The Tower of London is the scene for a tangled web of melancholy and mirth in Gilbert & Sullivan’s beloved operetta, The Yeomen of the Guard. The arrival of a travelling troupe of performers sparks forbidden romances, fantastical plots and unrequited love.
The unjustly imprisoned Colonel Fairfax (Anthony Gregory, previously Nanki-Poo in The Mikado and former Harewood Artist) has a mutual attraction to the young daughter of the righteous Sergeant Meryll, one of the titular Beefeaters (Neal Davies). Phoebe (Heather Lowe) wishes Fairfax be released so they can have the wedding she desires, and enlists the help (and attraction) of Jack Point, a roving performer. A classic Gilbert and Sullivan story ensues, with all the chaos that comes with it – but not necessarily the happy ending we expect from the duo…
Visionary Jo Davies returns to the London Coliseum to direct, with designs by acclaimed theatre designer Anthony Ward. G&S veteran Chris Hopkins conducts the ENO Orchestra, with a score that – despite being darker in tone – remains characteristically playful of Arthur Sullivan.
Sung in English. Our surtitles system displays sung words above the stage.