Thoroughly silly musical satire 'Iolanthe' is one of Gilbert & Sullivan's best loved light operas for good reason. Set at the court of the fairies, it takes every excuse to poke fun at Victorian high society, including Queen Victoria herself, her rumoured friend-with-benefits John Brown, and waffling prime minister William Gladstone.
Director Cal McCrystal is a physical comedy expert who's famous for squeezing every laugh out of the shows he directs, including huge NT and West End hit 'One Man, Two Guvnors'. So his new production for the ENO should be good for a giggle, if nothing else. Mezzo soprano Samantha Price leads a cast of ENO favourites, which also includes Andrew Shore, Yvonne Howard and Marcus Farnsworth.