QTIX

The Queen of the Fairies meets Britain’s legal establishment in this hilarious comic opera from the masters of the genre, Gilbert & Sullivan.

Since its sparkling 1882 premiere at London’s new Savoy Theatre, the fantastical satire Iolanthe has delighted audiences with its clever combination of romance, humour, political satire, and the memorable musical numbers that made Gilbert and Sullivan household names.

Set in the world of the fairies and the mortal world, this fantasy story centres on the titular character, Iolanthe, who falls in love with a mortal man, bearing him a child who must tackle the world of love as half man, half fairy. A fantastic (in the true sense of the word) mélange of Victorian pantomime and the British Legal establishment, Iolanthe is a satire on the power of hereditary rule and the class system, that classic Victorian sacred cow. And wherever the Victorians had their sacred cows, there was WS Gilbert ready to milk them for all the laughs he could get.

The operas are, of course still relevant today because those sacred cows are still with us, they are just fatter! This beloved classic is still a timeless favourite of opera companies, schools, and concert stages all over the world.

Our production will be directed by Stuart Maunder, with music under the baton of Conductor Johannes Fritzsch.