Wiltshire Times
THE Trowbridge Amateur Operatic Society's performance of Iolanthe is a chance to escape into a surreal world where fairies rule and men are (eventually) put in their place. The operetta is essentially a love story, which cleverly combines the dry world of politics with the fun and flighty world of the fairies. Twenty-five years before the story begins, Iolanthe has been banished from fairyland for marrying a mortal and has been living at the bottom of a stream. She is finally forgiven by the Queen of the Fairies and reveals she has given birth to a son, Strephon, an Arcadian shepherd who is fairy down to the waist. He has fallen in love with Phyllis but unfortunately every peer in the country is in love with her. After a number of misunderstandings and revelations, like all good fairy tales, love wins the day: Strephon gets the girl, the fairies end up marrying the peers and even the strict fairy queen ends up giving in to love by marrying the dour Private Willis Some of the numbers in this production were a bit static and the costume choice for the fairies was dubious but the choral singing proved why this society has won awards. Both Teresa Bray, as Phyllis, and Kate Courage, as Iolanthe, have beautiful voices and Michelle Hole shone as the Queen of the Fairies, especially in her song Oh, Foolish Fay. But the real stars of the show were Paul Butler, as The Lord Chancellor, and his two singing lords Bryan Hussey, as the Earl of Mountararat and Sean Andrews, as Earl Tolloller. The trio performed with gusto and really lifted the show providing both laughs and excellent singing. Although the operetta was written at the end of the 19th century, this production tried to bring it up to date with modern costumes and references to modern politics and there were plenty of laughs along the way. Helen Thomas
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