Richard Bratby

It’s the music, stupid

Plus: gripping conducting compensates for underpowered leads in ENO’s new Forza del destino

issue 24 February 2018

‘Welcome to our hearts again, Iolanthe!’ sings the fairy chorus in Gilbert and Sullivan’s fantasy-satire, and during this exuberant new production by Cal McCrystal you could almost hear the assembled G&S fans sighing in agreement. Iolanthe is our trump card against the sceptics, and not merely because Gilbert’s digs at parliamentary politics are still so startlingly acute.

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