under David Eaton’s musical direction from stage left piano. And director John Savournin knows exactly how to use every inch of the stepped stage at Wiltons to maximum comic and visual effect.
Arguably Patience has worn less well than Gilbert’s other satires because few 21st century audience members are au fait with absurdity of the late nineteenth century aesthetic movement . So the challenge is to bring out its innate funniness which this production does – in spades. It reinevents milkmaid Patience as a barmaid and the setting is a pub. The original “twenty lovesick maidens” become “melancholic maidens” which scans seamlessly (and alliteratively!) into the music and makes sense because they are now a well-sozzled, frustrated trio, not a crowd.
Catrine Kirkman is woefully, wistfully hilarious as the elderly Lady Jane (“Silvered is the Raven Hair” beautifully sung). Meriel Cunningham as Lady Angela oozes stage presence and Jennie Jacobs in turquoise tights with matching plait tips adds gleeful gloom.
Matthew Kellett always delivers. His Bunthorne hops about in silly attitudes, curly hair flopping about and pale face ridiculously serious. And Matthew Silviter, who has a much bigger build, provides a rich contrast as rival poet Grosvenor.
Patience herself has to be a striking contrast to all this posturing and Catriona Hewitson nails it perfectly – all common sense and plimsolls with her warm Scottish accent. And like everyone else in this accomplished cast she sings with passion, accuracy and verve,
High spots in this delightful production include the big double chorus in Act 1 when the women are counterpointed against the men, a device Sullivan claimed to have invented. Whether he did or not, it’s unfailingly effective here. And the anthem in Act 2 (another Sullivan trademark) is impeccably sung as a sextet with characters carefully positioned to sing without stage business – which is exactly how it should be done.
This show is a revival of a production which I’ve seen before but it was a pleasure to revisit it because it simply goes on giving. And if, at the performance I saw, there was a moment of raggedness in the final chorus, most people won’t have noticed it.
