One of Gilbert and Sullivan’s earliest operettas, it has its moments, although not enough to make it memorable.
I liked the ‘false start’, where the ‘wrong’ book was opened and the excellent orchestra, directed by Paul Spanton and conducted by the ever-reliable Martin Paterson, burst into a tune from another show.
The sketchy plot roughly mirrors Shakespeare’s ‘Dream’ sequence, with the peripatetic Sorcerer (confidently played by Mike Pavitt) dispensing a tea additive that drugs the townsfolk so they awaken in love with the first person they see.
This was the intention of lovers Alexis and Aline (Mathew Pike and Ellen Sly, who both performed believably) – that everyone might share their joy, but didn’t quite go to plan.
Director Jo Short’s fine supporting cast included Abi Jeffery as the impressively-tragic Constance, but one lyric summed up, for me, the chorus numbers – “caught that line, but for the rest, I did not hear it clearly!” Perhaps I should have drunk the tea?
Alan Johns
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