The Yeomen of the Guard (Oxford)

One of my first ever trips to the theatre was to see a Gilbert and Sullivan opera at the Royal Theatre in Northampton. G&S has been part of my theatrical and musical life ever since (getting close to 30 years…)

I was thrilled when it was announced that a professional production of The Yeomen of the Guard would be playing at the Oxford Castle. The Castle is an ideal backdrop for this historical piece set in the Tower of London – and the production certainly played up to this with some very elaborate costumes which perfectly captured the Tudor setting.

Performing out of doors with a cast of 35 and a large orchestra is always going to be a challenge. The musicians need to be kept covered – which thus means the acoustics are going require careful management. Eight performances over seven days means that the singers will need to take care of their voices to avoid damage. Microphones and a decent sound system are the only solution and, on the whole, this works well. It is clear from the opening night that there are still some glitches to be resolved – but that is only to be expected with this sort of event.

The performers are to be commended for their hard work in making a complicated show work in a new venue with next-to-no rehearsal time in the space. They are fully committed to their roles and work hard to find the right balance between the inherent comedy in Gilbert’s writing and the more sombre tones necessitated by the plot and Sullivan’s sumptuous score. Particular praise must go to Ciara Hendrick who made much of the key role of Phoebe – suitably coquettish with a warm mezzo voice – and Oliver White whose Fairfax is a darker character than audiences may expect. He used his light lyric tenor to good effect in the long sequence of numbers in the second act – a challenge for any singer to sustain.

My problem with the evening was the direction of Jeff Clarke. The production was conceived for the Buxton Opera House and he had not paid sufficient attention to how it would translate to the outdoor setting. A lot of his handling of the chorus is rather generic with no real attempt to build a real sense of community amongst the inhabitants of the Tower. There are some inexplicable freezes in the action. These may well have made more sense when the lighting effects available in a theatre can be deployed. However out of doors (and with a limited rig) they just look odd.

Overall is a musically strong production and one that lovers of Gilbert and Sullivan will appreciate. The outdoor setting is atmospheric but I would urge anyone considering going along to take plenty of layers. Evenings at the end of August/beginning of September can get very nippy!

Hopefully this is the start of a long term relationship between Oxford Castle and Gilbert and Sullivan – it brings something different to the summer offerings in the city.