TheLittleSongbird Review of Iolanthe

Iolanthe (1984 TV Movie)

Not going to be for all tastes, but really not a bad Stratford G&S production

[6/10 · 16 August 2012]

Which is saying a fair bit, as although I will re-watch them, as it has been years since I saw them, and hope that my opinion changes I remember not caring all that much for the Stratford Mikado or Gondoliers(haven't yet seen Pirates of Penzance). Iolanthe is not perfect and is not going to appeal to everybody. The dialogue is updated and lacks wit and flow at times, consequently the satire doesn't always work as well as it should. The great "When Wellington thrashed Bonaparte..." line is now something related to the Falkland war and it is nowhere near as funny, instead it is utter drivel at best. There are also some new references that I think feel dated and irrelevant now. The dance routines are spiritedly danced but gets too much and the choreography itself is very anachronistic, the same goes for the overdone magic tricks. The acting at times also lacks nuances, especially Eric Donkin as the Lord Chancellor who is often very hammy. It is almost as if it relies too much on the comic elements of the operetta and not enough on the drama. However, there is more to a production of an opera/operetta than fidelity to a source or staging, and there are actually some good things here. The costume and set designs do look beautiful and creative, and the sound and picture quality are decent if occasionally muffled or out of sync(noticeably the skip in the middle of Act 1). Even with the liberties with the score, the orchestral playing is buoyant apart from a well played but over-used additional harp, the conducting does show a respect for Gilbert and Sullivan's style and the chorus are vibrantly sung and don't mug or are static too much. The singing is very good as well, Maureen Forrester is a witty and beguiling Queen of the Fairies, and while subtlety is not a strong suit for Eric Donkin he does show a good voice and lots of character. Paul Massel sings with sincerity and good vocalisation but also has an accent that has a tendency to grate. The rest of the singing is solid. All in all, disappointing and will delight or infuriate. As for me, I'm somewhere in the middle. 6/10 Bethany Cox