The Yeomen of the Guard

Although I wished it had included all of the songs from the opera, this production was still a good way to get acquainted with the "Yeomen of the Guard." The sets and costumes were very well-done. Missing from this performance were both of Fairfax's solos, as well as "when a wooer goes a-wooing", "strange adventure" and the duet "Rapture, rapture."

Joel Gray is a very nimble Jack Point. My favorite portrayal was Alfred Marks as Wilfrid Shadbolt. His duet with Gray, "hereupon we've both agreed," was my favorite number. Elizabeth Gale made a very touching Elsie, singing with a lot of emotion. Fairfax did the most he could with his role, considering both of his solos were left out.

Do you ever wonder how long videotapes will last? I recorded this from Public Broadcasting (PBS) over 16 years ago, and have no record that I've watched the tape since. It ran almost perfectly. The Closed Captions - essential for G&S productions - were a bit garbled, but that might not be the fault of the tape.

Anyone expecting a typical Gilbert and Sullivan comic operetta is likely to be disappointed or even offended by "Yeomen." It's much more in the Grand Opera tradition, except that the Prima Donna survives. It's pretty much a disaster for some of the other principals, however.

This production is part of the "Compleat Gilbert and Sullivan" made-for-video series of 1982 and thereabouts, made in the UK and distributed in the U.S. through PBS by WGBH-Boston.

This "Yeomen" is very well done and aside from the fact that it's not a "happy-ending" story in some respects, is, in its way, very entertaining. It's well worth seeing, if you can find it.

Yeomen of the Guard is especially fine because Joel Grey is such a superb actor who conveys the sadness and folly of loving someone who fails to return your love. It is a melancholy but realistic story of love unrequited. The entire cast is superb. The set is excellent. This is one of the finest Gilbert and Sullivan movies brought to TV.

Give it a try. You will also enjoy this story and its wonderful music.

Yeomen of the Guard is not my favourite G&S operetta, but it is unique for being a romance and for having the most tragic character of all the characters in Gilbert and Sullivan. The beautiful music that is typical of G&S operetta is still in Yeomen. This production as far as the series of which it comes from is not as dull as Pirates of Penzanze, but it was an uneven production that had its moments. The costumes and sets are quite handsome in look, and musically the production is excellent with assured conducting, a well-balanced chorus and stylish orchestral playing. There are also some great performances. Three stood out, Alfred Marks, Elizabeth Bainbridge and Elizabeth Gale. Marks stole the show for me, as Wilfred he is such a commanding presence. Bainbridge is a more dignified Dame than the gorgon-like one, but this approach worked. And Gale's Elsie is moving and genuinely compassionate, with a Though Tear and Long-drawn that is beautifully sung. Some aspects of the staging worked, the finale of Act 1 and Phoebe/Wilfred's exchange in Act 2 are suitably comedic, and Geoffrey Chard sings his solo in Tower Warders, Under Orders remarkably well. However I was very disappointed in Joel Grey's Jack Point, who comes across as dull and annoying rather than sharp and engaging and his death scene manages to be melodramatic(in the body language) and bland(in the facial expressions). As a singer, he isn't terrible, but he lacks the G&S style, his singing was too Broadway-ish and it sounded as though I was hearing two completely different styles. As Colonel Fairfax, David Hillman tries his hardest, but it's difficult to do that when your best and most crucial music is cut. I try not to fuss about cuts, but there were numbers that were crucial to the plot, and are highlights that a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan fans would watch the production for, that were absent such as When a Woo'er Comes a Wooing. The picture quality is rather drab, not as bad as Pirates of Penzanze, but when the production looks so handsome it does at least deserve picture quality that enhances the handsomeness in alternative to dulling it. I have always loved Gilbert and Sullivan for the witty lyrics and dialogue, as well as the beautiful music and memorable characters, but here some of it seems ham-fisted and therefore not as witty. Overall, uneven and disappointing, but has its bright spots. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Several people have commented on missing songs from this production. In fact the DVD issue is of the US TV version of the operetta, with the introduction by Douglas Fairbanks jnr. But all the songs were in the original version as transmitted by the BBC. US TV (I don't know which network) insisted that the full opera was too long and requested that songs be cut to reduce the running time. Unfortunately what is even worse is that the DVD in the UK is converted from NTSC having been originally shot in PAL then converted to NTSC so has undergone two standard conversions serious reducing the picture quality.