Illyria

In 2011 Illyria raised the bar for the major UK open-air touring theatre companies by becoming the first and only one to add Opera to its regular season. Gilbert and Sullivan's most magical comic opera is about Iolanthe, a fairy, who falls in love with a mortal. Many believe its sumptuous harmonies to be the most beautiful Sullivan wrote. It gets the complete Illyria treatment, faithfully performed by a reduced cast and accompanied by a Musical Director on keyboard. Despite the reduction in scale not a single word from WS Gilbert's libretto is cut, nor a single note or harmony from Sir Arthur Sullivan's score unsung. Following the runaway popularity of HMS Pinafore, The Mikado and The Pirates of Penzance, Illyria returns with another romantic summer opera to leave you with a song in your heart.