What NODA thought …

As you know from our Home page, we had a visit from Dorothy Johnstone, the Regional Rep for District 6, at our Saturday matinée. She enjoyed the show, and provided this official report:


Both Gilbert and Sullivan considered ‘The Yeomen of the Guard’ to be their best work and it is certainly one of my G&S favourites.

A first class orchestra immediately settled the audience with the strong, stirring overture. This coupled with an open stage revealing a striking Tower Green set the scene for what was a most colourful production with some strong choral singing and fine individual performances.

This is not a ‘happy ever after’ story but one of confusion and heartache. Claire Turnbull who played Elsie Maynard, the strolling singer, has a soaring soprano voice which captivated the audience particularly in her number ‘Tis Done, I Am A Bride’ when she has secretly married the dashing Colonel Fairfax. Chris Young with his relaxed stage presence and gentle, lyrical tenor voice was well suited to this role.

The strolling jester Jack Point lives in the hope that someday he and Elsie will marry. Robin Ozog who had perfectly clear diction throughout his patter songs successfully developed his character from the lively, agile jester through his mixed emotions to his pathetic, tragic ending. The staging of the final scene with its dimmed lighting and the chorus turning their backs and ignoring poor Jack Point was most effective.

Liz Landsman was a formidable Dame Carruthers who managed to virtually blackmail Sergeant Meryll (Ian Osborne) into marrying her. Susanne Horsburgh gave an excellent, feisty performance as the coquettish Phoebe playfully taunting the doltish Wilfred Shadbolt ( George Alexander) who extracted the comedy from his role in a bumbling manner. Other principal characters were all well played and well sung.

As well as having a very strong principal cast, this company also has a vocally strong male and female chorus who produced a wonderful, harmonious sound. The reprise of the opening chorus after the curtain calls reinforced this. Sullivan writes some beautiful ensemble numbers. In Act 2 ‘Strange Adventure’ ‘When a Wooer Goes a Wooing’ and ‘A Man Who Would Woo A Fair Maid’ had an excellent blend of voices and were neatly choreographed.

Good use was made of the different levels in the Tower. This was a most enjoyable, polished production which I was very pleased to have been invited to attend.

Exciting news!

Exciting news from Sinead, that we will be performing a Summer Concert in June.  To find out more about this, please join us on Wednesday 16 March at our usual spot in Whitefield from 7:30pm. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

Ode to the Yeomen of the Guard

There are very few theatrical delights,
To equal the sight of men in tights.
This week the men of the G&S,
Have all been featured in The Dunfermline Press.
In the autumn of their lives, they hold their halberds hard,
As the latest recruits of The Yeomen of the Guard!

Set in Tudor times, there are ladies, maids and wenches,
Knitting, sitting, singing, or spinning yarns on benches.
We’ve Susanne as Phoebe, shedding salty tears,
Giving the most emotional performance I’ve seen in many years.

While Claire in all her ribboned glory is blindfolded to be a wife,
Hopefully, Ritchie and her didn’t do that in real life!
Liz as Dame Carruthers sets her sights on Sgt. Merryl,
Can she capture him with Rapture, or will he escape at his own peril?

While Martin leads the principal men in his doublet, sword and hose,
I wonder if real Tudor chaps wore tights under their clothes?
Rebecca makes her debut as the fragrant Kate,
While Nick tries to save Fairfax from a fearful fate.

George plays the evil Shadbolt, with torture on his mind,
Mary assures us that, in real life, he’s really rather kind!
While Mike and all his stage crew work hard creating magic,
Poor Robin as Jack Point moves from comedy to tragic!

Historically accurate troosers put John Allan in a flap,
Luckily he was saved by a big stud in his gap!
This year Jack’s delighted to be a Yeoman of such class,
He travels to the Tower with his trusty old bus pass!

Backstage, Lynn, Elaine and I try to keep the cast fantastic,
With safety pins and kirby grips and garters of elastic!
The interval flies by with Sinead’s sizzling quiz,
Which tantalising team will prove they are a whizz?

Hopefully Peter and Eddie will know joy days unalloyed
As the cheers of the audience keep them beautifully buoyed!
Their days of terror will be no more,
Now they can plot and plan for Ruddigore!

Kerry Black – 25 February 2016

Well done, everybody!

mp160227_183435chsIt was a great show, and one all the cast will remember for a long time. The Saturday matinée was especially memorable for six of our members, because after the performance they were presented with NODA long-service awards by Dorothy Johnstone, the Regional Rep for District 6.

From left to right (stage right to stage left!), the award winners were:

Marion Kelly 25 year Long Service Medal
Jennifer Williams 20 year badge
George Alexander 20 year badge
Michael Reay 10 year badge
Anne Dolbear 20 year badge
Val McManus 15 year badge

Well done to everybody, and thank you to Mike Pendlowski, our NODA rep as well as Stage Manager, for organising the presentation, and keeping quiet about it – not even our Chairman knew what was about to happen until he was called forward for his badge!

During the interval …

mt8731chrAll this week the Gents’ dressing room has been its usual hub of hospitality, hosted by our genial First Yeoman. Thanks to Jack for his organisational skills, good humour, and for the welcome extended to all.

Last night, the activities were extended to the Ladies’ dressing room, where Maggie’s Kitchen Table was spread, and a collection made on behalf of this excellent charity.

Next week we hope to post some (edited!) pictures of the cast tucking in, and the result of the collection.

Thanks to Clare White for initiating the event and to all the members who participated.

Last night tonight!

If you are wondering whether to turn out tonight, or settle down comfortably in front of the television, our advice is DON’T! Instead, come to our final performance of Yeomen of the Guard, and enjoy live music and drama. Then “shed a tear or two” with the company in the Tiffany Lounge, which will be serving until midnight.

Those men in tights!

dp160225p20-img-50“Men in tights hit the Carnegie Hall stage!” is the headline that the Dunfermline Press chose for this picture, which appears on page 20 of this week’s issue. Do read what they say about the show: “Arguably the most magnificent set and lighting plot Carnegie audiences will have seen in many years”. Better still, come to one of our three remaining performances: tonight and tomorrow at 7:30pm, with a Saturday matinée at 2:30pm.

By the way, there are also a lot of beautiful ladies …

Next appearance

We hope to announce a summer concert shortly, but your next chance to see the Society on stage at Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline will be on 20–22 February 2025.

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