The Rhos on Sea Savoyards Present
CAST PRODUCTION TEAM The Lord Chancellor George, Earl of Mountararat Thomas, Earl Tolloller Private Willis, of the Grenadier Guards Strephon, an Arcadian Shepherd Queen of the Fairies Iolanthe, a Fairy, Strephon s mother Celia, a Fairy Leila, a Fairy Fleta, a Fairy Phyllis, an Arcadian Shepherdess and Ward in Chancery CHORUS OF PEERS BRIAN SMITH CHRIS SHEA MIKE DARBY BILL ROTH JOHN JOWETT KAREN L. JONES ALISON SMITH JENNIFER WISE KIRSTEN KITE JANE HODGSON SANDRA WILLIAMS Directors Musical Director Accompanist Costumes Stage Crew Props Set Design Rehearsal Pianist Makeup Programme Notes Front of House Karen L. Jones, Jane Hodgson Katherine Himsworth Graeme Cotterrill Rhos on Sea Savoyards Marc Smith, Andrew Smith Rhos on Sea Savoyards Alison Smith, Andrew Smith, Kirsten Kite, Valerie Hailwood, Chris Shea, Brian Topping Katherine Himsworth Kait Dunne, Tanwen Stokes Kirsten Kite Andrew Jones BERNIE DRAPER MAGNUS FORRESTER-BARKER VALERIE T. HAILWOOD MARY WALLACE ALISON SMITH DUBI IWOBI BRIAN TOPPING CHORUS OF FAIRIES If there is any institution in Great Britain which is not susceptible of any improvement at all, it is the House of Peers! CHINO IWOBI NELLY IWOBI CINDY SHEPHERD TANWEN STOKES In Iolanthe, Gilbert and Sullivan turn their satirical pens to that very British bastion of inherited privilege by having the bumbling, selfimportant (and emphatically male) Peers overrun by the anarchic (and definitely female) denizens of the Fairy Kingdom. The latter, far from the trivialised Tinkerbells of modern lore, are powerful, magical beings who very much run the show. Their one weakness, alas, is for mortals of the male persuasion a delight from which they are debarred, on pain of death, by Fairy Law. And, of course, the fact that they never grow old is going to lead to some embarrassing complications
ABOUT THE CHARACTERS It has been noted that Iolanthe is an unusual opera in that it lacks a true villain, but its characters are a mixed lot, nevertheless! The selfless fairy IOLANTHE, who once married a mortal, is probably the most purely good character in the entire G & S canon. Her maternal devotion extends to living in damp discomfort in the bottom of a stream in order to take care of a kid who, at twenty-four, really ought to be looking after himself. The half-breed youth in question, STREPHON, lists his occupation as Arcadian shepherd (no doubt a quaint job description even in 1882). Many questions are raised by his semi-fairy status: Does he live in the stream with Iolanthe, and if so, why? (Perhaps fairy offspring go through some sort of tadpole stage on their way to maturity?) Also, given that he is a fairy from the waist up, why doesn t he have wings? Strephon s paramour, PHYLLIS, is a magnet for male attention, but her motives are somewhat cryptic. One the one hand she admirably forswears riches and rank in favour of true love; on the other hand, the second things don t go quite her way she throws herself at the richest and rankiest Peer of all, just to cheer herself up. Her guardian, the susceptible LORD CHANCELLOR, has the dubious honour of handing her over like a prized piece of livestock to the male of his choosing a task complicated by the fact that he holds nearly as many simultaneous and conflicting offices as that other well-known G & S character, the notorious Pooh-Bah! Chief among the competitors for Phyllis s hand are the somewhat interchangeable but good-natured LORD TOLLOLLER and LORD MOUNTARARAT, whose attempts to outdo one another in bumbling imbecility provide a rich vein of comedy. WE WISH TO THANK.. St. Paul s Church (performance space) St. Joseph s Church (rehearsal space) St. David s Estate Agents (set-painting space) L L AN D UDN O 0 14 92 87 03 45 www.cameobridesllandudno.com The powerful and benevolent FAIRY QUEEN, interestingly, largely escapes Gilbert s usual disdain for middle-aged women. Early costume sketches show that she was clearly modelled on Wagner s Brünnhilde (the London premiere of the Ring cycle occurred the same year as that of Iolanthe) but this creates a certain plot inconsistency, as the Queen, alone among all the fairies, seems to have been cruelly exempted from the gift of eternal youth Finally we have the enigmatic sentry PRIVATE WILLIS, about whom little is known except that he is a godlike specimen of manly beauty. Oh, yes..
ACT I: AN ARCADIAN LANDSCAPE 1. Tripping hither, tripping thither (Chorus of Fairies, Celia, Leila) 2. Iolanthe, from thy dark exile (Queen, Iolanthe, Celia, Leila, and Chorus) 3. Good-morrow, good mother (Strephon, Chorus of Fairies) 4. Fare thee well, attractive stranger (Queen, Chorus of Fairies) 5. None shall part us (Phyllis, Strephon) 6. Loudly let the trumpet bray (Chorus of Peers) 7. The law is the true embodiment (Lord Chancellor, Chorus of Peers) 8. My well loved Lord (Phyllis, Lord Tolloller, Lord Mountararat) 9. Nay, tempt me not (Phyllis) 10. Spurn not the nobly born (Lord Tolloller, Chous of Peers) 11. My Lords, it may not be (Phyllis, Lord Tolloller, Lord Mountararat, Lord Chancellor, Chorus of Peers) 12. When I went to the bar (Lord Chancellor) 13. Finale (Ensemble) ACT II: HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT 1. When all night long a chap remains (Private Willis) 2. Strephon s a Member of Parliament (Chorus of Fairies and Peers) 3. When Britain really ruled the waves (Lord Mountararat, Chorus) 4. In vain to us you plead (Celia, Leila, Chorus of Fairies, Lord Mountararat, Lord Tolloller) 5. Oh, foolish fay (Queen, Chorus of Fairies) 6. Though p r aps I may incur thy blame (Phyllis, Lord Tolloller, Lord Mountararat, Private Willis) 7. Love unrequited robs me of my rest (Lord Chancellor) 8. If you go in (Lord Tolloller, Lord Mountararat, Lord Chancellor) 9. If we re weak enough to tarry (Phyllis, Strephon) 10. My Lord, a suppliant at your feet (Iolanthe) 11. It may not be (Iolanthe, Queen, Lord Chancellor, Chorus of Fairies) 12. Finale (Ensemble)
ABOUT THE CAST MIKE DARBY ( Lord Tolloller ) first joined the Savoyards for the 2009 production of HMS Pinafore, six weeks before opening night, having never previously heard of G & S. He spends most of his time driving around the country and learn his part by listening to G & S tapes in his car. BERNIE DRAPER ( Chorus of Peers ) has been involved in drama, musicals, and G&S for nearly 30 years mainly in Manchester and Merseyside in Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale plays and as a Scouse Starkeeper in Carousel! His finest moment was playing Christopher Columbus wearing red tights, much to the giggles of his friends in the audience. MAGNUS FORRESTER-BARKER ( Chorus of Peers ) watched last year s performance of Ruddigore, little expecting that he would soon be having his arm twisted to join in. He is enjoying being back on the stage, instead of lurking around in orchestra pits for more years than he cares to think about. VALERIE T. HAILWOOD ( Chorus of Peers ) takes an interest in all aspects of the arts. She belongs to a drama group in addition to the Savoyards and gets a lot of satisfaction from each. Both companies are great to belong to as the fun is endless, she says. JANE HODGSON ( Fleta ) is hoping that history might repeat itself. When Iolanthe was first performed, a real-life peer within the audience was so struck by a particular fairy that he proposed to her. Should any similarly titled gentleman be struck by Fleta, please leave details at the door! CHINO IWOBI ( Chorus of Fairies ) sings in a band and has acted and danced in a number of productions. This is her first G & S performance, and she has enjoyed the challenge of putting her varied skills into one show. DUBI IWOBI ( Chorus of Peers ) has been involved in several performances in the past but is new to G & S. He has thoroughly enjoyed dressing up as a Peer and hopes the audience will get as much pleasure from it as he has. NSEOBONG NELLY IWOBI ( Chorus of Fairies ) is new to the stage, and had never heard of G & S until six weeks ago. However, she has risen to the challenge and has found working with the Savoyards to produce this show to be a great experience. KAREN L. JONES ( Fairy Queen ) joined the Savoyards in 1999 and has directed since 2005. Playing the bossy queen has given her great scope for selfexpression, she says. Karen is delighted with the new young people who have joined and wishes to thank Jane Hodgson for all her work in co-directing. JOHN JOWETT ( Strephon ), who has sung many of the baritone roles in the G & S canon over the years, hopes that playing the part of half a fairy (for the second time, now) does not give people the wrong impression of him. KIRSTEN KITE ( Leila ) has fearlessly embraced her inner fairy for the current production. She thanks her fellow cast members for their infinite Patience (in submitting their biographical notes on time), trusting a Sorcerer will end their Trial by Jury, and that once again we ll achieve Utopia, Limited. BILL ROTH ( Private Willis ) was gratified to be told that his complete lack of singing or acting skills made him perfect for the part of sentry. Audience members can identify Bill as the one with what looks like a dead badger perched on his head. He has, he notes, set his aspirations in life to a very low level, and this will be his greatest achievement to date. CHRIS SHEA ( Lord Mountararat ) has been patiently awaiting the letter from Buckingham Palace for so, so long. The Savoyards have finally satisfied his ambition so he intends to be very lordly indeed. CINDY SHEPHERD ( Chorus of Fairies ) has been performing since the age of five, including the Colwyn Bay Operatics, the Llandudno Operatics, the Llandudno Musical Society, and the Larry Elvis Kewley Show, as well as taking part in morris dancing, African drumming, and funky rock groups. ALISON SMITH ( Iolanthe ), having sung for many years in choirs in the area, has recently taken up the challenge of learning things by heart and dancing in public. Her husband and two children, all of whom are helping backstage, find this hugely funny, she hopes for the right reasons. BRIAN SMITH ( Lord Chancellor ) wishes it to be known that he is an old bicycle that has been around the block a few times.
TANWEN STOKES ( Chorus of Fairies ) is involved in choir and drama at Eirias High School and plays viola with the Conwy Youth Orchestra and string group. She has also appeared in many ballet shows since the age of three. This is her second Savoyards production. BRIAN TOPPING ( Chorus of Peers ), a former RAF supplier, would like to be known as Lord Topping of Last Drop Inn (the name of a village near Bromley Cross). He has been performing with the Savoyards since the 2006 production of The Mikado, and used to help with front of house before that. MARY WALLACE ( Chorus of Peers ) was brought up on a diet of G&S from an early age. In 1991 she played the part of Constance in the Savoyards production of The Sorcerer. Many years later she returned for Pirates of Penzance, but, no longer able to sing soprano due to a throat problem, she and now sings 2nd tenor or 1st bass as required. She also plays B-flat bass with Beulah Brass, of which she is secretary. SANDRA WILLIAMS ( Phyllis ) joined the Savoyards in 2006 and since then has played the Soprano role in The Mikado, Trial by Jury, HMS Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and Ruddigore. She has played several roles over the past twenty years with Ruthin Musical Theatre, her favourite being Adele in Die Fledermaus. Sandra is Head of Welsh at Rhyl High School. JENNIFER WISE ( Celia ), international woman of mystery, was suddenly seized with the desire to sing choruses in public and appeared last year as a bridesmaid in the Savoyards production of Ruddigore. This is her first solo role. LIFE MEMBERS Peter Davies Brian Smith Janet Sutton PRESIDENT CHAIR SOCIETY O FFICIALS VICE CHAIR SECRETARY TREASURER Janet Sutton Brian Smith Alison Smith Mike Darby Karen L. Jones ABOUT THE RHOS ON SEA SAVOYARDS The Society is an affiliate of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association and was founded in 1984, primarily to stage the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Our first production was HMS Pinafore at St. Mary s College, Rhos on Sea. In 1990 the Society began to stage its shows at the Prince of Wales Theatre (now known as Theatr Colwyn), and in 2009, at St. Paul s Hall. Recent productions include Trial by Jury, The Pirates of Penzance, A Gilbert and Sullivan Christmas Carol, HMS Pinafore, The Gondoliers, The Mikado, The Sorcerer, and Ruddigore.
OUR NEXT PRODUCTION Three little maids from school, a hilariously pompous government official, a wandering minstrel and a Lord High Executioner just some of the hilariously absurd characters in Gilbert & Sullivan s most famous operetta, The Mikado. Set in the fictional Japanese town of Titipu, The Mikado is the tale of the beautiful schoolgirl Yum-Yum, who is engaged to be married to Ko-Ko, the tailor-turned Lord High Executioner, despite her love for the romantic wandering minstrel Nanki-Poo. Will these two young lovers find their happily-ever-after... or will heads roll? The Savoyards are always seeking new members! Rehearsals are held on Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m., either in the Town Hall, Rhiw Road, Colwyn Bay, or at St. Joseph s Community Centre, Brackley Avenue. For more information telephone 07770 886637 or 07810 444614, or visit our Web site at www.savoyards.co.uk