The Pittsburgh Tatler: Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe (originally produced 1882) presents a conflict between two very different worlds. On one hand, we have the world of the immortal fairies – all female, somewhat trippy and chaotic, and ruled by a queen; on the other, we have the world of British parliamentary peers – all male, stodgy and precise, and subject to the law as interpreted by the Lord Chancellor.
1 comment:
I think this production is a great example of how seemingly less accessible scripts of yesteryear can be made more accessible to today's audiences through directorial and design ingenuity. By "teasing out" underlying themes and designing conceptually intriguing scenic, lighting, sound, and costume elements, production companies like The Pittsburgh Savoyards do something essential to the survival of theatre: they allow it to transform. It is vital that companies continue to do this, for without the will to make shows watchable to audiences, actors may as well be performing for an empty house. Thus, I commend the noble Savoyards, their Herculean costume designer, and this resourceful director for getting to the heart of a show which on its surface might have otherwise never seen a status of relevance again.
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