Review: Patience, Wilton’s Music Hall

There’s a rather lovely juxtaposition of faded glamour from the old brick walls of Wilton’s Music Hall (which has served as a music hall since 1859) against the contemporary bar of The Castle, a pub set ready for Patience, the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta. It rather neatly references the play’s historical origins whilst reminding us of its continued relevance. 

The bar is on a raised platform set high above the audience, which enables the deep stage underneath to be at their eye level while simultaneously offering plenty of opportunity for amusing interaction between performers and spectators as the ensemble dances and sings in front of them. The musical director (John Savournin), both pianist and prompt, plays to one side in a clear rapport with the performers. It’s first night and there’s a lot of love in the room, partly because it is Gilbert & Sullivan, which will always carry a built-in fan base, and partly because there is a widespread Tube strike across London. We’ve made it against all the odds and are keen to be entertained. Well, entertained we were.

The first thing of note, (and one which is not unusual for the Charles Court Opera it has to be said), is the quality of vocal performance from all. The three ladies, Jane (Catrine Kirkman), Angela (Meriel Cunningham) and Saphir (Jennie Jacobs), start. With more than a gothic edge to their costumes, they drape themselves over bar stools, gurn, are expressive, funny, dramatic, and of course sing beautifully. They are lovesick for the poet Bunthorne (Matthew Kellett), a white-faced, lace-sleeved poet who reads his poetry aloud, lounging languidly across objects. In private, he confesses that his affectations are a sham and pretentious. The titular character herself, Patience, (Catriona Hewitson) enters: energetic, happy, and openly free of any pretention. She eschews poetry, happy to declare she neither likes nor understands it. Both a breath of fresh air and a physical representation of the theme of the play, she embodies a satirical swipe at superficiality, vanity, hypocrisy, and pretentiousness.

Luckily (for Patience at least), a childhood love, Grosvenor (Matthew Siveter) enters in the form of a different kind of poet that’s the antithesis to the presentation of Bunthorne; genuine and positive. More comical love interest enters in the form of the Dragoon Guards, previously lovers of the three aforementioned ladies, but cast aside for their most recent interest.

I think there is a reasonable expectation as to what you will get when you go to see a Gilbert & Sullivan production: fast, tongue-twisting songs, plenty of satire, and a reasonable amount of absurdity – all of which is neatly summed up with a theme that remains relevant in today’s society, despite being written for the Victorians. Patience by Charles Court Opera absolutely offers that, but with an extra energy that is infectious – with a joy for the work and with a natural affinity with the audience. Tonight, there were a few fluffed or missed lines, all of which were taken in great humour by the audience, particularly when Lady Jane was heard shouting “Perimenopause!” in response to a prompt from the pianist. The dance routines are splendid: the right side of deliberately clumsy, and the costumes exaggerated and thought-provoking.  But let’s not forget the talent that it takes to perform in such a comic or ‘clumsy’ way.  

The whole company is extremely talented: both in voice and acting ability. I am not a natural Gilbert & Sullivan fan, but this was a wonderful experience to be recommended.

Music: Sir Arthur Sullivan
Libretto: W.S. Gilbert
Director: John Savournin
Musical Director: David Eaton
Designer: Simon Bejer
Choreographer: Damian Czarnecki
Produced by Charles Court Opera

Patience plays at Wilton’s Music Hall until Satuday September 13