14th August

10.30 am	G&S Props on a budget - Ben Chamley
2.30 pm	A Society Clown - Leon Berger
7.30 pm	Patience - Festival Production

Patience

Festival Production

Opera House 7:30 pm

We had seats C13 & C14 in the Dress Circle for this performance

Today we celebrated Alan and Romy's wedding anniversary - not strictly on the day - but any excuse for a bottle of bubbly and the red stuff!! We went up to their camper van and sat outside in the glorious sunshine. Here is a picture of us all - and a rare one of me - taken by the camera on auto-timer!

It was then down to the Opera House - just in time to hear the brass section play a delightful medley.

After a good overture the tabs were lifted to reveal the exterior of Castle Bunthorne, with the gateway to the castle leading off to the rear of the stage right. A selection of lovesick maidens were posing - looking towards the gateway. They were dressed in flowing robes of several pastel colours - not the most attractive costumes I have seen - somewhat plain. They sang a good opening chorus "Twenty love-sick maidens, we" - this was followed by solos from Angela and Ella.

The most diminutive Lady Jane I have ever seen came on and admonished them for loving Bunthorne - he already loved - Patience. Jane proved to have a good voice and was full of fun and action.

Patience entered - she had a beautiful singing voice - as exhibited in her opening song "I cannot tell what this love may be".

The dragoons entered - some lack of sharpness in their maneuvers about the stage. However, they all sang well and with enthusiasm. The colonel had a wonderful deep bass voice and he sang well in the song "If you want a receipt..."

The Duke came on - with a speech impediment - he had a good singing voice. He was bemoaning his lot at having so much money and so much flattery and deference. The uniforms of the Colonel, Major and Duke were the same as the dragoons. No signs of rank or the fact that they were officers - they should have had more splendid uniforms.

Bunthorne came on followed by the maidens - he was a splendid character with a wonderful rich voice. Good singing by all in "In a doleful train/Now is this not ridiculous" The girls tell the soldiers that they are no longer engaged to them - they all now love Bunthorne. Bunthorne reads them his new poem "Oh, Hollow..." - not a hunting one as Patience thinks!

The girls do not like the uniforms worn by the soldiers (They have good taste!!) and suggest an "Early English" one made from anything that is not English!. The soldiers respond, after the girls have left, with a rousing "When I first put this uniform on". Lots of good marching and actions. They storm off!

Bunthorne returns and admits that he does not like poetry - he is an aesthetic sham. Some wonderful singing at this point from Bunthorne - "If you're anxious for to shine.." Patience returns and is frightened by him and his poetry - he admits to her that he does not like it either - however she says that she could never love him and Bunthorne leaves.

Patience is joined on stage by Angela and she asks Angela about love. They sing the duet "Long years ago.."

Grosvenor comes onto the stage and, spotting Patience starts a delightful duet - "Prithee, pretty maid.." Grosvenor has recognised Patience and slowly she recognises him as her playfellow of fifteen year ago - so extra laughs here as Grosvenor is no youngster. Grosvenor has a super voice and is an excellent actor. Patience falls for him but just as everything is going smoothly she realises that true love has to be unselfish and that to marry someone as perfect as he is would be being selfish - so she declines to love him - although he can still love her - which he does. They sing a delightful duet "Though to marry you.."

Bunthorne, fed up with the fact that Patience will not marry him, decides, on the advice of his solicitor, a cameo role by the director Alistair Donkin, to raffle himself off. The soldiers try to dissuade the girls - a good solo by the Duke here. But the raffle takes place - with Lady Jane in it as well despite Bunthorne trying to remove her ticket. Just as he is drawing the winning ticket Patience comes back and says that she will marry him!

At this point the girls all go back to the soldiers until Grosvenor returns - and they all fall for him - closing act one.

Act two starts in a forest glade. Jane bemoans the fact that she is getting older and larger (I am not sure about the latter!!!) in "Silver is the raven hair" - accompanying herself on the cello. At one point she tells the MD to "Keep up" with her playing! The girls return following Grosvenor around still. They get him to read a couple of his poems - the last line of the second being modified to "And married a girl from a South Wales Valley" in deference to his own nationality. He then sang an excellent "A magnet hung..." Eventually Grosvenor ushers the girls off stage.

Patience joins him and declares that Bunthorne is not making her happy. Grosvenor approaches but is spurned by Patience

Jane and Bunthorne plot to overthrow Grosvenor - an excellent duet "So go to him"

The Colonel, Major and Duke return - dressed as Aesthetics - carrying flowers. They practice movements - but as would be expected from soldiers they are too stiff. They sing a good trio "It's clear that mediaeval art..." Angela and Saphir praise them for the effort they have made and then we had the delightful quintet "If Saphir I chose to marry" Good movement and singing in this.

Grosvenor and Bunthorne now come together and Bunthorne is determined to sort things out. They have good fun as they argue but it is the threat of a curse which makes Grosvenor give in and agree to change. They sing a good duet "When I go out the door" - although Bunthorne forgot his lines several times in this duet.

Bunthorne has now resolved to become more cheerful and not moody, selfish and bad tempered. When Patience sees this she is so happy - she goes into his arms but, as usual, recoils because he is so perfect now and it would be selfish to love him!!!! What a confused child!

Grosvenor returned with the girls they are all in "normal" period costume - a rousing "I'm a Waterloo House young man" is sung. When Patience realises that Grosvenor is no longer perfect she falls for him. Lady Jane comforts Bunthorne saying that she will stay with him.

The Colonel, Duke and Major return - the Duke has decided who he will marry - it turns out to be Lady Jane - Bunthorne is "crushed" again - he will have to be contented with a tulip or lily. They all sing a stirring final song.

Patience, Lady Jane and the Duke - It took me a long time to recognise David Lace as the Duke - he had dyed his beard!!

This was quite a good production but I felt if often lacked that little sparkle which takes productions out of the ordinary. I felt that Patience, although she had a wonderful singing voice and her spoken parts were very distinct, lacked the fun which is often associated with this part. The costumes were not very high quality and this created a dull atmosphere generally. The set was good, as was the lighting. There were several occasions when the orchestra and the singing were out of sync. although the MD gradually brought them all back again.