When a troupe of men bedecked in satin gymslips sang about being ‘dainty fairies’ the audience of Sasha Regan’s all male Iolanthe paused for breath. Was this high camp or gender-blind casting at its most adventurous? Yes, there was tongue-in-cheek double entendre to the proceedings which elicited titters from the house, but this excellent cast were more than able to tackle the score in its intended registers and by the end utterly convince with a witty and characterful performance of this Gilbert and Sullivan classic comic opera of 1882.

Given the obvious fun Gilbert had satirising the House of Lords and party politics at the turn of the 19^th century, it begged the question of what he might he made of Brexit or Trump’s White House? If his other-worldly fairies could delicately lampoon the plodding peers of the upper chamber without inviting opprobrium from the ruling classes then, what fun they could be having now!

Adam Braham should be congratulated for the casting of this show. All key roles were delivered with aplomb. Richard Russell Edwards as the Fairy Queen commanded her folk with enormous style – looking like a younger, feminine version of Bamber Gascoigne, Russell Edwards’ vocals and stage demeanour oozed with the confidence of an immortal. And there were strong showings from Alastair Hill as the Lord Chancellor (his tongue-twisting delivery of ‘When I Went to the Bar’ brought the House down) and Richard Carson as Strephon, the half mortal, half fairy shepherd son born to Iolanthe and the Lord Chancellor. Christopher Finn who plays Iolanthe, Joe Henry as Phyllis, and Dominic Harbison as Celia all astounded with their falsetto deliveries while Duncan Sandilands won many friends with his wonderful solo ‘When All Night Long A Chap Remains’ at the start of Act II. Michael Burgen and Adam Pettit were highly entertaining as the baffooning Lords Mountararat and Tolloller.

Adding further sparkle to the performance, Mark Smith’s choreography provided wit and precision while Stewart Charlesworth’s original designs included a wardrobe that seemed to act as a portal for the fairies to flitter in and out of, while illuminated frames slid aside as Iolanthe returned from her banishment by the Fairy Queen. Richard Baker’s piano accompaniment from just below stage left was always empathetic with the actors.

Sasha Regan looks set to enjoy more success with another all-male format. As with her previous all-male productions of HMS Pinafore and The Mikado, her Iolanthe boasts acting of the highest calibre and certainly succeeds in giving a standard Gilbert and Sullivan a welcome kick.    ★★★★☆      Simon Bishop    13^th June 2018