Iolanthe | Wilton's Music Hall

After an unfortunately cancelled run in 2020 and a national tour after theatres reopened, the Charles Court Opera have finally brought their revival of Gilbert and Sullivan's eccentric show, Iolanthe, back to London. Considered a company masterful at producing the duo’s work, under Artistic Director and CEO John Savourin, CCO have brought their work to various different venues and now to the grand Wilton's Music Hall.

Iolanthe is a political farce poking fun at the House of Lords and British power structures, with a fantastical addition of fairies wreaking the expected havoc into the fray. The show follows parliamentary groundskeeper Strephon in his attempt to win the consent of the Lord Chancellor to marry his ward, Phyllis (the young woman in his care). This whole series of events is complicated by his mother, a fairy who only recently was released from her banishment for marrying a mortal, and the fact that the rest of the House of Lords are equally eager to woo Phyllis. This plot, however, is largely not the focus of the show and is really only present as much as is necessary for the story to progress and stay on any sort of track - rather the main properties of the piece are the excess of humorous numbers that take place in between the story.

Although this is a joyous experience to watch, sometimes it does leave the book spread thin and there are brief moments where the audience are left waiting for too long for the plot to move along. Fortunately, despite this, the energy of the cast and group of six musicians situated in the open space aside the stage remains high throughout and bridges these gaps well enough to prevent any major discomfort.

The new addition of the CCO Chamber Orchestra brings a charming life to the show, and the modest size of the group comfortably fills their chosen space, allowing the full glory of the score to begin to manifest without overwhelming us in the intimate auditorium. Masterfully conducted by Musical Director David Eaton, the score and orchestra sets a whimsical and playful tone throughout.

The most exceptional aspect of this production is without a doubt the talented cast, who sweep us away into an exciting parallel world of fairies and true love. Matthew Kellett as Lord Chancellor is a particularly charming presence, and a regular with the CCO and to Gilbert and Sullivan’s work. His experience in this style is evident, not just from his rich and powerful voice, but his effortless stage presence and mastery of the comic elements of the show - playing an exaggerated archetype of a character without losing their natural gravitas and pride.

Matthew Palmer and Llio Evans are endearing as the two lovers, with strong chemistry and delightful individual performances that make watching the two play off each other an energising and attention grabbing experience. This energy is not lacking in the rest of the cast either - in fact the whole company is impressively in tune with each other and the most satisfying part of watching this production is seeing them work in synchrony together even within the chaos of the text.

Within the high energy show, there are still some moments to come down to reality for a second with grounded and emotional reflections in various points, demonstrated particularly well by Eleanor O’Driscoll as Iolanthe. A caring and attentive mother, O’Driscoll carries a sweetness throughout the show that exemplifies the qualities Iolanthe is so beloved for, and puts the decisions the character makes impossible to call into question, even when they may not necessarily be responsible.

From entering the auditorium and throughout the show, the work of costume and revival set designer Molly Fraser is on display for our appreciation. The set places us in a vague location within the House of Lords, allowing easy transitions between locations as there are simply no physical changes needed. There is a balance of physical props and printed backdrops that give the space the impression of being appropriately decorated without feeling visually overwhelming and crowded. The costumes simply add to the charm of the production, made intriguingly unique yet easily fitting into the setting without feeling out of place at all.

Charles Court Opera’s Iolanthe is a delightful revival of the work by the most iconic duo in recent history, offering a laughter filled refuge from the chaos of the world, not by removing it, but satirising the lives of those who run everything - despite sometimes struggling to run on mostly novelty and fun for the entire runtime. Made relevant by the influence and mockery of modern culture, and featuring an immensely talented cast and orchestra, the show has something for everyone to enjoy on an evening out.

Iolanthe plays at Wilton's Music Hall until 28th February 2026 - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Craig Fuller