National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company

Background

The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performed Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy Operas continuously, year-round, for over a century, closing in 1982. Until the Gilbert and Sullivan copyrights expired in 1961, no other professional theatre or opera companies were allowed to present the Savoy Operas in Britain, although professional companies performed the operas elsewhere, and numerous amateur Gilbert and Sullivan companies performed around the world. After 1961 other professional groups began to perform the operas in Britain.

In 1994, the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival was founded by Ian and his son Neil Smith partly to fill the gap left by the closure of D'Oyly Carte, and it has been held every August since then in England. On weeknights, the festival features a competition among amateur companies from all over the world. On weekends, however, the festival offers professional performances given by companies such as the Carl Rosa Opera Company, Opera della Luna, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, Charles Court Opera, and the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company.

Productions at the Gilbert and Sullivan Festival

In 1995, the operators of the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival formed an opera company to provide festivalgoers with professional productions of the Savoy operas. The company was soon called the Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company. It engaged such performers as Richard Suart, Simon Butteriss, Bruce Graham, Gillian Knight, Barry Clark, Michael Rayner, Jill Pert, Gareth Jones, Patricia Leonard, Donald Maxwell, Oliver White, Rebecca Bottone, Ian Belsey and the Opera Babes. John Owen Edwards, David Russell Hulme or David Steadman have usually served as music directors for the company. In 2014, the festival registered the company with Companies House as the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company.

The company's performances are nearly always accompanied by the festival's National Festival Orchestra. It generally performs three or four productions each year at the festival, and the festival sells videos of most of its productions.

Uniquely among professional companies in Britain, other than D'Oyly Carte, the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company has presented all 13 of the extant Savoy Operas. The company first performed Utopia, Limited in 2011, an opera that has rarely been given a professional staging in Britain over the past century. This was one of three productions given by the company that year. In 2012 the company mounted the first full-scale professional production of The Grand Duke in Britain since the 19th century, which was one of its four productions that year. Since 2013, the company has presented three or four productions each year, giving up to 16 performances over the course of the festival at its new home in Harrogate, England.

Performances outside the festival

In August and September 2010, the G&S Opera Company presented its first production outside of the festival, The Yeomen of the Guard, at Oxford Castle. Two of its 2012 productions were repeated in Harrogate late in August, and all three of its 2013 productions transferred there in late August. The company toured three of its 2014 productions in repertory from June to August 2014, giving seven performances in each of six cities. In 2015, besides Harrogate, the company toured three of its productions to 11 cities and towns in the UK, beginning in Buxton in August, where their productions were well received, and continued to November. In 2016, the shorter tour began at the end of July and ends in early September.

Reception

Sky Arts called the Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company's performers "some of the UK's finest exponents of musical theatre". The Mail Online gave the company's The Mikado four stars. A review of the company's 2010 production of Iolanthe, noted, "The music was up to [the festival's] usual high standard, with the orchestra ... giving a superb and sprightly reading of the Overture and score throughout." Another reviewer of that production commented: With a reputation for strong casts [and] energetic delivery, traditionally fresh interpretations are brought to [the] roles. ... Care is always taken with the staging and lighting of these ... productions and, as with Princess Ida last year, they can match a West End show. ... Throughout, the chorus was outstanding. The Daily Telegraph "thoroughly enjoyed [the company's] spirited production" of Utopia, Limited in 2011. A reviewer said of their 2013 production of Princess Ida, "the performance sparkled; singing, acting, costumes, dramatic flow and orchestral playing were all splendid".

A review of the company's 2014 tour praised the direction, choreography and conducting of The Pirates of Penzance and continued: "They are a real find with strong production values, a great orchestra and first class singing. ... It all looks marvellous with picture book settings and eye catching costumes plus a full and energetic cast. ... The chorus work is top notch, and they all come across as individuals." The Birmingham Mail liked the cast, costumes and "infectious" humour of the company's Iolanthe and called its production of The Mikado "superb", praising the principal cast, chorus and orchestra, but was disappointed in "the decision to make the Mikado ... a fun figure rather than a scary ruler." The company's Iolanthe made a Gilbert and Sullivan fan out of a sceptical reviewer. The Daily Express reviewer said that the company provided "glorious musical entertainment", and the Daily Mail gave the company five stars. The Northern Echo reviewed the 2015 tour, stating: "This company is so polished, so well-versed in the eccentricities of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, with excellent singing voices coupled with clear diction ... and comedic skill. ... [A] tuneful, jolly, laugh-out-loud evening’s entertainment.

Recordings

Recordings of the company's productions are sold by the Festival on DVD. Some of the productions are also available on CD.