Patience - or Bunthorne's Bride

Synopsis

One of Gilbert and Sullivan's best-loved comic operettas, Patience wittily satirises the Victorian Aesthetic movement and the rival claims of Art and Man to win a fair lady's hand. Bunthorne the poet is madly adored by a bevy of beautiful maidens (and Lady Jane), who have thrown over their former lovers, the Heavy Dragoon Guards - but Bunthorne only has eyes for his innocent dairymaid, Patience. Matters are complicated when Patience's former boyfriend arrives on the scene and the Guards turn to Art to win back their errant fiancées. Will they succeed? Will anyone every marry Lady Jane? And who will be Bunthorne's bride?

Our Review:

Michael Coveney - 21 February 2012

Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience (1881) is sandwiched, chronologically, between the two far superior operettas that Sasha Regan has already transformed in her all-male company treatment, The Pirates of Penzance and Iolanthe.

Still, Patience has its highlights and some funny and intricate lyrics taking the rise out of Oscar Wilde’s aesthetic movement.

The dairymaid of the title – sung with lisping charm and demure sincerity by Edward Charles Bernstone – is assailed by two poets: Reginald Bunthorne (Dominic Brewer) is hedonistic and fey, Archibald Grosvenor (Stiofan O'Doherty, an Irish Dominic Cooper lookalike) idyllic and true.

Bunthorne has charmed the 20 lovesick village maidens (ten chaps in knitted cardigans, short haircuts, short socks and floral dresses) and left their former suitors, a posse of dragoon guards, champing at the bit while declaring their undying devotion to the Qu...

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Latest User Review

Alan Fowler - 27 February 2012:

If I could give it 6 stars I would its thats good,the quility of the voices is superb how Sasha Regan finds these guys production after production is a marvel,the whole cast excels but a special mention for Edward Charles Berstone who plays one of the leads Patience is outstanding, he reminded me of a young Dame Hilda.A wonderful evening of pure entertainment,do not miss this treat. ...

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