Tower and the glory
Gay Bolton Reproduced by permission of the Derbyshire Times
SURPRISE is always a keynote of productions by Matlock Gilbert & Sullivan Society. Interpretations have taken classic G&S works into the competitive world of interior designers, boarded a cruise ship and ventured into a nightclub. The biggest surprise in last week's production of "The Yeomen of the Guard" was that the company played it in traditional fashion. But the cast couldn't resist putting its own stamp on the work. As the powerful and beautifully-lit finale of act one ended, two chorus members grumbled that they'd been robbed of their chance to watch an execution with one saying that they should go to the market because the meat would be dead there!
Musical director Melanie Gilbert had trained her crew of singers well. Stand-out number was "Strange Adventure", beautifully sung without musical accompaniment by Max Taylor in the lead role of Colonel Fairfax, David Stokes (Sgt. Meryll), Liz McKenzie (Dame Carruthers) and Wendy Costigan (Kate).
Through no fault of their own, not all of the singers fared well during the opening performance in Bakewell's Medway Centre on Thursday. The sound balance between the singers and the nine-piece orchestra weighed in the orchestra's favour, particularly for a couple of the female performers during act one.
Characterisations were as colourful as the costumes worn by the Beefeater tower guards. Nic Wilson, the show's director, put his heart and soul into depicting jester Jack Point - I could have sworn there were tears in his eyes in the finale when Jack realised he'd lost his love to another man.
Leading lady Lesley Kraushaar was perfect for the role of strolling singer Elsie Maynard, with a beautiful performance of the solo "Tis Done, I am a Bride" and as part of four singers in "When a Wooer Goes A-Wooing", accompanied by Max Taylor, Nic Wilson and sweet-voiced Helen Booker (playing Phoebe).
Lesley's husband, Chris, brought his flair for comedy to the role of jailer and wannabe jester, Wilfred Shadbolt, and Richard Simmonds gave a convincing and commanding performance as Sir Richard Cholmondley, lieutenant of the tower.
Set around the Tower of London at the time of Henry VIII, this was a fitting production in the run-up to royal celebrations next year when there will be another surprise for loyal supporters of the Matlock society. For the first time in its 20-year history, the company will be departing from Gilbert and Sullivan to present "Merrie England", a celebration of one Elizabethan era in the diamond jubilee of another.