The Gondoliers

The Mikado

The Sorcerer

The Martyr of Antioch

Ruddigore

The Yeomen of the Guard

Other works performed by St Davids Players

St Davids Players
past productions

HMS Pinafore

The Pirates of Penzance

Trial by Jury

Iolanthe

Princess Ida

Utopia (Limited)

The Grand Duke

Patience

Thespis

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THE SAVOY OPERAS

PATIENCE

or, BUNTHORNE’S BRIDE

Read more about PATIENCE

 

#ExeterGandS

ST DAVID’S PLAYERS

Gilbert and Sullivan Society · Exeter · Devon

Written by W S Gilbert

Composed by Arthur Sullivan

Premièred at The Opera Comique, London on  23rd April 1881, moving to The Savoy Theatre, London on 10th October 1881 running for a total of 578 performances.

St David’s Players’ productions: (click to expand)

A brief synopsis

 

Patience satirizes the ‘æsthetic craze’ of the 1870s and 1880s. 
This artistic movement was very popular but also very easy to ridicule and this made Patience a big hit.

 

A group of lovesick maidens believe that they are all in love with Bunthorne, an æsthetic poet. Bunthorne, on the other hand, is in love with Patience, the local milkmaid.  Patience doesn’t understand why everyone around her is so miserable when they are in love, and on top of that, she doesn’t like poetry or poets.

 

Then along comes a second poet who feels he is God’s gift to women, but who is also still in love with Patience who was his childhood sweetheart. Add a platoon of Heavy Dragoon Guards who are under the impression that they are engaged to the afore-mentioned lovesick maidens and you have the usual Gilbertian confusions and complications.