Review: IOLANTHE IN A NUTSHELL, By Gilbert and Sullivan. Canberra City Opera, at Old Parliament House, March 16 1996. Reviewed by TONY MAGEE

Iolanthe in a Nutshell

by Gilbert and Sullivan

Devised and directed by Brian Phillips

Music Director, Gunter Brandstetter

for Canberra City Opera

Senate Chamber, Old Parliament House

Sunday 17th March.

Reviewed by Tony Magee

What a great idea for the Canberra Festival - the ever popular Iolanthe in 45 minutes. One lot out, the next lot in - three shows a day!

Iolanthe in a Nutshell was a very innovative production (and idea) and considering that the original story uses the unlikely combination of peers and fairies to satirise the House Of Lords, the choice of venue was superb.

I found the opening sequences with the chorus a little stilted - really just a cast going through the motions and singing the songs - but as time ticked on, the enthusiasm of the principles was more than apparent and in fact we were treated to some very fine performances from Amanda Stevenson as Phyllis (a mortal), Craig Glenroy Paterson as her lover, Strephon (a fairy from the waist up) and Mary O'Brien as Queen of the Fairies.

The actual role of Iolanthe was very well sung by Teresa Rayner, although I felt she needed to work on conversational flow in her dialogue.

Conductor and Musical Director, Gunter Brandstetter held everything together with smoothness and precision and Susan Butler provided fine accompaniment from a small electric piano. 

Trevor Kaine

At the 4.15pm session that I attended, the audience was treated to a small cameo appearance by former ACT Chief Minister Trevor Kaine, who took over the role of Captain Shaw, chief of the Fire Brigade - "Oh Trevor Cain, type of true love kept under. Could thy brigade with cold cascade quench my great love, I wonder!", sang the Queen of the Fairies, looking longingly into Mr Cain's eyes.

He played up to the humour of the piece and the whole production very well and in the end was donned with fairy wings and whisked away forever as the Fairy Queen's prize, as indeed were all the other mortals, that being the happy ending to a most enjoyable afternoon.

Originally published in Muse Magazine (Canberra), April 1996