Patience 2018
Lovesick maidens are besotted with Bunthorne, a moody and handsome poet, but he has eyes only for the simple milkmaid, Patience. The problem? Patience doesn't do 'love'. Hipsters, Rugby boys and coffee presents an exciting story.
LOpSoc performed Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Patience' in the Annex Theatre, 2018. The concept was born by varying members, particularly Abby Pardoe, to have a hipster coffee shop concept. The female chorus became hipster girls, whilst the male chorus became rugby lads with their team called the Heavy Dragoons. Lady Jane thus owned the coffee shop, with Patience being a barista within it, whilst Bunthorne and Grosvenor were hipster slam style poets. The production will be taken to the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival for Patience 2018 (Harrogate).
About the Show[edit]
"Patience is the sixth collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan and was first performed in 1881. All G&S operettas contain at least an element of parody, and for Patience, the main thrust of the plot comes from the satire of the aesthetic movement. An intellectual and artistic movement at the time, aestheticism focused on things being beautiful instead of having a deeper meaning and can be characterised by the phrase ‘Art for Art’s sake’. In the show, this attitude is exemplified by the two rival poets, Bunthorne and Grosvenor, and the chorus of ladies who adore them.
I initially chose to pitch Patience because I saw a production at the International Gilbert and Sullivan festival and laughed my socks off. Despite the fact it was written with a very specific time and context in mind, the libretto is still razor-sharp as it works to skewer ‘fad culture’ in general. We immediately jumped to thinking about how we could make Patience even more relevant for modern audiences, especially the mostly young/student crowd in Southampton.
It was an easy choice to swap out 19th Century Aesthetes for 21st Century hipsters. ‘Hipsterism’ is a somewhat nebulous concept, but for the purposes of the show, we’re taking it to mean young adults with non-mainstream fashion tastes, a passion for ‘vintage and blurry’ over ‘digital and clear’, and a healthy dose of snobbery for anyone perceived to be ‘normal’. The obvious parallels to the Aesthetes meant that we actually didn’t need to change any of the libretto or lyrics at all and the show still makes perfect sense. Bringing the rest of the characters into the new millennium was also surprisingly easy, as I think you’ll see when you meet them...
Of course, you don’t need to know any of this to enjoy the show! The fact is that nearly 140 years after it was performed, Patience is still as witty and as charming as it ever was, and we’re sure you’ll have a gay old time with us."
- from the About The Show in the Patience Programme 2018 by Abby Pardoe
Photo Gallery[edit]
- Photos
The female chorus for Patience, photo taken by Sabrina Beever
The male chorus for Patience, photo taken by Sabrina Beever
The principals for Patience, photo taken by Sabrina Beever
The production team for Patience, photo taken by Sabrina Beever
The band for Patience, photo taken by Sabrina Beever
The tech crew for Patience, photo taken by Sabrina Beever
Poster of Daniel Williams-Brown for set during Raffle scene of the show designed by Tzofia R
Poster designed for set by Tim Lutton
Poster ofDaniel Williams-Brown as Bunthorne designed for set by Tim Lutton
Poster of Daniel Williams-Brown as Bunthorne designed for set by Tim Lutton
Poster of Tom Hudson as Grosvenor designed for set by Tim Lutton
The logo for the shirts of the Heavy Dragoons (Male Chorus) designed by Tim Lutton
Production Team[edit]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Abby Pardoe |
| Musical Director | Tim Lutton |
| Musical Director | Bridie Strachan |
| Assistant Musical Director | Liam Chan |
| Choreographer | Clementine Chirol |
| Creative Director | Rhona Graham |
| Producer | Tzofia R |
| Makeup Artist | Charlie Dawkins |
| Hair | Charlie Rowen |
Cast[edit]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Patience | Amber Courage |
| Reginald Bunthorne | Daniel Williams-Brown |
| Archibald Grosvenor | Tom Hudson |
| Lady Jane | Martha Fooks |
| Lady Angela | Tori Arnold |
| Lady Saphir | Rhiannon Creffield |
| Lady Ella | Katie Giles |
| Colonel Calverley | Billy Boulton |
| Major Murgatroyd | Philip Needle |
| Lieut. The Duke of Dunstable | George Smith |
| Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor | Dom Navikas |
| Chorus | Pete Alexander |
| Chorus | David Child |
| Chorus | Luke Comerford |
| Chorus | Nadia Fundell |
| Chorus | Jordan Gardner |
| Chorus | Joe Hand |
| Chorus | Julie Hao |
| Chorus | Jesse Bean McCabe |
| Chorus | Joel Parkinson |
| Chorus | Tim Pellew |
| Chorus | Eris Perring |
| Chorus | Ella Sabine |
| Chorus | Annabelle Sessions |
| Chorus | Isaac Treuherz |
| Chorus | Ben Walker |
| Chorus | Megan Warinton |
| Chorus | Doreen Zhou |
| Chorus | Mara Zimmerman |
Crew[edit]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Technical Director | Edmund King |
| Lighting Director | Jason Garde |
| Sound Director | Will Barber |
| Sound Director | Josh Curry |
| Stage Crew | Kit Grange |
| Stage Crew | Alex Willmott |
| Stage Crew | Ali Treanor |
| Crew | Amy Miller |
| Crew | George Tucker |
Band[edit]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Conductor | Tim Lutton |
| First Violin | Soonyiu Yau |
| Second Violin | Edoardo Manino |
| Viola | Doug Morgan |
| Viola (Saturday) | Lorna Frankel |
| Cello | Lawrence Coles |
| Flute | Kat Bishop |
| Flute (Oboe Part) | Grace Timby |
| Clarinet | Bridie Strachan |
| Bassoon | Kelly Barnsley |
| Horn | Cori Warren Ruktanonchai |
| Trombone | Huw Jones |
| Trombone (Saturday) | Declan Flannery |
| Trumpet | Wesley Downing |
| Double Bass | Fiona Sunderland |
| Percussion | James Atkins |
Committee[edit]
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Chair | Billy Boulton |
| Secretary | Martha Fooks |
| Treasurer | Luke Comerford |
| Publicity Officer | Tzofia R |
| Publicity Officer | Jesse Bean McCabe |
| Social Secretary | Isaac Treuherz |
| Webmaster | Pete Alexander |
| Loremaster | Daniel Williams-Brown |
| Ordinary Member | Tori Arnold |
| Tours Officer | Rhona Graham |