When one thinks of Gilbert and Sullivan, one thinks: Comedy. Wordplay. Happy ending.
Although there is plenty of the first two in Yeomen of the Guard, alas, as the only tragedy in their canon, there is not a happy ending. The good news is that, despite taking place in the Tower of London on the day on an execution, none of the characters end up perishing, so if you’ve never seen this one before, not to worry: you needn’t sit on pins and needles waiting for an axe to drop.
I had the pleasure this past weekend to take in Young Victorian Theatre Company (YVTC)’s production of this work. This company, founded in 1971, specializes in the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, and reliably not only creates great productions but also regularly casts great performers. This Yeomen was no exception.
The tagline the company chose for this show was “This July, it’s time for something a little different,” and right away after the overture it’s clear why. The most-performed Gilbert and Sullivan works like HMS Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance open with a choral number. Yeomen opens with an aria, sung in a clean, clear mezzo by Ann Fogler as Phoebe Meryll. She starts the show on top of a wall with a spinning wheel. Soon Wilfred Shadbolt, played in a villainous cockney dialect by Spencer Adamson, joins her, trying unsuccessfully to convince her to be with him, though she is in love with Colonel Fairfax, the man slated to die that day. Phoebe, too, speaks in a cockney dialect, and I very much enjoyed that, with these two characters, even with the dialect I could understand them the whole time. In fact, I would have loved to have heard more of it in their singing. That said, these two were a joy to watch. Adamson played Wilfred in such a way that I loved to hate the character, and Fogler’s crying at the prospect of Fairfax’s execution genuinely made me want to go comfort her.
Enter Tower housekeeper Dame Carruthers, played by Rebecca Sacks, to spoil any hope Phoebe has of staying Fairfax’s execution. Sacks did well indulging her chest voice throughout this role in classic Gilbert and Sullivan mezzo-soprano fashion, as well as cutting an imposing figure in her stunning costume complete with gable hood. Credit must go to costume supervisor and coordinator Mary Bova and Jane Kennedy. Sourcing the cast’s wardrobe from Valley Light Opera, they clearly know how to make everyone look good.
Joeph Regan as Colonel Fairfax added a solid tenor to the cast. In particular, he showed off some exciting dynamics, including a memorable crescendo in his high register. I also appreciated how he brought sincerity to the role. Though he later becomes entangled in a love quadrangle that spoils what might have been a happy ending, I couldn’t hate him.
Doubling the tenor contingent was Jietong Fu playing Leonard Meryll. He leaves at his father’s (Sergeant Meryll, played to great comic effect by James Rogers) behest so that Fairfax can escape from his cell and pretend to be him. I liked and believed the family dynamic between all three Merylls, due in part to the skill of the actors and Artistic Director Catrin Davies’ expert direction.
Along with Davies’ staging, choreographer Thomas Hochla energized the show with plenty of movement. Not only the leads, but also the chorus was well-coordinated in said movement. Hochla also played Jack Point, a strolling jester, with not only beautiful baritone vocals but also a physicality that included flourishes of ballet. He and Elsie Maynard, played by soprano Emily Casey with her usual radiance and vocal consistency throughout her range, are the last of the principal characters to enter, but it’s Jack Point who ends up with the last word of the show. His duet with Elsie “I Have A Song To Sing” stops the show with its poignancy and, as is later revealed, foreshadowing. In the end, after much mistaken identity and unintended twists and turns, Elsie ends up marrying Fairfax, leaving Jack disappointed and broken-hearted.
Although the show is a tragedy, I left this production of Yeoman satisfied. J. Ernest Green’s music direction got a sound out of the orchestra that was beyond beautiful from the first chord of the overture, and the duo and ensemble singing was good throughout. We should await with eager anticipation the announcement of YVTC’s next season.
Maggie Ramsey
The Yeomen of the Guard
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert
Cast and Production Staff:
Sir Richard Cholmondeley– Joey Wilson; Colonel Fairfax – Joseph Regan; Sergeant Meryll – James Rogers; Leonard Meryll – Jietong Fu; Jack Point – Thomas Hochla; Wilfred Shadbolt – Spencer Adamson; First Yeoman – Henry Hubbard; Second Yeoman – David Adeleye; Elsie Maynard – Emily Casey; Phoebe Meryll – Ann Fogler; Dame Carruthers – Rebecca Sacks; Kate – Sara Neally; Chorus of Yeomen Warders, Gentlemen, Citizens, Etc. – Esther Brodsky, Zhan Caplan, Abby Emory, Howard Freeland, Shayna Greenblatt, Jamie Griffith, Jeffrey Hochstetler, Dorienne Hoven, Timothy Kjer, James Kolar, John La Costa, James Lefkowitz, Asella Medina-Smith, Cass Niazy, Jessica Preactor, Michael Reed, Jason Rudy, Kevin Smith, Caroline (CJ) Soden, Charlie Sweet, Benjamin Walker, Emma Leigh Webster, Margaret Yefimenko
General Manager – Brian S. Goodman; Assistant General Manager – Fallon Goodman; Kathy Mardaga – Business Manager; Artistic Director – Catrin Rowenna Davies; Music Director & Conductor – J. Ernest Green; Director of Production and Scenic Designer – Christopher Flint; Assistant Director – Grace Brega; Choreographer – Thomas Hochla; Stage Manager – John Patrick Hunter; Lighting Designer – Katie McCreary; Costume Supervisor – Mary Bova; Costume Coordinator – Jane Kennedy; Wig & Make-up Director – Nic Berg; Properties Manager – Dominic Yap; Set Painting – John La Costa, Sara Neally, Jessica Preactor; Supertitle Operator – Phyllis Everette; Supertitle Operator – Fallon Goodman; Public Relations Director – Laura Farmer; Graphic Designer & Website Manager – Todd Douglas; Box Office & House Manager – Larry Lambert; Orchestra Manager – Bill Welty; Concertmaster – Greg Kuperstein; Orchestra Librarian – Kari Shea; Rehearsal Accompanist – Erica Rome; Costumes – Valley Light Opera
Baltimore, MD, July 20, 2025
Top image: The cast of The Yeomen of the Guard
All photos by Todd Douglas courtesy of Young Victorian Theatre Company