Iolanthe
October 1997
Acorn Antiques 2015
It was Curtain Up! on a new era for Denmead Operatic Society as we presented "Acorn Antiques The Musical", by Victoria Wood - our first show under the new name of Curtain Up! Productions at the Petersfield Festival Hall from 25th-27th June 2015.
Mack & Mabel 2014
Mack and Mabel, the story of the relationship between early film producer Mack Sennett and his star Mabel Normand, was presented at the Petersfield Festival Hall from 15th-17th May 2014.
Masquerade 2013
This was an exciting new venture: presenting our very own show, written especially for us by Ian Clark, at the Park Community School in Havant from 29th May to 1st June 2013.
Titanic The Musical 2012
To mark the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, we presented this spectacular musical at the Park Community School from 6th-9th June 2012. It was a great success and we won a NODA Accolade of Excellence for the production.
What's next?
We are reprising our 2010 production of 'Allo 'Allo at the Petersfield Festival Hall from 9th to 11th June. This is the stage version of the hilarious BBC TV series of the same name, set in France during the second world war. Click here to find out more about the show and buy your tickets.
2015 John Westbrook Award
As Hilary Westbrook, John's widow, could not attend any of the Acorn Antiques performances due to prior commitments, she delegated the nomination of the John Westbrook Award for 2015 to Val Sykes. Val chose to award the trophy to Mandy Clowes, saying: 'When there are not so many people on stage, each member of the supporting cast is clearly visible and it is extra important to give it everything. Mandy was always fully involved om each scene she was in, acting and reacting to others very well. I loved the three backing "beehive" singers number and she was clearly really enjoying it,'
Raise FREE money for CUP
Doing your shopping on-line? Why not raise money for Curtain Up! Productions at the same time - at absolutely no cost to yourself? You get access to all of your favourite on-line and high street retailers and pay the same prices that you would normally - all that happens is that CUP receives a percentage of the total of your shopping, which can be as much as 3% of the amount you spend. Since we started this scheme, the society has received a total of £580.59 at a cost of absolutely nothing! Click here to find out more and sign up to start generating money. Note that we are still registered as Denmead Operatic Society with easyfundraising.
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Mandy Clowes was awarded the 2015 John Westbrook Trophy for her performance in Acorn Antiques. Read more >>
Iolanthe
28th October-1st November 1997
New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth
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Produced and Directed
Musical Director
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About the operettaWe asked our audience to leave reality behind, for they were about to enter a world which is both magical and enchanting. Iolanthe is a delectable combination of political satire and fairy magic, with two sides - mortal and immortal - held in a unique balance, but resolved in love! Originally entitled "Perola", it was not until the final rehearsal that the opera was renamed Iolanthe. Mr Gilbert did not attend the opening night, which was performed at the Savoy Theatre on 25th November 1882. Instead he chose to pace up and down the Thames Embankment, awaiting the comments of the audience and journalist critics. He need not have been concerned, for the papers of the day wrote "the author may congratulate himself on having opened up a fresh field.... A most brilliant political and legal parody." As usual, Sullivan was late writing the musical score, and by the end of September 1882, had composed very little music for the opera. In a single night, he composed five songs and wrote the overture only three days before the first performance! His music delights audiences with a haunting Invocation; a surrealistic Nightmare song; a sentimental ballad; an entrancing love duet; a joyous and vivacious comedy waltz trio and martial pomp from the peers chorus who "Loudly let the trumpet bray." ReviewLively Choruses Entertain The story never threatens to engage the emotions, let alone disturb them. This satire on the House of Lords is cursory. The music is of that trite rhythmic kind that stays irritatingly on the lips. Yet Iolanthe remains one of the most popular Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Ah well, just one of life's little mysteries. Denmead Operatic Society doesn't do too well for G, whose sung words often pass unheard and could be more ambitiously updated, but better for S, especially in the lively choruses. Producer Petica Tedbury has coped well with the limitations of the Royal's temporary stage to create well-ordered movement. Vocally, David Bathurst as the silly-ass Tolloller, is impressively secure, Jeff Parkin is a suitably stentorian Private Willis and Patricia Stallard an assured Phyllis. Alan Dilworth, as the Lord Chancellor, is a graduate of the Rex Harrison school of singing - entertaining enough, but the patter songs don't quite come off. Generally last night's performance grew in confidence as it went along, with musical director Roger Symes keeping tempi strong and getting mostly fluent orchestral playing. Mike Allen, The News 29/10/97
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