Of prancing fairies and pompous lords

The Lionel Wendt will be set aglow with the light of over a dozen fairies, from May 10-13 when the Visakha Vidyalaya Old Girls’ Association presents Iolanthe, a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan. Set partly in the mythical world of Arcady, the staging promises bright and contrasting colours, costumes, scenery and themes.

Considered one of W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s much loved musical gems Iolanthe that was first staged in 1882 is still popular for its comic two-act opera as well as its toe tapping music.

Director Indu Dharmasena who has done several other productions of the school such as Fiddler on the Roof, Mouse Trap, A Way With Words and Spelling of Coins, says this is a period piece. “In an all-girl cast, it does not matter if men have long hair,” Indu adds, with a smile. Made simple to suit the age group of the students taking part, the story centres around a flock of fairies who live footloose and fancy free and a stuffy group of peers from the British House of Lords.

As with all Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, the text, plot and music are pure fun. Apparently Gilbert always had a target in mind for his wit and satire and in Iolanthe, it is the legislative system of the United Kingdom. The audience is presented with an interface between the real and unreal world with comical plot twists.

Old girl of Visakha, Menaka De Fonseka Sahabandu who has been teaching singing and piano for 22 years directs the music for the show. “We are using live music with a basic string orchestra comprising professionals and past pupils,” she explains. Liberties were also taken to convert some of the male choruses into dialogues. With some of the students making their theatrical debut, she is happy with the progress they have shown thus far.

Proficient in all forms of dancing – ballet, jazz, salsa, social and Kandyan, Sanwada Abeysirigunawardena has trained the students in the dance numbers. “While the fairies have ballet-like moves, the lords or peers will present drill-like movements to reveal their personality,” she says. Most encouraging was the fact that all the students worked very hard - even the occasional with two left feet.

The cast features Methma Maliduwapathirana and Ekodi Wickremarachchi as Iolanthe, Pivini Perera and Samadhi Tennekoon as Lord Chancellor, Anushka Gunawardena and Suvini Karunanayake as Queen Fairy, Rochana Cooray and Shacini Mustachi as Strephon and Vidya Kumarasinghe and Suhanya Aziz as Phyllis.