1997 Show Notes

The 1997 production of Iolanthe was done in fairly traditional costume - the fairies were lucky enough to sport attractive white leotards, white net skirts, gold net wings and - of course - white tights and black plimsolls, while the Peers wore red capes, knee breeches, wigs, and a variety of alarming facial expressions. Strephon wore a particularly attractive blonde curly wig (making him look strangely like Ian the MD), Private Willis had a traditional soldier's uniform and comedy fake moustache, Iolanthe wore flowing blue shimmery things (and at one point wellies) and the Fairy Queen matched the female chorus in a frankly fantastic dress of white and gold with ENORMOUS wings. All terribly attractive, you might think. However, any subtlety of costume was completely destroyed by the blatant use of props to steal the show. No names will be mentioned here - it is enough to say that giving the male chorus ear trumpets, dodgy magazines and walking sticks was asking for some outrageous overacting, and that wands, mirrors and the like can become deadly weapons in the hands of the female chorus.