PATIENCE - AT WEST ROAD
Patience (centre) impatient to find pure love
They’ve done it again! Last year’s ‘Iolanthe’ was a triumph and now the Cambridge University G&S Society have repeated the experience with nobs on. ‘Patience’ may not be one of the masters’ better-known operas, but it is full of sharp humour and ear-worming melodies. The production took this late Victorian satire of aestheticism and gave it a sparkling new polish – while staying true to the costumes and attitudes of the time.
Bunthorne, a fleshy poet
What lay behind the success of this year’s show was the sheer strength in depth of the cast. That and the tight, well-choreographed direction.
If you don’t know the story, it is easily told. A village’s bevy of lovesick maidens are mesmerized by the poet Reginald Bunthorne. With his flowing locks and foppish garb, he is straight out of Swinburn’s florid poetry book. As one lyric goes: ‘a singularly deep young man’. Or is he? The trouble for his doting admirers is that he is love not with their blue-stockinged selves but rather a simple milkmaid called Patience. Enter a troop of Dragoon guards, erstwhile fiancées of the maidens who find that their former girlfriends have turned their gaze towards the (terrible) versifier. Add to the mix the sudden arrival of a rival poet, Archibald Grosvenor – a narcissistic scribbler whom all ladies adore at first sight, even more so than Bunthorne. And so, we have a nice love mix against the background of some sharp barbs against pretentious artists with their love of the Early English period, cultish followers and the English class system.
Rapturous maidens and Archibald, the irresistible poet
One of the many delights (and there were so many) of this show, was the laughter in the audience at Gilbert’s witty libretto clearly delivered without the usual Savoyardian stuffiness. It reminded me that in the 1880s Gilbert was better known as a playwright.
Three dragoons trying their damnest to become aesthetes
Back to the cast. Ina Kruger sang beautifully as Patience and Toby Trusted was outstanding as the uber-foppish charlatan, Reginald; perfect singing voice and wonderful comic timing. I have rarely seen this done as well. George Bird also shone as the leader of the dragoons, his powerful bass reminding me of the heyday of D’Oyly Carte. He was brilliantly supported by Sebastian Blount as a Duke sick and tired of being fawned upon and who joined the army hoping to be bullied! Blount (also the director) had great comic timing as well as a superb tenor voice (not to mention a fine rakish moustache). The chorus of bewildered soldiers and the rapturous maidens sang with power and clarity. Tom Unwin made the very best of Archibald, taking a break from being adored by the ladies to look at himself in the mirror. As with all the leads, he had perfect comic timing and a great singing voice. There was great comedy business all round - measured and carefully balanced not to take the show away from its Victorian roots.
With excellent support by the band, a simple but effective set and imaginative lighting, this production of Patience was one of the most enjoyable I have seen. Drop everything and go – go because yes, they have done it again. A triumph.
