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
IOLANTHE
or, THE PEER AND THE PERI
Read more about IOLANTHE
#ExeterGandS
ST DAVID’S PLAYERS
Gilbert and Sullivan Society · Exeter · Devon
Written by W S Gilbert
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Premièred at The Savoy Theatre, London 25th November 1882 running for 398 performances.
St David’s Players’ productions: (click to expand)
September 1970
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
The Lord Chancellor — Stanley Abbott
Earl of Mountararat — David Wheaton
Earl Tolloller — John Nicklin
Private Willis — Michael Cooper
Strephon — Adrian Pritchard
Queen of the Fairies — Lorraine Rogers
Iolanthe — Margaret Ross
Celia — Alison Long
Leila — Linda Ward
Fleta — Margaret Seward
Phyllis — Monica Wiseman
Director — BARRIE YOUEL
Musical Director — SYLVIA DOIDGE
5 — 9 October 1976
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Original ‘First Night’ version. This production included ‘De Belville’, ‘Fold your Flapping Wings’ and the complete original dialogue.
The Lord Chancellor — Ian Bond
Earl of Mountararat — Leonard Larne
Earl Tolloller — Phil Hobbs
Private Willis — Tony Robinson
Strephon — Robin Johnson
Queen of the Fairies — Lorraine Rogers
Iolanthe — Nicky Hobbs
Celia — Margaret Loo
Leila — Jean Alison
Fleta — Mary Pickard
Phyllis — Eileen Clarke
Director — TED HOPKIN
Musical Director — SYLVIA PRITCHARD
11 — 15 October 1983
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Original ‘First Night’ version. This production included ‘De Belville’, ‘Fold your Flapping Wings’ and the complete original dialogue.
The Lord Chancellor — Ian Hardy
Earl of Mountararat — Robin Johnson
Earl Tolloller — Phil Hobbs
Private Willis — Rod Stewart
Strephon — Mark Perry
Train Bearer — Ian Marks
Queen of the Fairies — Susan Sprague
Iolanthe — Lorraine Rogers
Celia — Caroline Hayman
Leila — Margaret Thomson
Fleta — Mandy Allison
Phyllis — Mary Pickard
Producer — IAN BOND
Musical Director — SYLVIA PRITCHARD
12 — 17 October 1998
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
The Lord Chancellor — Colin Mackenzie
Earl of Mountararat — Ian Campbell
Earl Tolloller — Andrew May
Private Willis — Richard Williams
Strephon — Tim Hunt
Queen of the Fairies — Christine West
Iolanthe — Mandy Doherty
Celia — Madeleine Haydon
Leila — Sarah-Jo Somerfield
Fleta — Annie Reid
Phyllis — Penny Daw
Director — JANE MAY
Musical Director — JOHN GLANFIELD
16 — 20 October 2007
The Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
The Lord Chancellor — Tim Hunt
Earl of Mountararat — Ian Spackman
Earl Tolloller — Mark Hurford
Private Willis — Keith Wadlan
Strephon — Michael Sharpe
Queen of the Fairies — Susan Mizen
Iolanthe — Eleanor Bridgman
Celia — Jackie Turner
Leila — Sarah Ford
Fleta — Gillian Weale
Phyllis — Toni Bishop
Chorus of fairies
Caroline Avery, Maggie Butler, Penny Daw, Viv Glanfield, Katie Grant, Alma Harding
Liz Henson, Sue Hiscock, Kate Johns, Jane May, Ellie Mizen, Gina Redman
Marianne Skinner, Pam Swan, Hilary Todd, Christine West, Toni WilsonChorus of peers
Alan Baker, John Candler, John Cope, Mark Drysdale, Mike Hiscock, Tim Johns
Peter Johnson, Andy May, David McIlroy, Mike Redman, Peter Sargent, Brian Small
Ted Staite, Stephen Tregale
Director — JANE IFFLA
Musical Director — NICKY PERRY
October 2018
Awaiting Update
A brief synopsis:
Twenty-five years before the setting of this opera, Iolanthe,
a fairy, committed the cardinal sin of marrying a mortal. However, the Queen of the Fairies took pity on her and commuted the death sentence to one of lifelong exile, on condition that Iolanthe left her husband and never saw him again. Iolanthe obeys, bringing up her half-fairy, half-mortal son, Strephon, in exile.
At the start of the opera Strephon has now grown up and is in love with Phyllis, a Ward of the Court of Chancery. However, the Lord Chancellor has other plans for Phyllis and Strephon’s suit is rejected.
The Queen of the Fairies is outraged at the Lord Chancellor’s treatment of Strephon. She and her band of fairies take revenge by sending Strephon to Parliament and by casting a spell to make all the peers pass any bills that Strephon chooses.
However, the fairies have one weakness and that is that they cannot resist men! Soon all thefairies are risking the death penalty by falling in love and marrying mortals, Iolanthe comes out of exile to protect her son, meets her husband again and suddenly the Queen of the Fairies finds that something must be done or she will have to sentence her entire band to death for breaking the most sacred fairy law…