Patience

PATIENCE… Patience… I vividly remember these words being re-iterated to me while I was growing up.  It is a ‘state of endurance without reacting to provocation’.  This is a perfect assessment of the plot to Gilbert & Sullivan’s sixth collaboration, which is characterized by everyone waiting for everyone else to realize that what they want is right there before them: the Soldiers are waiting for the Ladies to turn away from the poets; Lady Jane is waiting for someone to sweep her off her feet; Grosvenor is waiting for Patience to realize he’s not perfect; and Bunthorne is waiting for… well, something.

For many of the less-well known G&S shows, the audience are often required to demonstrate fortitude rather than patience, but I am pleased that Bournemouth G&S have really understood the silliness of Gilbert’s libretto here.  All this narcissistic, unrequited love can be rather nauseating, but Bournemouth manage to deliver the caricatured foppishness of romantic poets well.

Rosie Bowen and Pete Warbis, as Patience and Grosvenor respectively, interacted well, particularly in a number of madrigal-like harmonies, though I would have liked a little more provocation and indignation. Love hurts. Masculinity in this show is clearly meant to come from the Officers, and Robin Lavies and Mike Griffiths as the Major and Colonel respectively found some good, old-fashioned starchiness and deployed it.

Cathy Murray as Lady Jane captures the sentiment of “not wanting to be left on the shelf” with delicacy, and her portrayal of the pursuit of Bunthorne was just the right side of desperate.  All the female leads gave as good as their respective male counterparts.

This talented cast act their roles well, with both the male and female choruses also well used, but a special mention should go to the distant, and slightly insincere portrayal of Bunthorne by John Gerken.  There is a quiet satisfaction that, at the end, none of the Ladies is saddled with this one!!

Bournemouth G&S have a reputation for singing well, but there were also a number of good passages of choreography and use of the stage – of particular note was the poets’ duet at the end of Act 2, and the quintet just before. Staging and lighting was slick and well considered, with a good use of colour in the costumes and some nice detail with the use and abuse of props.  I think a number of the ladies were troubled by the full-length of some of their costumes at times, though these did add significantly to the overall appearance, particularly in the opening tableau.

After a slightly nervy start (and a steadying French Horn solo in the Act 1 Overture) the balance with the orchestra was very good – helped by judicious use of the stage microphones. I fear some of the singing from the back of the stage might have been lost without them, but virtually all the libretto was delivered, and heard.  Much credit to the MD for this.

I now retreat to contemplate hard on the concept of patience.  I must be patient for Iolanthe this time next year. I gather that patience comes with fortitude…. Woe... Woe is me...